Lee ho ?
Alan Goodman
In 1990, when I was learning dinghy sailing, I was taught:-
- "ready about" to warn the crew of an impending tack.
- crew responds "ready" when they are ready.
- "Lee Ho" as I push the tiller away to exceute the tack.
However, when helming on a friends yacht, he asked me why I did that,
saying that it is wrong usage and not needed. At most he would consider
"helm a'lee" at the start of the turn and possibly a "lee ho" as we went
through the wind - but neither seemed required in his view.
So what is the correct sailing terminology for communicating with the
crew when tacking? And can you point to an indisputable authority?
Many thanks and holiday greetings.
Alan
====
Anyone can hold the helm when the sea is calm.
-- Publilius Syrus
Simple Simon
"Alan Goodman" <an...@nowhere.com> wrote in message news:anon-CAA8AE.1...@news.fu-berlin.de...
Simple Simon
The crew should then acknowledge, "Ready".
The helmsman should then call out, "Helm's alee," and
then put the helm down.
I don't know what terms you Brits use but if they are
different from the above they are incorrect.
"Alan Goodman" <an...@nowhere.com> wrote in message news:anon-CAA8AE.1...@news.fu-berlin.de...
Ronald Raygun
> What are the correct calls when tacking?
>
> In 1990, when I was learning dinghy sailing, I was taught:-
> - "ready about" to warn the crew of an impending tack.
> - crew responds "ready" when they are ready.
> - "Lee Ho" as I push the tiller away to exceute the tack.
>
> However, when helming on a friends yacht, he asked me why I did that,
> saying that it is wrong usage and not needed. At most he would consider
> "helm a'lee" at the start of the turn and possibly a "lee ho" as we went
> through the wind - but neither seemed required in his view.
>
> So what is the correct sailing terminology for communicating with the
> crew when tacking? And can you point to an indisputable authority?
The terminology is correct, but given a with-it and always-ready
crew, it can be superfluous, which makes the usage close to wrong.
Some indication of intention to do something is only courteous,
and "ready about" is as good as anything else. But no "ready"
response is really necessary, eye contact is sufficient.
Thereafter everthing just works as clockwork with no need for
further communication. People already know what to do and when.
The crew can see when the helm goes over, they don't need to
be told.
Relative to dinghies, things happen in slow motion on yachts,
with no need for split-second timing. I guess on a dinghy the
crew needs to start the trip across to the other side almost
before the helm goes over, so the "lee oh" serves a useful
purpose.
John Griffiths
>
> In 1990, when I was learning dinghy sailing, I was taught:-
> - "ready about" to warn the crew of an impending tack.
> - crew responds "ready" when they are ready.
> - "Lee Ho" as I push the tiller away to exceute the tack.
This is what I was taught on the RYA 1/2 last year, as well as the following
sequence for gybing
Stand by to gybe
Ready
Gybe ho
I must admit whilst I was learning it was useful both as crew and helm to
know what was happening and when and to know everyone else knew as well!
John
Chris Daly
> The helmsman should first call out, "Ready about."
>
> The crew should then acknowledge, "Ready".
>
> The helmsman should then call out, "Helm's alee," and
> then put the helm down.
>
> I don't know what terms you Brits use but if they are
> different from the above they are incorrect.
The RYA (our Nation Governing Body for sailing in the UK), would disagree
with you there Simple.
For dinghy sailing at least:
Check the area is clear,
Call "Ready About" to warn the crew,
The crew should also check the area is clear, uncleat the jib sheets and
reply "Ready",
Call "Lee-oh" to warn the crew that the turn is starting.
(Ref. RYA G3/02 Pg 20)
With regards to cruising, i can't offer an official answer, but the sail
training yachts i sail on (60-75' with crews of up to 23 on board)
generally use all three commands:
"Ready about" to warn the crew we're tacking, and get them to tacking
stations,
"Helm to lee" to instruct the helmsman to start making the turn,
"Lee ho" (or "Let fly" depending on who's running the deck) to instruct the
crew to release the jibs et al and set them on the other side.
Tacking these boats does take conciderable longer than tacking a dinghy,
hence the need for separate turn and let fly commands.
HTH
Chris
this-@icqmail.com SOG
"John Griffiths" <crazy...@btinternet.com> wrote in message
news:b7k6em$nm8$1...@sparta.btinternet.com...
