Which sailing maneuver sets the jib on one tack and mainsail on the other and is often used to slow the boat?

• A. Tacking
• B. Heaving-to
• C. Gybing
• D. Jibing around

Answer: (B)

Heaving-to uses a backed jib and a mainsail trimmed to balance the boat into the wind, so the two sails pull from opposite directions. With the jib set on one tack and the mainsail on the other, the forces cancel enough that the boat slows and often drifts gently or stays put, rather than moving forward. This position is ideal for waiting out a squall, making repairs, or adjusting gear without full steering control.

Tacking is about turning the bow through the wind to switch sides, which changes tack but keeps the boat moving. Gybing involves turning the stern through the wind, causing a quick sail shift. The phrasing “jib on one tack and mainsail on the other” describes the steady, opposite-tack setup used in heaving-to, not the turning motions of tacking or gybing.