Several times last summer while cruising I elected to heave-to to go forward and deploy groundtackle, with a 110 jib. I did the usual, but depending on the breeze, several times the boat came right thru the wind. What are your experiences heaving-to in a C-22? does it work? is there a trick? thanks tomD
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Trial and error
Heaving-to in boats with a fin keel requires a bit of trial and error. The crucial variables include how much the main is sheeted in, how much surface area of the backwinded jib is exposed to the wind (that is, how tightly the backwinded jib is sheeted), and the extent to which the tiller is put to leeward.
Heaving-to in boats with a fin keel requires a bit of trial and error. The crucial variables include how much the main is sheeted in, how much surface area of the backwinded jib is exposed to the wind (that is, how tightly the backwinded jib is sheeted), and the extent to which the tiller is put to leeward.
Worked for me
I did it this summer and it worked great. I did see quite a bit of drift but it was slow.
I did it this summer and it worked great. I did see quite a bit of drift but it was slow.
Heaving To
Tom, you wrote: "I did the usual, but depending on the breeze, several times the boat came right thru the wind." In addition to what Robert and Shane have noted, you need to make this maneuver reasonably slowly, or else you will come right through and keep going. The trick is to make the turn so that you end up going slow enough for the jib to get backwinded, and not too fast to swing all the way through. The true or apparent wind speed has a lot to do with how fast or slow you need to do the heave-to. Practice, practice, practice...
Tom, you wrote: "I did the usual, but depending on the breeze, several times the boat came right thru the wind." In addition to what Robert and Shane have noted, you need to make this maneuver reasonably slowly, or else you will come right through and keep going. The trick is to make the turn so that you end up going slow enough for the jib to get backwinded, and not too fast to swing all the way through. The true or apparent wind speed has a lot to do with how fast or slow you need to do the heave-to. Practice, practice, practice...
Try this...
Tom, Good comments from the others. Try this approach. 1.) After tacking without releasing the jib, release the the main sheeted enough to take the drive out of the mainsail. 2.) At the same time, let the bow come through the wind to about 45 degrees. 3.) Push the tiller to leeward at a rate that keeps the bow from either falling off further or rounding up. 3.) Once the tiller is hard over, sheet in the main enough to keep it from luffing (barely). You may have to play with the main sheet a bit to adjust the pressure in the main to keep things balanced where you want them. 4.) You should be there! Good Luck! Brad s/v Worthless Crew 1972 C-22 SK
Tom, Good comments from the others. Try this approach. 1.) After tacking without releasing the jib, release the the main sheeted enough to take the drive out of the mainsail. 2.) At the same time, let the bow come through the wind to about 45 degrees. 3.) Push the tiller to leeward at a rate that keeps the bow from either falling off further or rounding up. 3.) Once the tiller is hard over, sheet in the main enough to keep it from luffing (barely). You may have to play with the main sheet a bit to adjust the pressure in the main to keep things balanced where you want them. 4.) You should be there! Good Luck! Brad s/v Worthless Crew 1972 C-22 SK
OK, I think I got it
Thanks guys, I think I was being too quick about it. I am going to luff the main, blade in the 110 jib, stabilize, then harden off the main. sounds like that should do it. your input appreciated tomD Avalon C-22 15456
Thanks guys, I think I was being too quick about it. I am going to luff the main, blade in the 110 jib, stabilize, then harden off the main. sounds like that should do it. your input appreciated tomD Avalon C-22 15456
through the wind?
Ahoy Tom, I'm not sure what you mean that you came through the wind. If your jib is backwinded and your main all the way over, you can't hardly begin to get enough forward way to come through the backwinded head sail. Is your main all the over? Brad on the Willy T
Ahoy Tom, I'm not sure what you mean that you came through the wind. If your jib is backwinded and your main all the way over, you can't hardly begin to get enough forward way to come through the backwinded head sail. Is your main all the over? Brad on the Willy T
Right thru the wind
While heaving to, with the jib cleated and in hard, when passing thru the wind to backwind the jib, the boat would keep on going and I would do a 360. With the tiller over against the backwinded jib, the wind would overpower the tiller and take the boat right through the wind. One I did it slowly, tied off the jib, but before I could go forward to attend to reefing the mainsail the jib overpowered the boat in heave-to position and it sailed off. thankfully I was not halfway thru reefing when it did that. confused by this.