>
> "Alan Goodman" <an...@nowhere.com> wrote in message
> news:anon-CAA8AE.1...@news.fu-berlin.de...
> > What are the correct calls when tacking?
For the last 40 years on different boats from East to south coasts of
England I have always experienced the following.
The command to prepare to tack is "ready about"
The command to tack or go about "lee ho"
It may be better for the helm if inexperienced crew acknowledge the
preparatory order "ready about" The action command "Lee Ho" means the
helm is over and the crew must respond physically clearly a verbal
acknowledgement is superfluous.
On a racing boat, the crew is already concentrating on responding to every
windshift and tactical adjustment. The quiet (don't want other boats to hear
you) "ready about" is given and probably no "lee ho" as the team really act
as one (as I think someone else has said). Mast loss is a likely
consequence a tardy runner man.
Sometimes in the scrum on a mark or start line the racing helm may not have
time to give the preparatory warning so the action Command "Lee Ho" or just
"Tacking" is shouted and the crew have to really move it but they are alert
to the possibility and usually manage anyway.
My two penny worth for what its worth
Simon Brooke
> What are the correct calls when tacking?
>
> In 1990, when I was learning dinghy sailing, I was taught:-
> - "ready about" to warn the crew of an impending tack.
> - crew responds "ready" when they are ready.
> - "Lee Ho" as I push the tiller away to exceute the tack.
>
> However, when helming on a friends yacht, he asked me why I did that,
> saying that it is wrong usage and not needed. At most he would consider
> "helm a'lee" at the start of the turn and possibly a "lee ho" as we went
> through the wind - but neither seemed required in his view.
Had a debate about this with an experienced friend who was crewing for
me a fortnight ago.
The way I do it is:
Skipper (if not also the helsman) says to the helmsman 'tack when
ready'.
Helmsman says 'ready about'.
Crew are *expected* to be ready. If _not_ ready, they sing out;
otherwise, they remain quiet. Reason for this: if two people call
ready and one person calls 'not ready' all at the same time the
chances of the 'not ready' being heard are slim.
Helsman puts the helm down and immediately calls 'lee ho'.
As the boat comes through the wind, the helsman calls 'let go and
haul' and the grew get the jib across.
This is based on square rigger practice, but is convenient on
catamarans which are on the whole slow to turn and some degree of
holding the jib aback may be necessary to get through the wind. On
boats which turn rapidly and reliably the 'let go and haul' call is
pretty much redundent - the crew set about getting the jib across as
soon as 'lee ho' is called.
> So what is the correct sailing terminology for communicating with the
> crew when tacking? And can you point to an indisputable authority?
I don't believe there is any authoritative pratice. There can't really
be, because there is no authority. Practice in different areas and on
different types of boats will always have been different. What matters
is that your crew all understand what to do at each of the calls which
you (as a crew) make, and, at least while working as a crew, you all
use the same calls consistently.
Having said that, I do not believe you can rationally have 'lee ho'
and 'helm's a lee' in the same sequence because both calls mean exatly
the same thing - the helm is a lee. 'Lee ho' does not mean 'we have
just gone through the wind'. If you want a call for 'we have
just gone through the wind', 'let go an haul' is as good as any.
--
si...@jasmine.org.uk (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/
... a mild, inoffensive sadist...
Mike Hopkins
writes
>Tacking these boats does take conciderable longer than tacking a dinghy,
>hence the need for separate turn and let fly commands.
(and the boat) well. Inexperienced crew have a nasty habit of letting
fly too early or, if told to wait until the jib backs, too late.
--
Mike Hopkins
Swim? Naturally with MADNAT <http://www.madnat.org/>
Simple Simon
be confused in the wind and noise as 'NO'.
It is better to say "Helm's alee" because the
'eeeeee' sound carries well in the wind and
cannot be confused for a negative rejoinder.
Is it any wonder you wankers lost the Cup
way back in the 1950's and have never
gotten it back?
"Chris Daly" <cd...@ukc.ac.uk> wrote in message news:b7k890$9f9$1...@athena.ukc.ac.uk...
