Jibe - Dangers

Dangers

A jibe can be a dangerous maneuver in a fore-and-aft rigged boat because, as the direction of the wind crosses the boat's centerline, the "old" leeward side of the mainsail and boom suddenly becomes the new windward side, and the sails are always fully filled by the wind. The load on the sail and mainsheet can remain high throughout the maneuver, and if uncontrolled, the boom and mainsail can swing across the deck with high speed, striking and injuring anyone standing in the path of the boom or its tackle, as they sweep across the boat. An uncontrolled boom slamming to the limit of its range may also put excessive stress on the rigging, and can break the boom or standing rigging, perhaps even bringing the mast down. A jibe can also result in a sudden change in the direction of heeling, and can cause unexpected course changes due to the change in mainsail force changing from one side of the boat to the other.

Owing to the hazard associated with the accidental jibe, some designers are moving away from designs that require the use of booms. There are also several designers that have placed the mast in the back of the boat in a configuration termed mast aft. This enables them to greatly reduce the size of the boom or eliminate it completely.