Hi, Everyone. Some buddies and I went out recently on the lake in my Oday 22 and received a big lesson from the school of hard knocks. The day was reasonably calm and I had a big genoa hanked on. The wind came at us strong at the end of the day at 15 knots out of nowhere and was a steady beating increasing close to 20. We couldn't get the sails down fast enough, however I only had a trolling motor and the shore was beckoning us in a real bad way. So, we decided to raise some main to get power. However we could not get the main up since we were practically close hauled at this point and we couldn't get the boat in the irons to remove the stress of the main against the shrouds. We ended up getting the main up and sailed in but it was stressful. Naturally, I think I'm going to be in the market for an outboard. But I guess I should have reefed the main instead of bringing it all down?. We should have gotten it into irons then put a reef in? Or bring down main all the way and use headsail? But the genoa is so large I just decided to take it down too. Thinking back I wonder if knowing how to heave to would have been beneficial. Even though they commended me on my calmness I was a little embarrassed at my seamanship in inclement weather. It came so fast and just as we were entering the marina. Any advice would be appreciated.
A spanking on the water
- Thread starter Capri
- Start date
You only have to be close hauled to reef the main. Not dead into the wind. Sail on the Jenny, let the main luff, reef the main, make it tight and sail on the main while taking down (or rolling in the Jenny). You are sailing the whole time. However the time to reef is when the thought first crosses you mind. Don't wait until its a struggle.
I usually ease off the mainsheet so that the Mains would flutter into iron. Easier to reef or raise sail this way.
Ken Y
Ken Y
jssailem
SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John
- Oct 22, 2014
- 23,140
Good morning. Getting out on the lake with “buddies”, good for you. Sounds like you had a good time and you figured out what to do while keeping your head and not scaring your crew. All good things.
From the way you described the conditions and your situation, I would not have selected “heave-to” as a tactic to deal with the situation. When you “heave-to” you are setting the boat up to slowly drift for awhile. You state your intentions was to return to the marina. Being on a “lake” you are surrounded by land. Drifting on to shore is never a first choice for me.
Your focus to get the sails up and powering your boat was the right call. I’d work on practicing sail changes and reefing skill building. Especially if you get a day with little or no wind. Best time to raise - lower - and reef sails. You can get practice without the sails flogging about fighting you. The suggestion of letting the main out and pushing the boom to leeward so that the sail is luffing is a good way to raise it when the bow can not be pointed directly into the wind. You can practice this skill in a light or mild breeze with your big Genoa pulling the boat thru the water.
Go out again and have more fun. Your doing great based on the experience you shared.
Not knowing the lake you are sailing in, I tend to agree with js
Experienced sailors have a collection of tricks and techniques to try. If something doesn't work, each response helps inform the captain of what to try next. Then, experience allows the captain to move efficiently and seamlessly to the next option. Having experience on the particular boat means better understanding which options to ignore as ineffective for that boat, in that situation.
Practice, pay attention and learn, not just what your options are, but also how you're boat responds to them.
The wind, especially near shore, such as on a lake, can be very unpredictable. A good auxiliary motor can make all the difference, but it won't stop that wind from acting treacherously every once in a while. Sometimes, there's no stopping a knockdown.
-Will (Dragonfly)
Also, one needs to have some time with their boat to know the best approach in any situation. Different boats, different tuning, different sails, different conditions may mean headsail only sailing works or doesn't work well when the winds come up. Maybe your boat, just under headsail, has too much lee helm to be able to bring her into the wind. Maybe just the main means you don't have the power to come fully about on a tack. It is hard to judge these kinds of things and make a general rule of thumb when not all boats behave the same way.
Experienced sailors have a collection of tricks and techniques to try. If something doesn't work, each response helps inform the captain of what to try next. Then, experience allows the captain to move efficiently and seamlessly to the next option. Having experience on the particular boat means better understanding which options to ignore as ineffective for that boat, in that situation.
Practice, pay attention and learn, not just what your options are, but also how you're boat responds to them.
The wind, especially near shore, such as on a lake, can be very unpredictable. A good auxiliary motor can make all the difference, but it won't stop that wind from acting treacherously every once in a while. Sometimes, there's no stopping a knockdown.
-Will (Dragonfly)
This part seems contradictory to me: if you were practically close hauled, how was the main against the shrouds?
Heaving too is pretty easy varies a little with the boat. Basically you just tack from a beat onto the opposite tack but don't touch the sails. So now you are on a new tack with the jib backwinded and the main drawing. The boat is going to want to bear off but you force the tiller over to have it head up. You kind of just sit there making very little forward progress. Try it when it isn't super windy.
Oh and don't forget you should have an anchor. That can save you from running aground in many situations.
When listening in on USCG vhf radio calls, one of their opening questions, after asking if everyone on board has on a PFD, is often whether the boat has an anchor at the ready. Sometimes the conversation gets humorous and ironic at that point! (evidently a large number of fishing skiffs go out with zero ground tackle on board or ready for use...)
x2. Your best emergency gear for shallow water.
You should know how to heave to. Not that you'd use it to "ride out" high winds as you're on a lake, but it's good for a break from the tiller and for reefing the main when your solo.
But you learned the main lesson to not drop sails completely when there's wind! The trolling motor is like a paddle. It will move you nicely when it's calm but useless in any wind. If the range is plenty for your normal use I'd stick with electric. Simple and very nice to use, almost no maintenance.
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There is no way in the world you'd want to heave to with a big gene and a full main in those conditions. Heaving to is generally done under shortened sails. I have no idea where you sail or what the conditions generally are, but one can usually get a feeling or even see bad weather coming and act accordingly, but this takes time and experience to learn. Read some books about weather in your area and though local weather forecasts can be wrong often, listen before you go out and if stronger winds are predicted later in the day, reef before you go out, or hank on a smaller jib.
You can reef easily being close hauled, sailing with the jib and the main unsheeted and luffing. First you drop the halyard to the first or second reef mark on it (depending on which you choose, if you have two), then attach the tack to the reefing horn. Next you will pull out the clew until it is as tight as you can make (making a new foot), then tighten the halyard. Now you can pull in the sheet and off you go, either sailing OK or to drop the genoa.
You can reef easily being close hauled, sailing with the jib and the main unsheeted and luffing. First you drop the halyard to the first or second reef mark on it (depending on which you choose, if you have two), then attach the tack to the reefing horn. Next you will pull out the clew until it is as tight as you can make (making a new foot), then tighten the halyard. Now you can pull in the sheet and off you go, either sailing OK or to drop the genoa.
I misspoke. The wind was hard at our back and we could not get the main down as it was press so hard agsinst the shrouds. I was also afraid I would snag it in something in the down.