Hamin' X wrote:I agree with the jib majority. Also, as you begin to come across the wind, resist the temptation resheet the jib/genoa to leeward too soon. I have found that by back-winding the jib/genny a bit, it brings the bow through the wind much more crisply and with less loss of headway, or chance of ending up in irons. Also, don't try to tack if you are pinching too close to the wind. Fall off just a bit. Your overall VMG will be much better.
~Rich
Ditto...plus after I fall off to build up some speed and then start to slowly turn into the wind as I begin my tack I harden up the main as I do it. This does cause a little weather helm and does help the nose to "speed up" and helps it get across. Then once my Genoa backwinds and fills a little bit that is when I pop the working sheet out of the block and start hauling in the new sheet.
It would be easier if I had three arms. But it is all part of the fun.
As to gybing...I have had a few situations where it was difficult to tack...so I gybed instead. I have gotten comfortable with gybing so that doesn't really bother me that much.
Zoran makes a good point about the dangers of gybing in heavy wind. It has to be done careflly or avoided. Tacking is the best way to get out of sudden trouble under sail. I would advise any sailor to master the skill and be able to tack any time on short notice. Backwinding the jib, though effective is not very graceful and slow to get back in the groove. I never sailed on an but I can say that with proper skill, the can be tacked any time. It's all about practice. But the practice is fun, because it's sailing, and it's well worth it.
You never stated what your forward speed was. If it was not more than 2 MPH (1.74 knots), you probably would not be able to successfully make it all the way through a tack.
Without knowing how fast your boat is actually going, makes it difficult to determine when to fall off and build up boat speed. Of course in your situation (no motor and rocks approaching) you did not have many choices
Wind waves 5+ ft and oversailed and healed at 35+deg in 30+ breezes is when I used the motor and would again. The wind on the hull was too much for the boat speed to tack. This condition was caused by a weather front that was moving up the Columbia river on a sunny day that origionaly there was a warm 10 mph breeze and sailing was smooth. 15 min later things had changed and the wind waves were 5+ ft and the launch was up wind.
When I find it hard to tack into the wind this is what I do. As the boat comes into the wind and for what ever reason ( boat speed or sail trim) the bow will not cross over to the next tack I watch my boat speed. When it goes to zero I REVERSE the helm all the way. As the wind pushes the boat backwards, a reversed helm will bring the stern around pointing the bow to the desired new tack and when the sails fill I turn the helm to center. Sometimes you have to steer left to turn right. I know this doesn't seem logical but it works.
Steve
PS
Bubba I've repaired all the battle damage from our last trip out and now have reefing lines aft for both points, and new halyard led aft with new rope stoppers on deck.
Found out part of the problem we had raising the main was pully at top of mast was damaged and not turning freely. Plan to go out this weekend launching at Boardman upstream to McNary Dam.. Winds for cast up to 30 MPH from the west.
School House Steve wrote:PS
Bubba I've repaired all the battle damage from our last trip out and now have reefing lines aft for both points, and new halyard led aft with new rope stoppers on deck.
Found out part of the problem we had raising the main was pully at top of mast was damaged and not turning freely. Plan to go out this weekend launching at Boardman upstream to McNary Dam.. Winds for cast up to 30 MPH from the west.
I can see with the rope breaking force your main sail hallard got that the mast head pully could have been busted too. Glad you got everything fixed from the launch mishap a few weeks ago.
but I can say that with proper skill, the 
can be tacked any time. It's all about practice. But the practice is fun, because it's sailing, and it's well worth it.
Wind waves 5+ ft and oversailed and healed at 35+deg in 30+ breezes is when I used the motor and would again. The wind on the hull was too much for the boat speed to tack. This condition was caused by a weather front that was moving up the Columbia river on a sunny day that origionaly there was a warm 10 mph breeze and sailing was smooth. 15 min later things had changed and the wind waves were 5+ ft and the launch was up wind. 