Paul Cooper
wrote:
>In message <b7k890$9f9$1...@athena.ukc.ac.uk>, Chris Daly <cd...@ukc.ac.uk>
>writes
>>Tacking these boats does take conciderable longer than tacking a dinghy,
>>hence the need for separate turn and let fly commands.
>IMO, "Let fly" is invaluable unless helmsman and crew know each other
>(and the boat) well. Inexperienced crew have a nasty habit of letting
>fly too early or, if told to wait until the jib backs, too late.
"Ready about" and "Lee-oh" have been common currency since I were a
lad (In the 60's), and I think (not absolutely certain) it is the
practise that Arthur Ransome mentions in his books describing the
1920's. "Let fly" is entirely too prescriptive - "Lee-oh" allows the
crew an element of decision making which they are in a better position
to do than the helmsman is - they can see when the jib loses power as
the turn progresses, and loose the sheets at the appropiate moment.
Also, "Lee-oh" is a signal to the entire crew that the helm has gone
down, not merely an order to the person at the jib-sheets. Of course,
a well-practised team is essential in this as in any other sailing
manouvre,
Paul
Simon Brooke
> Alan Goodman wrote:
>
> > What are the correct calls when tacking?
> >
> > In 1990, when I was learning dinghy sailing, I was taught:-
> > - "ready about" to warn the crew of an impending tack.
> > - crew responds "ready" when they are ready.
> > - "Lee Ho" as I push the tiller away to exceute the tack.
> >
> > However, when helming on a friends yacht, he asked me why I did that,
> > saying that it is wrong usage and not needed. At most he would consider
> > "helm a'lee" at the start of the turn and possibly a "lee ho" as we went
> > through the wind - but neither seemed required in his view.
> >
> > So what is the correct sailing terminology for communicating with the
> > crew when tacking? And can you point to an indisputable authority?
>
> The terminology is correct, but given a with-it and always-ready
> crew, it can be superfluous, which makes the usage close to wrong.
>
> Some indication of intention to do something is only courteous,
> and "ready about" is as good as anything else. But no "ready"
> response is really necessary, eye contact is sufficient.
>
> Thereafter everthing just works as clockwork with no need for
> further communication. People already know what to do and when.
> The crew can see when the helm goes over, they don't need to
> be told.
Depends on the boat. That may be true on a dinghy, but on anything
with a working area much more than about eight feet long and with more
than two or three crew eye contact is just not going to work. On
anything which is slow and cranky in stays, the moment the jib goes
across is critical to making the turn and the crew should definitely
not take the jib across until requested to do so. The number of times
on my boat I've had to call to a new crew member 'hold her
aback... hold her... hold her... OK, let go and haul'. If the jib is
taken across too soon when we have less than about five knots on the
boat she's quite likely to miss stays, and when you're short tacking
through a narrow channel against the tide that can be bad news.
> Relative to dinghies, things happen in slow motion on yachts,
...true...
> with no need for split-second timing.
... at least sometimes false.
Work out what works on your boat with your crew, make sure everyone
knows it, and stick to it consistently. Brief new crew so they know
what to expect. Do not worry about what the snotty yotties in the
clubhouse say.
TonyB
"Ronald Raygun" <no....@localhost.localdomain> wrote in message
news:ysgna.23972$zn3.17...@news-text.cableinet.net...
>.
>>
> Relative to dinghies, things happen in slow motion on yachts,
> with no need for split-second timing. I guess on a dinghy the
> crew needs to start the trip across to the other side almost
> before the helm goes over,
No Ron, the crew must wait until the boom has gone across, if racing
dinghies. This tips the boat across onto the new tack & she'll pull away
better. If the crew goes over before the boom, the rudder has to work extra
hard in the water, the boat slows & comes out of the tack very slowly. The
rules allow this "roll tack" as long as the boat doesn't come out of the
tack faster than it went in, difficult to prove though in a race!
It makes a huge difference too -if you gain 0.25 seconds in a race of 200
tacks you'll be 50 seconds ahead of your nearest competitor. In practice an
experienced team will gain several seconds over a less "teamlike" team.
In a bigger yacht, crew weight is less important & matters not a jot unless
you're racing.
TonyB
PS I still think the bit of string at the mast is the topping lift halyard,
the bit from the mast is the topping lift.
Chris Daly
>>>Tacking these boats does take conciderable longer than tacking a dinghy,
>>>hence the need for separate turn and let fly commands.
