By Sam Halberstadt · Reviewed by Marina Chen
Editor · USCG-licensed Master 50 GT · Updated May 6, 2026
When to tack
Anytime you're sailing close-hauled and need to make ground to windward of your current track — which is most of the time when going upwind. Tacking is the only way to make progress toward a destination directly into the wind.
Don't tack with no momentum. If you've been pinching or just lost speed in chop, bear off slightly first to rebuild boat speed, then tack. Speed is what carries you through the no-go zone.
The three calls
Sailing has standardized commands so the helm and crew don't talk over each other. Use them even when you're sailing alone — it builds the habit. 'Ready about' = prepare to tack. 'Ready' = crew has the new sheet in hand and the old sheet ready to release. 'Helm's a-lee' = the helm is going down, the boat is turning now.
Some skippers use 'Hard a-lee' or 'Tacking' instead. The exact words matter less than that everyone on board uses the same ones.
The most common mistakes
Turning too slowly — boat loses speed mid-tack and stalls in irons. Fix: smooth but firm tiller movement, not gradual.
Releasing the jib sheet too early — sail backs and slows the turn. Fix: hold until the bow is through head-to-wind, then release.
Trimming the new sheet too late — sail luffs while you scramble for the winch handle. Fix: pre-tail the new sheet on the winch before calling 'Ready about.'
Step by step
- 1
Build speed and look around
Sail close-hauled at a comfortable speed. Check for traffic, current, shoal water, and that the new tack will get you where you want to go. A tack that takes you toward a lee shore is a bad tack.
- 2
Call 'Ready about'
Crew uncleats the working (leeward) jib sheet and prepares to release it. The crew on the new windward side takes 2–3 wraps of the new sheet around the winch and tails it. Crew responds 'Ready.'
- 3
Call 'Helm's a-lee' and turn
Push the tiller firmly toward the leeward side (toward the sail) — or turn the wheel toward the wind. The bow swings up and through the wind in a smooth arc. Don't jerk the helm; don't dawdle either.
- 4
Release the old jib sheet
As the bow passes through head-to-wind and the jib starts to back, release the old working sheet completely. Throw the line off the winch — don't try to feed it.
- 5
Trim the new jib sheet hard and fast
While the jib is still partly luffing, the new windward crew sheets in as fast as possible by hand, then engages the winch and grinds the last few feet to close-hauled trim.
- 6
Settle on the new tack
Steer to fill the sails, let the mainsail self-trim across (the traveler usually handles itself), check telltales, and fine-tune trim. Crew tidies the released sheet so it's ready for the next tack.
Frequently asked
Bow points dead into wind, sails flap, boat stops or drifts backward. Push the tiller hard to the side you want the bow to fall toward, and back the jib by holding it to windward — the wind on its back face will push the bow off. Once the boat moves forward, release the jib and trim normally.
