How to get out of irons!!??

P

PlaneSailing

Member
Hi - please could I get some help on getting out of irons!

First question - is there a good step by step process to get out of irons?
It seems to take ages to get the boat to turn into a tack and get steerage. Often, I am sitting there squatting pushing/ pulling the tiller and getting precisely nowhere. Eventually, seems like minutes later, the boat finally turns and away we go.

Second question - I have got caught head to wind once or twice trying to tack to get around the right side of the weather mark. How can you get out of irons so that you are definitely going to be on a port tack - as opposed to a random outcome.

Many thanks for any help or advice,

Rich
 
two suggestions.
First, to answer your question, if you get stuck just pull the boom out over the windward side to fill the sail and sail backwards while steering your way out, then pull the sail in and go.
secondly, when you tack, steer slowly for the first two or three seconds, then steer quickly through the rest of the tack to keep from getting stuck.
 
2 steps:

1. ease your boom vang
2. pull your centerboard up 1/2 way

You'll likely begin to drift backwards. If so, in order to bear away to fill your sail you will want to push the tiller away from you.
 
Many thanks for your advice (x3), sounds good to try out next time.

When you say pull the boom to windward - the boat is head to wind - I assume this refers to what will be the new windward side once the boat is out of irons.

Putting all together, hope this is a correct routine to use:
  1. Ease vang, raise centre board
  2. Position yourself on port side (to go off on a port tack, for example)
  3. Pull boom towards you and/or (?) push tiller away
  4. Steer backwards to bear away
  5. Release boom, sheet in, straighten tiller and sail away
  6. Reset vang and centre board
Cheers!

sailor327 said:
i normally just pull the boom to windward and i push the tiller to windward.
Click to expand...

Should that be "push the tiller leeward" IMHO?
 
honestly im not completely sure cause its kind of second nature for me and i dont actually think about it when i do it but i imagine pushing to windward would help the boat bear offf and pushing to leeward would cause you to tack but it would be oppisite if you were in irons so bad you were drifiting backwards.
 
I pull the boom first (hold), then push the tiller all the way to leeward. Once the bow comes around ease the sail till it has no power (flapping). Lean forward, trim sail and hike extra hard! Build up speed then slowly point higher.

To avoid irons - tack agressively in FLAT water.
 
I guess what you all do is a bit of sailing backwards. I was doing the same, but I'm not sure its legal or that perhaps you loose any preference on the rest of boats (can anybody confirm this?).

What I do is:

1- I hold the boom with my hand and push it fore towards windward (if in doubt, the side where it makes more resistance). Doing this, the sail inflates in the "opposite way": concave side fore, convex side aft.

2- The boat starts sailing backwards, so the tiller works right the other way as usual. In other words, tiller to port means bow to port, and the same for starboard. To bear off, I move the tiller to the opposite side of the boom.

3- Once you manage to bear off a bit, release the boom (mind your head). Then gradually trim and begin sailing.

Does this more or less coincide with what you're doing?

Pedro.
 
Something computeroman mentioned should be mentioned again... proper tacking technique won't leave you in irons. Keep in mind where you're trying to go, which is upwind. Don't slam the tiller hard over trying to rush the tack. Begin the tack slowly, and using momentum, "coast" upwind, thereby gaining valuable ground, and then swing the bow around faster to complete the tack. Also, as the boat passes through the eye of the wind and you switch sides, lean the boat to windward before the sail fills. This will help the boat turn too, by moving the drag of the centerboard downwind and out from the centerline of the boat. Think of it as pivoting around the bottom end of the centerboard.
 
I didn't quiet follow the second question, but the first one what you want to do is pull/push (which ever way you want to turn) the tiller hard then pull it back to the center of the boat then pump hard again this shoulddo it if not simply reapeat until it deos it only takes a few seconds.
 
crazysailor:
pull/push (which ever way you want to turn) the tiller hard then pull it back to the center of the boat then pump hard again this shoulddo it if not simply reapeat until it deos it only takes a few seconds.
Click to expand...

Mmmm, I guess that's always the first try and should suffice in "simple" conditions.

However, depending on the weather, I have experienced days in which getting out of irons results quite difficult for me: especially with medium wind and waves, and possibly a slight current against my bow. I assumed that PlaneSailing was asking what to do in case you have difficulties. It's in those cases where I just sail a bit backwards to help the boat make up her mind. May be it's not the best way, so please correct me (I'm just a beginner).

BTW, I guess that for PlaneSaling's second question, i.e., how to end up on port tack, I would push the boom forward on the port side and push the tiller to starboard. Sailing backwards, the boat will bear off to starboard. Then release the boom and start sailing forward.

Does this make sense for you?

Pedro.
 
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