Tacking troubles?

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  • October 25, 2019 at 6:53 pm #170558
    j_m_crenshaw
    Participant

    I’m having a little trouble with the tacking mechanics.

    In the basic rules, I get it. Wind is on a narrow arc and everyone can turn that far. You position close to the wind on one activation. On the next activation you turn across the wind. You’re fine unless the wind shifts against you while you’re near the current upwind facing.

    I like the advanced rules, but they make tacking murder. You can only move at light sales close to the wind, so you only get one turn. and the wind is at a wider red arc. Even if a brig is sailing close to the wind, at the next activation the one turn allowed under light sails puts her dead into the wind. Next activation she needs to make a skill roll to avoid being anchored. If successful (and positioned perfectly, she can move across the wind. But that is only 1/3 in a regular crewed ship and 1/2 for veterans.

    You can’t tell me that a veteran crew in a brig or frigate will miss stays and fail to tack 50% of the time, even in battle conditions. This is a practiced maneuver. It seems the only option using the advanced wind rules is to wear rather than tack.

    Thoughts?

    October 25, 2019 at 7:04 pm #170559
    Bob D
    Participant

    I confess I am a n00b when it comes to naval warfare in the age of sail, but I thought I had read somewhere that tacking during a battle was avoided like the plague, precisely because it was a risky manoeuvre under combat conditions…

    October 26, 2019 at 10:25 am #170572
    invisible officer
    Participant

    Under reduced “battle sails” the ship often lacks the power to go through the wind.

    From decades of own sailing I can assure you that even with a small yacht not any tacking attempt is successfull.

    If you don’t have enough “Swinging power” the vessel just stops with the bow into the wind.

    It stops and you have a hard job to get it into moving again.

    In a small vessel you can use pushes to the tiller, no option in a brig or bigger. Lay rudder and wait until you are driven back enough to get wind into your sails.

    October 26, 2019 at 10:53 am #170573
    Capt John Sparrow
    Participant

    Definitely. You need to get a good drop of speed up to tack. In my old two-masted Drascombe Longboat sailing upwind was a horrific affair.

    October 26, 2019 at 2:21 pm #170574
    j_m_crenshaw
    Participant

    I guess I’m not saying that it should be risky, but the combination of rules make it nearly impossible.

    Literally impossible for anything will a yellow turn.

    Feels like a +1 or +2 modifier to the skill test for this would be more representative of history, maybe depending on ship size.

    October 26, 2019 at 6:35 pm #170578
    invisible officer
    Participant

    ” Even if a brig is sailing close to the wind, at the next activation the one turn allowed under light sails puts her dead into the wind. ”
    Light sails means little power.

    In real life 1/3 would be considered a good chance with little speed.

    In movies and novels we have frigates and SOL dancing around, in fact most action sailing was clumsy. Esp. in light airs.

    Those historical actions fought with much turning are in good wind and with more than fighting sails.

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