Shifting jibs in heavy weather:
If you have to shift jibs in a blow, with a heavy sea running, it is an extremely difficult and sometimes dangerous job. The jib you are going to set should be stopped up, as it is much easier to handle in that form. In getting in a jib at such times be very careful about how you slack off the sheet, as men are frequently knocked off a spar or hurt by the sheet being let fly while they are on the bowsprit. Don’t have any more men forward than are actually needed to shift the sails, as their weight will depress the boat’s head and make it wet working.