getting out of irons

frankbarbehenn

New Member
I've sailed a flying scot for 4 years, but just went out first time on a sunfish. I had the oddest and most frustrating experience. Some on this forum have already been helpful, but just want to pick others brains as well on this matter. I got caught in irons, and couldn't get out for 40 minutes and had to be towed in--I was pushed across the entire lake. I'd push the tiller to leeward and the bow would come around toward leeward. So I thought it would keep going. But then it stopped. And then it went back into the eye and back into irons. It was maddening as to why the bow didn't continue to go leeward. I rocked and rolled this way the whole way, could not get a beam reach for the life of me. What I didn't do was push the sail windward to keep the pressure on and I wonder if that was a key. What I did do was either let the sail out as it went leeward, but then it luffed, or trim it in when it went leeward to help catch air, but then it again went directly into the wind. The fella that gave me a tow said that sunfish are very hard to work upwind, and that's why he got rid of his years ago. Any thoughts??
 
It's funny the first time I went out this year my main sheet came untied from the bridle clip and the wind was blowing so strong that I couldn't stay in irons long enough to retie it, had to capsize to fix problem.

I learned to get out of irons by ether waiting or useing the tiller and rudder to kick the end of the boat around so that my sail can catch some wind. I do that by slowly putting the tiller all the way over one direction and then snapping it back over the other way. Two or three times and I'll have the boat turned enough to get going again. (WARNING this might not be the best thing for your boat) The condition of your boat, rudder and mount will dectate weather you'll want to try that.

You might also look into installing a windex on your mast so that you can keep an eye on it and help keep from turning into the wind to much. I've also thought about looking for a short, short paddle to keep in the stowage to get back to shore if the wind dies way down. With something like that you could alway whip it out and paddle your way out of irons. Something to think about.
 
The simple rule for getting out of irons is to move the boom and the tiller in the same direction.

You can pull the boom towards you and pull the tiller towards you too and you will sail forwards on to a beam reach. (Trimming the sail won't work if you are pointing dead into the wind. You actually need to pull the boom with your hand.)

Or you can push the tiller away from you and push the boom the same way amd the boat will sail backwards on to a beam reach on the other tack. Wait until the boat stops moving backwards before trimming in and sailing forwards
 
I agree with Old Geezer, and would add that I too get stalled at some point in the process where the boat won't turn away from the wind anymore. I slowly put the rudder back amidships and let the pressure on the sail finish the job. At some point in the process the fully turned rudder only acts as a brake. If I'm still in trouble I'll pull up the daggerboard as far as it'll go without interfering with the boom.
 
I agree with Old Geezer.

I've just re-read what I wrote and I've decided I don't agree with myself. Forget what I put about sailing forwards or backwards. Whether you push boom and tiller away from you, or pull boom and tiller towards you, you are basically doing the same thing. One is just a mirror image of the other.
 
I am fairly new to sailing and I sail a fish on a narrow lake which requires quite a bit of tacking. I occassionally find myself in irons (usually with a lee shore nearby - so it becomes imperative that I be able to finish the turn.)

I push the tiller over so that it points in the direction I want to sail/boom to swing to and then I let out the mainsheet. The boat quickly turns into the correct direction. I pull in the sheet and I'm off again on a run.
 
Get somebody to take you out on their catamaran. Sail the cat with only the mainsail (no jib). You will spend a lot of time sailing backwards and you can get really good at learning how to get out of irons -- or else you will wind up on the leeward shore at the end of the lake. Multihull sailors are by far the most educated on how to get out of irons, because it's so necessary.
Have fun sailing backwards!! Carib_Jim
 
push the sail out, and the tiller away from you. That will backwind the sail. When it fills correctly, straighten out the tiller, and your back on your way. It just takes some practice, and all of us get into it at some point or another.
 
