Sailing question Jibe & MOB
 

When preparing to jibe do you strenuously center the main or do you take the risk of letting the wind make the winching easier by allowing it help centre the boom somewhat at the risk of it swinging right over?

And also during a MOB recovery turn is it more efficient to do a figure 8 maneuver or just jibe it round in a tight circle then let the sails luff?

Note: And yes I know this is a flying forum😀

I will centre the boom before jibing, to reduce the stresses on the rigging. Always!

Normally I'll sail a figure of 8, that way I won't have to jibe, but in light wind I have done a circle including a jibe. (Only done practice MOBs till now).

What are you sailing?

I alter course while pulling the mainsheet in, but I don't harden it quite up, just letting the boom have a couple of feet free play, so the wind flips it over positively.
I sail a heavy gaff cutter.

Getting back to a person in the water, the quicker the better, a few seconds may make a big difference to outcome..

Have you tried the Yachting Monthly/Practical Boat Owner free discussion forum? Lots of free advice from some very experienced sailors, (and some not so much..) fair winds Jerry

Learning on this one at a sailing school.

Liberty ? Sailing school in Los Angeles | Blue Pacific Yachting

I always bring the boom to the centre when doing a deliberate gybe.

In keel boats, I practice the figure-eight beam-reach MOB. Just make sure that one of the crew is the spotter, pointing to the casualty at all times. It's also a good idea that you shout to the casualty as you sail away from them, to reassure them that you are coming back! ;)

I have also been taught the crash-gybe method, which works well, but it's a bit tough on the mast and rigging. I would probably use that method in a real MOB situation.

Sailing joke: Never take hunters sailing, because when you gybe and shout "Duck!" as the boom comes across, they'll stand up and say "Where?"

Nice Beneteau, pb84. Great fun to sail. I chartered a 40' cat from Blue Pacific once, just to see what they were like. Would make a good party boat, but very boring to sail. Give me a sloop every time.

Same here: always centre the boom. In light winds I'll do it as the boat gybes.

Gybing - in a dinghy I would not sheet in for a gybe as long as I could head directly down wind as the boom swings across. The load is then translated directly into boat speed. In anything bigger I would sheet the boom well in before gybing.

MOB - unless I had a well trained crew and in anything but a calm sea, I would avoid gybing during MOB drill. Just go onto a reach to give enough space to tack and return to the casualty on a reach, probably just using the head sail to control boat speed.

A lot of my cruising was done with just my wife as crew and we used to practice MOB a lot. The annoying thing was that, although she had little confidence in boat handling, she was much better at MOB than I was.

What's this to do with aviation ??

No idea, unless it's that a sail generates the force to push the boat in the same way that a wing generates lift?

Ahoy there Cap'n PB,

Don't stop the MOB excecise until you have had a practice at rigging a hoist from the boom ( or Davit) to recover the casualty. Trying to drag a half-drowned 17st bloke over a couple of feet of freeboard is actually impossible single handed so a bit of practice is useful. Not all boats have a nice low diving platform at the back.

WHY IS THIS POST HERE???
 

Am I missing something........?

My only MOB exercise has been to retrieve hats blown off.

As for gybing, not something I do if going-about is an option. But sailing on the run (soldiers wind) always an eye on the burgee just in case an unplanned gybe feels like it's going to happen. Then sheet in asap to center.

As for those who are missing something, yes, sailing has far more appeal than flying in today's environment. And you can eat sleep and drink on a boat.

Try gliding!

The difference between motorboating and sailing is a lot like powered flying vs. gliding.