Page:Small-boat sailing; an explanation of the management of small yachts, half-decked and open sailing-boats of various rigs; sailing on sea and on river; cruising, etc (IA smallboatsailing01knig).pdf/151

 one's face, which indicates whether one is steering full and bye or yawing about. It is astonishing with what nicety a sailor can distinguish the direction of even a very light wind in this way. On a dark night when he is steering full and bye, and not by compass, this is the only possible guide to the helmsman; so, too, if the vessel is running before the wind, he can feel by the chill on his neck or ear if he is sailing by the lee or luffing up.

When sailing full and bye it is important that the sails should be properly trimmed; they should not be sheeted so flat that the vessel becomes sluggish, and they must all be sheeted as nearly as possible at the right angle, so that one sail will not lift long before the other when the vessel comes up into the wind. It is a common fault to flatten in the jib-sheet too much, by which the sail's effect is wasted, and it tends more to drive the vessel to leeward than to propel her. If the mainsail is seen to lift before the jib, slacken up the jib-sheet a bit.

TO TACK

When the wind is so much ahead that one cannot steer directly for one's destination, even when close-hauled, the vessel has to be tacked. The theory of tacking has been dealt with in a previous chapter; the practice will now be explained.

If two or more hands are available for the operation, the following is the procedure:—The man at the helm selects his opportunity, and if it be heavy