How to Tack a Cruising Catamaran
10 Steps
Tacking a cruising catamaran is a different from tacking a monohull, and treating the two the same is how you end up stalled head to wind, drifting backwards with the sails flogging. A monohull carries a ballasted keel through the turn: it grips the water, stores momentum, and forgives a lazy helm. A catamaran has two slim hulls, more windage, and less lateral grip. It rewards preparation and speed, and it punishes hesitation.
The good news is that a well executed cat tack can be smooth, fast, and undramatic. It comes down to ten steps. Save the accompanying diagrams , keep this page bookmarked at the helm, and run the sequence the same way every time until it becomes routine.
- Steer close to the wind
Settle the boat at 50 to 55 degrees to the true wind, sails sheeted in. Know your boat’s best close hauled angle before you need it: most cruising cats live in this range, and pinching higher only bleeds off the speed you are about to depend on.
- Centre the traveller
Bring the boom onto the centreline and sheet in. Centred, the main crosses a short distance, loads up gently, and is already trimmed to drive you out the other side.
- Pick your new course
You will turn roughly 110 degrees through the wind. Set the new heading on the plotter or autopilot, then back it up by eye: a cloud, a headland, another boat. A visual mark lets you steer one deliberate arc instead of chasing the wind instrument around the dial.
- Power up
Bear away 5 degrees to 60 degrees off the wind and let the boat accelerate. Speed is stored energy, and it is the single biggest factor in whether the bows carry through the wind or park halfway. Ten seconds of increased speecd before the turn can buy you the whole manoeuvre.
- Call the tack
Confirm the crew is ready: lazy genoa sheet loaded on the winch, working sheet ready to run, nobody standing in the mainsheet’s path. Then call it clearly. Going about, helms a-lee. On a quiet boat this feels like theatre. In 20 knots it is key to a smooth tack. If you have a self tacker, just focus on the turn you are about to do.
- Turn in one smooth arc
Put the helm over with intent and hold a constant rate through the turn. Too slow and drag eats your speed before the bows are through; too violent and the rudders act as brakes. Time the turn for a flat spot, because a wall of chop taken head on will slow your momentum.
- Back the genoa
Hold the old genoa sheet as the headsail comes aback. The backed sail levers the bows through the wind, which is exactly the push a cat needs in light air, leftover swell, or with a full batten main that is slow to fill. Release once you are about 30 degrees onto the new tack, no earlier. Ignore this if you have a self-tacking jib of course, just concentrate on the helming!
- Swap the sheets
Cast the old genoa sheet off cleanly, check it runs without a wrap, and grind on with the new one. If you sail with a self tacking jib, this step handles itself, which is precisely why the setup is so popular on shorthanded cats.
- Exit low, then climb
Come out of the turn at around 60 degrees to the wind rather than pointing straight back up. The extra angle reloads the apparent wind and rebuilds speed quickly. Once the boat is moving properly, trim the traveller and sheets and work back up to your close hauled course.
- Thank the team
If you sail with one, say so out loud. Tidy the lazy sheet, settle on the new course, and give the traveller and sheets a final trim. A quick word about anything that snagged now saves the same snag next time.
If it goes wrong
Everyone stalls a tack eventually. If you end up in irons, keep the genoa backed and reverse the helm as the boat gathers sternway: the bows will fall away onto one tack or the other, and you can sheet on and start again with more speed. No drama, just a second attempt.