To avoid getting in irons, it is absolutely necessary that you get as much speed as you can before tacking. Loosing speed in high wind and big waves happens if you start turning from wind on the beam. So get close to the wind and keep your boat as flat as possible to get as much speed you can. Just when the wind get down a bit, push the rudder to leeward. Keep the boat flat as long as you can and go on the other side only when the boat is crossing to the other side. Put the rudder in the middle only when the turn is finished.

So, turn only from close to the wind and keep the boat flat to get maximun speed. You shouldn't miss to many turns.
 
I have watched a lot of new sailors and they seem to tend to sail on a reach ( more speed, more tip = more excitement) and then they try to do a 180. As blueberry said, sail close hauled when you are ready to tack. I am a pointer (sailing close to the wind) and have not had problems with getting in irons, so I don't think there is anything in the design of the Sunfish that makes it prone to getting in irons or especially hard to sail to windward. I do find that one tack is usually favored when going to windward, but I think that is by the shape of the sail against the mast on one tack. I have sailed in some 'cats' (Aqua and Hobie) and agree, you learn how to back up quickly and do a 3 point turn to tack them.
 
What is a roll tack? I got caught in irons this past weekend, coming out of a wooded inlet that I never should have gone into, and and when I finally got out of it, I had to jibe to avoid the shoreline. I wasn't going fast at the time, but I was still surprised that I didn't capsize. In fact, it looked pretty darn graceful. Are Sunfishes relatively forgiving about jibes?
 
Jibing in a Sunfish has been pretty forgiving for me except for a high wind race day and I could not jibe that day. I lost total control twice while trying to change from a port reach to a starboard run. Lost my grip on the mainsheet and tiller both times. Had to tack to make that change. Maybe next year my skills will be better.
 
I've just re-read what I wrote and I've decided I don't agree with myself.
I disagree with your not agreeing with your former self that you re-read. :p

I've found that it varies with the wind strength.

In light wind, "pump" the tiller as to "scull" the bow around. While that won't work by itself, coordinating pulls on the boom with pushes on the tiller—will. Just three or four "tugs" in combination will get the boat pointed in the right direction.

Nothing works in strong winds, so fuggetaboudit. :D

Avoid losing headway at all costs! Jibe if you must. (Also called "wearing about" from the "tall-ship" days).

It may help to have a perfect daggerboard: mine has lost a couple of square inches due to something the previous owner did to wear the trailing edge.
 
A roll tack is a pretty advanced, from my point of view, technique. And, without understanding it completely, hard to do. (Please correct me if I'm wrong!) It involves rocking/tilting to windward as you approach and start the tack, coming-about as smoothly and quickly as possible, letting the boat stay very heeled over, then rocking towards your new windward side so as to "fan the sail" and gain steerage ASAP.
Having seen it done I tried it a few times and can tell you that I should have worn a swimsuit!!! (smiling) The few times I succeeded were worth it, though. Maybe a few years of practicing and i'll try it when someone is watching! (lol)
 
you are right, roll tacks do help a lot, and it is an advanced move. It does however take some time to get all the timing down, but you will loose almost no speed during the tack if it is done properly
 
Check out the book - Sailing is a Breeze: Learning to Sail a Laser, Sunfish or Other Small Boat (ISBN 0-89641-433-7) 2006 and look in Chapter 6 "Sailing Techniques" - Section I "Getting Out of 'Irons'" - there is a good description and a nice illustration as well.

Prevent being caught in irons in the first place - check out Section J "Coming About" which describes the technique but also outlines five common errors in coming about which result in the boat being caught in irons.
 
the easiest method i use to get out of irons is to push the tiller the direction you want to go and lift up your daggerboard which will cause the boat to slide quicker in that direction.

As far as tacking goes, Eduardo Cordero has a a good pictorial here http://www.starboardpassage.com/sunfish_tacking_sequence.htm

It is also helpful to have a clear understanding of how weight movement and sail trim helps steer the boat, I attempt to enlighten here http://www.islandwebdesign.biz/blog/archives/2006/02/sunfish_sailing.html

Good luck
 

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