>>IMO, "Let fly" is invaluable unless helmsman and crew know each other
>>(and the boat) well. Inexperienced crew have a nasty habit of letting
>>fly too early or, if told to wait until the jib backs, too late.
>
> "Ready about" and "Lee-oh" have been common currency since I were a
> lad (In the 60's), and I think (not absolutely certain) it is the
> practise that Arthur Ransome mentions in his books describing the
> 1920's.
I think around the UK they've been in common usage for a very long time.
Other countries i'm sure do it differently (as Simple Simon likes to keep
pointing out - obviously missed the point this is *UK*.rec.sailing). This
is the method i teach my scouts when i'm running seamanship courses.
> "Let fly" is entirely too prescriptive - "Lee-oh" allows the
> crew an element of decision making which they are in a better position
> to do than the helmsman is - they can see when the jib loses power as
> the turn progresses, and loose the sheets at the appropiate moment.
> Also, "Lee-oh" is a signal to the entire crew that the helm has gone
> down, not merely an order to the person at the jib-sheets. Of course,
> a well-practised team is essential in this as in any other sailing
> manouvre,
On a smaller boat / dinghy this makes sence, in the situation i was refering
to is on a large sail trining yacht with young people who (at the beginning
of the week) generally know nothing about sailing. The let fly command is,
IMHO, essential for this case - let fly too early and you have to do a lot
more work hauling in the head sails, to late and there can be too much
tension in the sheets to let them fly easily.
Chris
Chris Daly
> Lee-ho is a stupid thing to say because it can
> be confused in the wind and noise as 'NO'.
>
> It is better to say "Helm's alee" because the
> 'eeeeee' sound carries well in the wind and
> cannot be confused for a negative rejoinder.
Interesting point, can't say i've ever experienced that problem though.
Where i come from if you said that people would just look at you and say
"what?". At least with "lee ho" they know what you mean. It is far better
to have common terminology which everyone understands to avoid confusion.
Each to their own i suppose.
> Is it any wonder you wankers lost the Cup
> way back in the 1950's and have never
> gotten it back?
If you can't have a civil discussion without resorting to abuse then kindly
shut up and go back to where ever it is you came from.
Edward Fryer
"SOG" <corroc2-delete th...@icqmail.com> wrote in message
news:3e9dab03$1...@nntp.onyx.net...
> On a racing boat, the crew is already concentrating on responding to every
> windshift and tactical adjustment. The quiet (don't want other boats to
hear
> you) "ready about" is given and probably no "lee ho" as the team really
act
> as one (as I think someone else has said). Mast loss is a likely
> consequence a tardy runner man.
Or sometimes, just "OK", which normally follows a bit of a conversation
about whether to tack or not. Signalling to the opposition that you're about
to go about can sometimes be a bad idea. Does mean that the crew should a)
have a rough idea about the tactical choices, and which is more likely, and
b) should try and keep an ear on the tactician - easier in smaller boats.
Which gives rise to the question, how do you know that an Italian boat is
going to tack?
All the cigarrettes go over the side.
-Ed
Ronald Raygun
> "Ronald Raygun" <no....@localhost.localdomain> wrote in message
> news:ysgna.23972$zn3.17...@news-text.cableinet.net...
>> Relative to dinghies, things happen in slow motion on yachts,
>> with no need for split-second timing. I guess on a dinghy the
>> crew needs to start the trip across to the other side almost
>> before the helm goes over,
>
> No Ron, the crew must wait until the boom has gone across, if racing
> dinghies. This tips the boat across onto the new tack & she'll pull away
> better. If the crew goes over before the boom, the rudder has to work
> extra hard in the water, the boat slows & comes out of the tack very
> slowly.
I didn't mean they should go across before the boom does, just
that they should start their trip. I cannot comment on the
technical aspects as I'm neither a racer nor a dinghy man, but it
seems to me if the boat is going to complete the manoeuvre in
a second or two, then a fair bit of planning needs to go into
the timing of rearranging the ballast.
> In a bigger yacht, crew weight is less important & matters not a jot
> unless you're racing.
I'm sure you're right. I was thinking less about the effect on
performance, more about keeping the balance to avoid a capsize.
> PS I still think the bit of string at the mast is the topping lift
> halyard, the bit from the mast is the topping lift.
