Hello Joe. I tack 90% of the time, and I only sail when it's windy. The first couple times I tried in waves and a good wind, I blew so many tacks that I thought I would have to sail clear across Lake Huron. Here are some tips that were posted on this forum;
"Sailing close to the wind... feel where the boat is slowing or the sail is starting to luff. Turn away (fall off) a bit to gain some speed. Sailing as close to the wind as you can without slowing is where you want to start the tack. You need some speed. Begin your turn into the wind gradually. If you turn to sharply, the rudders act as a brake. Sheet the sail tighter as you head further into the wind. Move weight aft. As the boat slows, turn harder. Release the sheet completely as the sail luffs or starts to backwind. Force the sheets out by pulling the sail towards you if you have to. The sail acts as a weather vane if you leave it sheeted. Slack in the sheet allows the hulls to continue to turn through the wind. Keep the rudders turned as long as there is any forward progress, then release when the boat is stopped. Cross over to the new sailing side. Allow the hulls to turn well past your intended new heading before starting to sheet the sail back in. As you start sheeting in, the boat will try to head up. Hold the rudders firmly now. Sheet in slowly to gain some forward movement before sheeting harder.
To add detail to tacking in higher winds. Sailing close hauled. Keep up speed ease the boat into the turn sheet hard and hike out well aft. Turn the helm harder as the boat slows. Sit up and release the main from the cleat but hold the tension until the main starts to luff. Fully release the main. Duck under the sail to the new weather side. Still keeping the helm over, but main is fully released and sheeted out the bows continue around to the new tack. Wait until well past close hauled and closer to a beam reach. Straighten rudders and start sheeting in slowly until the boat starts moving. Then sheet tighter... off you go.
In waves you have to be aware of the peaks and troughs. Start a tack as you go over a peak. The next peak should help push the bows around as you pass head to wind. Of course, it depends on the frequency of the waves too, but use the waves to help you tack."
I hope they will be of some help to you.
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