O'Day 22 heaving to

Sep 25, 2016
88
Oday 22 Lake Arthur
tried to heave to many times today; instead did a bit of forereaching (I guess)

I have a 1972 O'Day 22 with the long shallow shoal keel. The jib I'm using is probably NOT to original specs; it doesn't go to full masthead height, but is only a 100%. Close hauled, the clew is right up on the shrouds...

Procedure:
1) sail close hauled
2) tack without releasing jib sheet
3) throw rudder all the way back and tie it down
4) ease main sheet, as far as it wants to go, pretty much. no attempt to trim main in.

Result: a nice relaxing gentle sail with the slick that I'd like to see off the windward beam more toward the windward stern. In other words, everything is settled down like it should be hove to, but the boat is still making (slow) headway.

I've seen things that suggest furling the headsail up a bit, but mine is hank-on. So no.

Is an actual quality heave-to possible with this boat and this sail? Or should I just be happy with what I have and throw out the muddy, muddy anchor when I want to stop?

Any advice?
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,995
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
If you are still sailing forward (out of the slick) than the headsail is not large enough to counter act the main you have out.
Since the jib cannot be reefed, try to reef the main. This will reduce your main sail area and allow the jib to balance against the main. You should then slip sideways and float down the slick.
 
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Jul 5, 2010
161
Oday 22, Mariner, Challenger 15 Michigan
It sounds like you are being driven off to leeward if the slick is off the windward stern quarter. Is your main luffing while you do this? My boat is the 1980 model O'Day 22 with a fractional rig and shoal keel/centerboard. When I heave to, the main is sheeted in hard and drawing, not luffing. The boat holds position as if close-hauled to the wind and is very stable with the slick off the windward bow.
 
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Oct 22, 2014
20,995
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
SC. The slick of the bow indicates the boat is backing out of the slick. Love&Luck is sailing out of the slick.
the goal is to have the slick on your beam so you are slipping sideways. This can only be accomplished if the sails are in balance. Each boat is different in that some want to sail, slip backwards or slide sideways with the same amount of sail up. It is the skipper who can change the sail configuration so that the boat slips sideways. Reason for the sideslip is that it helps to breakdown the cresting wave so it slides beneath the boat rather than burying it. In some cases the wind will cause the boat to sail just by the wind in your bare rigging. In this case throwing a warp (a long length of heavy line) may be the only way to slow the boat speed down. There are some strategies that use a warp and a drag tied off the bow and mid beam to create the sideslip idea but those are beyond the discussion.
Try balancing the sails, hove to, so you get a sideslip going and see if this changes your boats behavior in a heavy sea.