First time out in 10+
- Thread starter GGordonWoody
- Start date
sheets, when and if 'all hell breaks out during a sail. you may need to release ALL sheets fully. you can not do this if some well intention newbee has tied a knot on the sheet. kind of simple, don't you think
the OP wants to learn. has great enthusiasm. was just trying to help answer his questions.
i have well over 1,000,000 miles at sea.
been sailing high performance sailboats for 58 years.
been highly trained as a sailor
i know a few things
not all
alan is simple wrong
the OP can choose his advice as he wishes
.... but was it santa?
i have well over 1,000,000 miles at sea.
been sailing high performance sailboats for 58 years.
been highly trained as a sailor
i know a few things
not all
alan is simple wrong
the OP can choose his advice as he wishes
.... but was it santa?
Weinie,
Thanks for this. You may be correct about the terminology, though I've seen some variations in the definition.
But back to the original point: One can heave to (or is it "fore reaching"?) with main alone. Looking at the thread I posted earlier from the Ericson list, Ryan is able to more or less "park" his boat at a 40-45 deg. angle to the wind using the main alone. I would call what he describes there as hove to (as did he), but it is functionally equivalent in any event.
Whether the original poster could do this with his boat is, of course, an altogether different matter.
I'll weigh in: I'm not a new be, I am well intentioned, and I do tie a figure 8 stopper knot on my jib sheets. I'm sure I can untie it faster than I can saw through it with a knife.
My cousin used to tell me I didn't make a sandwich correctly because I didn't put all the components together in the exact order that her mom taught her.
Dennis
...while bringing this thread back to helpful civility!..... pass the mayo please
What if they're long enough, like spin sheets (which I do not stopper-knot)?[/QUOTE]
i get what your asking, but .............
if you choose to have sheets that long you will then have all this excess rope to deal with that 99.999999 % of the time you won't use and will just be in the way.
also, if your line is that long you prolly still don't need a knot
my experiences have taught me it is safest to be able to release all lines fast and in control. oh yeah, there is that part. nobody can release a stopper knot that has a strain on it. no body !!!!
i get what your asking, but .............
if you choose to have sheets that long you will then have all this excess rope to deal with that 99.999999 % of the time you won't use and will just be in the way.
also, if your line is that long you prolly still don't need a knot
my experiences have taught me it is safest to be able to release all lines fast and in control. oh yeah, there is that part. nobody can release a stopper knot that has a strain on it. no body !!!!
not having a stopper knot on a jib sheet is just foolish. spin sheets are another story.
how about tying the bitter end of your sheets to a cleat if you are worried about loosing control of it. now you get your unlimited control.
stopper knot on any of my sheets, i don't think so, and i even carry a knife at all times.
stopper knot on any of my sheets, i don't think so, and i even carry a knife at all times.
there's just no point of sail or any condition for that matter that a flogging jib should not luff and depower completely with properly sizes sheets.
good luck trying to retrieve jib lines that have flown their fairleads and are now whipping around the bow like crazy. better wear a helmet and facemask before u go forward to clean things up.
good luck trying to retrieve jib lines that have flown their fairleads and are now whipping around the bow like crazy. better wear a helmet and facemask before u go forward to clean things up.
In the words of a transplant to our relaxed nation, "your boat, your choice".
Thought I'd just "Weigh in" (too funny @Dennis Kitchen) on the explanation of Heave to. I think this video does it quite well, although it might have been derived from the Sailing for Dummies handbook. Regardless, it's totally doubtful that a mainsail alone can perform this stop the boat maneuver. Perhaps on a Sunfish or similarly gaffed rig, but not on a sloop. I'd love to see the video that proves this inaccurate.
From http://www.ericsonyachts.org/infoex...ng-to-with-main-sail-only&p=106666#post106666
The post reads:
We heave to regularly out here in French Polynesia in a wide range of conditions as we must often wait for the correct tide or light to enter the atolls. After much trial and error we find reefing under main only is our preferred method for our E38-200. To address Christian’s comment about not seeing the benefit of main-only versus heaving to with backed jib the benefits include considerably less chafe, more simple maneuver (assuming you will need to partially furl a genoa prior to backing it), far less leeway, better “motion” of the boat, and especially a much better angle after the boat settles in relation to the wind. We find our E38 hove to with a backed jib sits with the bows too far off the wind, almost beam-to in heavier wind/seas, even as she does the typical “scallop” path. In rough conditions we find that heaving to under deeply reefed main only (or even better under trysail) more or less “parks” our E38 with the bow about 40-45 degrees off the wind thus presenting the strongest/safest part of the deck to the weather (the forward corner of the cabin) and allowing a more of a gentle “pitching” motion instead of a roll. Most importantly it places the all-important “slick” in a better position to knock down seas (as well described in the Pardey’s excellent book “Storm Tactics”).
The move is simple. Just gently turn into the wind as you trim your main to about the position it would be for a close reach (remember to reef it first). The main will luff and your speed with drop. At some point you will have no forward momentum and the bow will gently drop off to one side. At that point turn the helm as though you were trying to turn into the wind and lash it in place (we use the wheel brake and a sail tie lead to the cleat near the primary winches.) If you timed it right the boat will gently bear away until the main starts to fill then gently turn up as the center of effort shifts aft (with the partially filled main) and the slight forward motion engages the rudder. This causes the main to luff and your speed to drop which causes the bow to bear away and so on. When you get it “right” the boat balances well and there is not much heading up/bearing away unless waves move you around. You can easily see the “slick” caused by your boat sliding sideways. Ideally you want that slick between you and the oncoming seas.
Be careful about going completely head-to-weather to stop your progress in rough seas as they can push you back and put tremendous loads on your rudder, especially if it’s turned to the side. It’s enough to pinch into the wind to slow to the point that the bow falls off and you will not tack when you turn the helm hard over.
In calm seas and gentle winds we sometimes even heave to under bare poles…
I hope this helps!
Ryan
SV Naoma
TwoAfloat.com
Hi @Alan Gomes, no argument from me. The Ericsson E38-200 has a ton of freeboard above waterline, not unlike my H30. Reefing the main and fiddling with the rudder can counteract the wind pressure on the huge exposed bow, simulating a true Heave To...but honestly not as well as a headsail back wind.
I too have stopper knots in my genny sheets. I'll gladly take them out for anybody who wants to incur the cost of coming up here and helping with the rather delightful process of feeding the bloody things back through the enclosure on the cabin top if they get loose. Nautical protocol be dammed. Control the sail and there's no need to worry about a few preventer knots.
(and that was simply my personal commentary, in case anybody want's to call me out on it for any reason, it IS my boat, and it IS my choice)
(and that was simply my personal commentary, in case anybody want's to call me out on it for any reason, it IS my boat, and it IS my choice)