What does it mean for a sailboat to be in irons?

Answer 1

A sailing vessel cannot sail directly upwind for very long. Usually, the sails are either full against the wind pulling the sailing vessel along down wind, or at an angle to the wind to "slice" along across the wind called a "tack". However, when the sailing vessel needs to change tack (first going left to right across the wind, then turning to go right to left across the wind), it can be accomplished by turning down wind, crossing the path of the wind as it comes across the stern of the sailing vessel, then "slicing" along on the opposite "tack". This process is called a "gybe". There is another way to change tack, that is to turn the sailing vessel into the wind, sailing upwind for a very short time, continuing the turn so as to sail on the opposite "tack". The process is, itself, called a "tack". Unfortunately during a "tack" when the sailing vessel spends that short time turning across "upwind", if the vessel comes to a stop because there isn't enough speed to completely turn across the wind, the vessel no longer has water passing the rudder enough to allow that rudder to continue steering. The sailing vessel will be slowly blown backwards a bit until it turns the sails to catch the wind properly to get the vessel going fast enough (usually down wind) for the rudder to steer again. When the vessel is stopped or going backwards a bit, this is when the sailing vessel is "in irons".

Basically, In irons is when the bow of a sailing vessel is headed into the wind and the boat has stalled and is unable to maneuver.