You mean the same bit of string changes name as it passes the
pulley at the top? Not even normal halyards do that, do they?
Although in common use the term has spilled over to the likes of
signal halyards and burgee halyards, the original use must surely
have been for hoisting sails. The word seems to contain the roots
"haul" and "yard", so they are for hauling aloft the yards to which
the sails are attached. Gaffs have peak and throat halyards which
independently raise the inner and outer ends of the gaff, but
primarily they hoist the sail. Except when de-powering, the
purpose of the topping lift is not really to hoist anything, it's
just to hold the boom up when the sail is lowered. To the extent
that this involves hoisting the end of the boom, I suppose you are
hauling a yard, but it's distinctly borderline.
Martyn Hodson
"John Griffiths" <crazy...@btinternet.com> wrote in message
news:b7k6em$nm8$1...@sparta.btinternet.com...
>
what is said is immaterial just as long as it is understood an agreed
racing crews may use odd words or even no words once they know each out
one helm of mine ( also sometime crew of mine) when sailing with me would
use 'ready' and 'up' or 'ready' and 'go' but when each of us were teaching
or sailing with learners we'd stick the 'approved' phrases
martyn
---
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Simon Brooke
> >
> > I don't know what terms you Brits use but if they are
> > different from the above they are incorrect.
> >
>
> Nice troll dick cheese, but we define sailing terms over you arseholes who
> insist on f***ing the planet up and bastardising the English language. Go
> suck!
If you *must* feed the trolls, please don't descend to their level.
--
si...@jasmine.org.uk (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/
;; in faecibus sapiens rheum propagabit
L'Escargot
"Ronald Raygun" <no....@localhost.localdomain> wrote in message
> TonyB wrote:
> > PS I still think the bit of string at the mast is the topping lift
> > halyard, the bit from the mast is the topping lift.
>
> You mean the same bit of string changes name as it passes the
> pulley at the top? Not even normal halyards do that, do they?
>
> Although in common use the term has spilled over to the likes of
> signal halyards and burgee halyards, the original use must surely
> have been for hoisting sails.
How have they spilled over, there has certainly been signal halyards and
burgee halyards as long as sail parts etc have had names.
> The word seems to contain the roots
> "haul" and "yard", so they are for hauling aloft the yards to which
> the sails are attached.
doesn't this argument support the one that a topping lift is most definitely
a halyard and disprove the "borderline" argument. It would seem to suggest
that the line attached to the sail is the "borderline" halyard.
Ric
>
the crew understands.
Peter Thomas
<martyn...@hotmail.com> writes
snip
>one helm of mine ( also sometime crew of mine) when sailing with me would
>use 'ready' and 'up' or 'ready' and 'go' but when each of us were teaching
>or sailing with learners we'd stick the 'approved' phrases
The most minimalist sequence met so far is:
'Nowish?'
Lifts eyebrow.
'Yeah'
--
Peter Thomas
scarpa
Tee
>Especially if you sail single handed :-)
>--
>martin
I beg to disagree.
A better approach would be: "Darling! May I suggest that you pull on
that rope that you are cradling in your sweet little hand?"
In general, it can be recommended that one start every sentence with
"Darling" when sailing with one's wife.
A final example : "Darling! As you can see, water is pouring over the
leeward side. Would you be so good as to uncleat the sheet?"
Edward Fryer
"Peter Thomas" <peterd...@double.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
news:21TdCTQb...@godthoms.demon.co.uk...
I was talking once to a guy who crewed a 505; like many dinghies, the crew
did tactics and wind strategy etc, while the helm focussed on steering.
Anyway, when this guy wanted his helm to tack, he would simply take the jib
sheet out of the jam cleat; the main would see this and tack - not a word
said. If, after a few moments he hadn't tacked, a few words were uttered...
-Edward
Simon Brooke
> And what are the correct calls for single handers?
'what is the sound of one hand clapping?'
--
si...@jasmine.org.uk (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/
;; no eternal reward will forgive us now for wasting the dawn.
;; Jim Morrison
Ronald Raygun
> "Ronald Raygun" <no....@localhost.localdomain> wrote
>> The word seems to contain the roots
>> "haul" and "yard", so they are for hauling aloft the yards to which
>> the sails are attached.
