Tacking action?

[Broadsword56]

While we're on the tacking subject,

Does anyone have any ballpark idea how many minutes it would have taken an average-skill crew to tack an unrated, 3-masted ship in a medium wind?
A lot of variables there, I know -- but I'm just trying to get some sense of a baseline time, which might take shorter or longer depending on other factors.

[Kentop]

While we're on the tacking subject,

Does anyone have any ballpark idea how many minutes it would have taken an average-skill crew to tack an unrated, 3-masted ship in a medium wind?
A lot of variables there, I know -- but I'm just trying to get some sense of a baseline time, which might take shorter or longer depending on other factors.

I'll take a wild guess and say for a trained crew, it takes about 10 to 15 minutes from the time you give the order to prepare to tack to actually tacking and setting the sail. Tacking is more than just turning through the wind, it usually meant falling off maybe two or three points to pick up some speed and then turning into the wind. The most time consuming part is getting everybody ready to let go or haul every running rigging rope on the ship. Almost all of the crew (including marines) would be involved. You can't just snap your fingers, even with a highly trained crew. All the ropes on one side of the ship have to be let go and all the ropes on the other side must be hauled, then both sides must secure the lines and start trimming the sails. You had officers assigned to each mast and below them, different crews for different sails on that mast. They all had to be ready and they could only go as fast as the slowest crew. You literally had to wait until everybody was in place and ready. That takes time.