Tacking (not “tacky”)

“The voyage of the best ship is a zigzag line of a hundred tacks.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson

From Wikipedia:

A tack or coming about is the maneuvre by which a sailing boat or yacht turns its bow through the wind so that the wind changes from one side to the other. This is contradictory to a jibe which is turning the stern of the boat through the wind.

In small boats with low booms, the skipper should generally announce, “Ready about” to prepare the crew for the tack and the swinging of the boom, which can otherwise cause serious injury to an unprepared crew member. Upon the acknowledgement of the crew, the skipper announces, “Coming about”. or alternatively “Helm’s a-lee”, “Hard a-lee”, or “Lee Ho” during the actual tacking.

Before tacking, it is in good practice to have a considerable amount of speed before doing so in order to complete the tack. If a vessel hasn’t enough speed to complete a tack, the wind may overpower the boat’s turn, thus forcing it back on its previous course, or the vessel may become in irons, not moving at all.

An auto tack is when a sailboat turns its bow through the wind by accident. This is usually occurs when a steady hand is not kept on the tiller or steering wheel. Auto tacks are more likely to occur when a sail boat is close hauled.

Tacking or beating to windward may also refer to the process of beating a course upwind, back and forth, without actually coming about.

Are you going full speed ahead?  Don’t forget to TACK, to keep on course.

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Jean