>
> doesn't this argument support the one that a topping lift is most
> definitely a halyard and disprove the "borderline" argument.
No, because the topping lift only holds the boom, or lifts it
a tiny bit, it does not haul it aloft.
> It would seem
> to suggest that the line attached to the sail is the "borderline" halyard.
In the case of a bermudan main, I suppose you could think of it
being attached to a zero-length gaff. In the case of a triangular
foresail, I don't know, what did they call jib halyards in the old
days? If "jib halyards", then obviously there had been a spot of
linguistic evolution even then.
Tee
>On Thu, 17 Apr 2003 18:41:41 +0200, Tee <hot...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>>On Thu, 17 Apr 2003 17:52:56 +0200, martin <mar...@wanadoo.nl> wrote:
>>
>>>On Thu, 17 Apr 2003 14:05:37 +0200, "Ric" <sp...@off.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>>
>>>>"Alan Goodman" <an...@nowhere.com> wrote in message
>>>>news:anon-CAA8AE.1...@news.fu-berlin.de...
>>>>> What are the correct calls when tacking?
>>>>>
>>>>There are no "correct" calls. You can say exactly what you want as long as
>>>>the crew understands.
>>>
>>>Especially if you sail single handed :-)
>
>>I beg to disagree.
>>
>>A better approach would be: "Darling! May I suggest that you pull on
>>that rope that you are cradling in your sweet little hand?"
>
>sounds a bit of a naff thing to shout at yourself if you are single
>handed.
>--
>martin
Whoops, poor thread placement, sorry
Brian Walsh
>
>Pogue mahone, tea pot.
>
If we must get the terminology bang on:
The phrase is Póg mo thóin
(Depending on your character set, client software, etc the ó started
out here as an 'o' with an accent/umlaut
Póg - kiss
mo - my
thóin - ass
The phonetic ' Pogue mahone' would sound almost right.
Speaking of sounds:
I was out in a F8, when the new helmsman shouted through the wind -
"Helm's a leeeeeeeeeee!"
Some of us thought he wanted a cup of tea, others thought that he
wanted to wee.
None of us knew why he wanted either in the middle of a tack.
However, because we were aware of what he was meant to be thinking
about and could see that the boat was turning, we knew what to do.
Perhaps when he had heard the previous helm shouting "Laaaay oh!" he
assumed that the guy either wanted sex or was singing the Banana Boat
song.
Simple Simon
"Brian Walsh" <bri...@despammed.com> wrote in message news:3e9fbfde....@news.indigo.ie...
> "Simple Simon" <Pie...@Mincemeat.com> wrote:
> >
> >Pogue mahone, tea pot.
> >
>
> If we must get the terminology bang on:
>
> The phrase is Póg mo thóin
> (Depending on your character set, client software, etc the ó started
> out here as an 'o' with an accent/umlaut
>
> Póg - kiss
> mo - my
> thóin - ass
>
> The phonetic ' Pogue mahone' would sound almost right.
>
Excellent. Maybe somebody needs to tell the good folks at
http://www.viz.co.uk/profanisaurus/profanis.htm
Tee
Firth) wrote:
>martin <mar...@wanadoo.nl> wrote:
>
>> Who was Lee Ho?
>
>Lascar cook on the Cutty Sark, he needed to know which tack the boat was
>on so that he could throw the slops in the appropriate direction.
>Traditions tend to die hard.
My crew 's first name is Leo.
Stefan Lloyd
news:anon-CAA8AE.1...@news.fu-berlin.de...
> What are the correct calls when tacking?
>
> - "ready about" to warn the crew of an impending tack.
> - crew responds "ready" when they are ready.
> - "Lee Ho" as I push the tiller away to exceute the tack.
>
> saying that it is wrong usage and not needed. At most he would consider
> "helm a'lee" at the start of the turn and possibly a "lee ho" as we went
> through the wind - but neither seemed required in his view.
>
> So what is the correct sailing terminology for communicating with the
> crew when tacking? And can you point to an indisputable authority?
>
I think your expectation of some authoritative answer to this is mistaken.
Whatever works best on your boat with your boat is correct. Here is my view.
