#tacking

Tacking is the manoeuvre used in sailing to change direction by turning the bow of the boat through the wind, while gybing is the manoeuvre used to change direction by turning the stern of the boat through the wind. In both manoeuvres, the sails are trimmed and the direction of the wind changes relative to the boat, allowing it to move in a new direction. Tacking is used when the wind comes from…

It’s been a minute, so for this Random Nautical Fact I’m going back to basics with what it means to be on the port tack and what it means to be on the starboard tack.

If you are facing the front of the boat:

You are on the Port Tack if the wind is coming over the Port (left) side of the boat.

You are on the Starboard Tack is the wind is coming over the Starboard (right) side of the boat.

If you’re facing directly into the wind, you are what’s known as In Irons are you’re not going anywhere, no, literally, your boat is not moving except for whatever currents you might be in

If the wind is coming directly over the stern -- the back of the boat -- you’re running

If you are looking at me like “WTF are you on about”, as a cheat you can use the What Side of the Boat Are the Sails On trick for fore-and-aft or gaff-rigged vessels, i.e. Not Square Riggers: if the sails are on the starboard side, you are on the port tack, and if the sails are on the port side, you are on the starboard tack: meah, I know, it’s opposite and lots of people find that bit counterintuitive.

Also, if you’re on the port tack, you have to give way to vessels on the starboard tack. Rules of the road, as it were: boats on the starboard tack get right of way. (Right of Way/Stand-On probably deserves its own Random Nautical Facts entry but it’s midnight and I’m tired.)

So, sailboats and sailing ships turn by tacking (if the desired course is upwind, i.e. into the wind), which turns the ship’s bow (front) so that the side from which the wind blows changes, or by jibing (also called “wearing” on square-riggers) if the desired course is downwind, which turns the ship’s stern (rear end) through the wind, also changing the side the wind is blowing from. Either will turn the ship 90 degrees. One of the things about sailing is you always have to be aware of wind direction to figure out how to get where you want to go.

“Ready about” is the order to notify the crew that they will be tacking. The crew responds “Ready”, and the helmsman (the person at the wheel) will say “helm’s a lee”’ or “Lee O” to indicate they’ve started turning.

Then, once the skipper is happy with the direction the ship is heading, the order is “trim to course.”

Tl;dr: “Ready about! Helm’s a lee!” is probably what you’re looking for.