With a good crew, there is no need for so much talking. Buddy Melges, who is
arguably the greatest racing helm of the last century, says nothing - he
just puts the boat into the tack. He expects his crew to be sensitive to the
change of motion and react accordingly - which they do. Of course he also
had an extremely well-practised crew.
Personally, in a dinghy I say ready about, and as soon as I hear the click
of the jib sheet being released the helm goes down. On larger boats, I say
ready about, and watch what the cockpit crew are doing. As soon as they are
on the point of being ready, the helm goes down.
However, when we are roll-tacking my 24-foot keelboat, I do call "cross"
when I want the crew to cross the boat to flatten it on the new
tack - otherwise everyone wanders over in their own time and the rolling
momentum is lost. On my dinghies we were practised enough together to
know exactly when we would both move.
Ian Johnston
wrote:
: What are the correct calls when tacking?
I use the ones my father taught me, which he learned on a Polish sail
training ship in the early fifties:
Helm: "Ready about" (= "I am going to turn")
Crew: "Ready" (on my boat everybody awake on board has to say this)
Helm: "Helm's down" (= "I have started turning")
Helm: "Lee-oh" (= "We have successfully passed through the wind")
I find the distinction between the last two calls to be very sueful.
Ian
--
Ian Johnston
: On 20 Apr 2003 09:31:49 GMT, "Ian Johnston" <ian.u...@talk21.com>
: wrote:
:
:
: >I find the distinction between the last two calls to be very sueful.
:
: Su Ho!?
Ubgger!
Ain
PyroJames
martin <mar...@wanadoo.nl> wrote in message
news:jh9v9vg024agia81f...@4ax.com...
> >
> >A better approach would be: "Darling! May I suggest that you pull on
> >that rope that you are cradling in your sweet little hand?"
>
> handed.
I don't know about naff, it just sounds schizophrenic to me. At least it
does when I say it to myself....
--
PyroJames
"Oh well, a funeral is always better to my mind than a wedding.
I can't bear weddings. A funeral's final. A wedding - well,
it's only an unfortunate stage to somthing else." Graham Greene
R.A. Loxley
> >>
> > Relative to dinghies, things happen in slow motion on yachts,
> > with no need for split-second timing. I guess on a dinghy the
> > crew needs to start the trip across to the other side almost
> > before the helm goes over,
>
> No Ron, the crew must wait until the boom has gone across, if racing
> dinghies. This tips the boat across onto the new tack & she'll pull away
> better. If the crew goes over before the boom, the rudder has to work extra
> hard in the water, the boat slows & comes out of the tack very slowly. The
> rules allow this "roll tack" as long as the boat doesn't come out of the
> tack faster than it went in, difficult to prove though in a race!
Racing dinghies (Ents mainly) and doing roll tacking, I always use
'ready about' to check the crew is ready, 'lee-ho' to indicate putting
the helm across and the tack starting, then the command 'tack' to
indicate when the crew was to uncleat the jib and move across the boat.
Always seemed to be a good system, especially with inexperienced crews
who were never sure how long to wait during the roll.
Graham L
> --
> martin
I agree with Stefan. Whatever works! I draw the line at the "Tack-o" I
heard on a neighbouring boat once. "Ready about" and "helm down" at the
appropriate moments seems to work for me.
Graham
Jimbo
>With a good crew, there is no need for so much talking. Buddy Melges, who is
>arguably the greatest racing helm of the last century, says nothing - he
>just puts the boat into the tack. He expects his crew to be sensitive to the
>change of motion and react accordingly - which they do. Of course he also
>had an extremely well-practised crew.
>
>Personally, in a dinghy I say ready about, and as soon as I hear the click
>of the jib sheet being released the helm goes down. On larger boats, I say
>ready about, and watch what the cockpit crew are doing. As soon as they are
>on the point of being ready, the helm goes down.
>
>However, when we are roll-tacking my 24-foot keelboat, I do call "cross"
>when I want the crew to cross the boat to flatten it on the new
>tack - otherwise everyone wanders over in their own time and the rolling
>momentum is lost. On my dinghies we were practised enough together to
>know exactly when we would both move.
Sail on your own. Saves all this hassle :-)
Jimbo.
stephen, yachtinguniverse
Simple Simon
your buddy Tony.
Pogue mahone, tea pot.
"stephen, yachtinguniverse" <stephen...@spamntlworld.com> wrote in message
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