While heaving to, with the jib cleated and in hard, when passing thru the wind to backwind the jib, the boat would keep on going and I would do a 360. With the tiller over against the backwinded jib, the wind would overpower the tiller and take the boat right through the wind. One I did it slowly, tied off the jib, but before I could go forward to attend to reefing the mainsail the jib overpowered the boat in heave-to position and it sailed off. thankfully I was not halfway thru reefing when it did that. confused by this.
I'm having a hard time visuallizing....
Okay, you are sailing along....lets say on a port tack. You want to hove to. Sheet in the jib, cleat it off, and tack. As you come through through the wind, the main will come across....let it go. As soon as you have completed the tack, push the tiller to the main (leaward). Now, the boat can't keep coming around 360 as you say.....the main just won't let it. The jib is backwinded...pushing the bow leaward...but as it goes so far, the main sheeted way out there will catch the wind and push the bow back into the wind, where the backwinded jib catches the wind and turns the bow leaward.....back and forth, back and forth. Are you saying that the backwinded jib is turning the stern through the wind -- essentially jibbing? Brad on the Willy T
Okay, you are sailing along....lets say on a port tack. You want to hove to. Sheet in the jib, cleat it off, and tack. As you come through through the wind, the main will come across....let it go. As soon as you have completed the tack, push the tiller to the main (leaward). Now, the boat can't keep coming around 360 as you say.....the main just won't let it. The jib is backwinded...pushing the bow leaward...but as it goes so far, the main sheeted way out there will catch the wind and push the bow back into the wind, where the backwinded jib catches the wind and turns the bow leaward.....back and forth, back and forth. Are you saying that the backwinded jib is turning the stern through the wind -- essentially jibbing? Brad on the Willy T
No expert, but...
I am new to sailing and not one to give advise, but you may have the same problem as me. My keel is not dropping all the way down and causing similar problems. My boat has mostly lee helm and bears off in a head wind rather than rounding up. Check the number of turns to drop your keel. It should be close to twenty. Mine goes 14-15. I will grind off the keel spacers that Catalina Direct advised me to add to my keel next time I bring my boat home. Good luck, Louis John Plaisance Saint Benedict,#14686
I am new to sailing and not one to give advise, but you may have the same problem as me. My keel is not dropping all the way down and causing similar problems. My boat has mostly lee helm and bears off in a head wind rather than rounding up. Check the number of turns to drop your keel. It should be close to twenty. Mine goes 14-15. I will grind off the keel spacers that Catalina Direct advised me to add to my keel next time I bring my boat home. Good luck, Louis John Plaisance Saint Benedict,#14686
Jibe-ho, Brad
Indeed, the boat passes thru the wind and jibes. The only thing I am trying hard to remember is if I had the main luffing or sheeted at the time. Other than that memory loss, it is exactly as you have written. I still think the error is I tried it with too much 'way-on' and it coasted thru the critical balance point. your input appreciated tomD (5 months to sailing season)
Indeed, the boat passes thru the wind and jibes. The only thing I am trying hard to remember is if I had the main luffing or sheeted at the time. Other than that memory loss, it is exactly as you have written. I still think the error is I tried it with too much 'way-on' and it coasted thru the critical balance point. your input appreciated tomD (5 months to sailing season)
Hobie Sailor with a new Catalina 22
This was the second weekend for me on my Catalina 22, and I worked on learning to Heave-to. I was doing it exactly like Brad described, and got it do this maneuver that would be totally unfriendly to a Hobie...lol.
This was the second weekend for me on my Catalina 22, and I worked on learning to Heave-to. I was doing it exactly like Brad described, and got it do this maneuver that would be totally unfriendly to a Hobie...lol.
If it's jibing....
the only way I can possibly see that happening is if the main is sheeted in tightly on the initial tack. I can see the bow being pushed leaward because of the backwinded jib and the main sail, being in close hauled, will accidently jib. If the main is released so that it's way out there, the more the boat's bow is turned leeward, the more force on the main to head the boat back into the wind. You get to a point as if you were on a run with the main, but the tiller turns it back into the wind until the jib catches it again. Just can not jib, even if you have no keel. I'd have to say the main wasn't released quick enough. I had a 22 for years, it is the best mannered boat in a hove to position. Brad on the Willy T
the only way I can possibly see that happening is if the main is sheeted in tightly on the initial tack. I can see the bow being pushed leaward because of the backwinded jib and the main sail, being in close hauled, will accidently jib. If the main is released so that it's way out there, the more the boat's bow is turned leeward, the more force on the main to head the boat back into the wind. You get to a point as if you were on a run with the main, but the tiller turns it back into the wind until the jib catches it again. Just can not jib, even if you have no keel. I'd have to say the main wasn't released quick enough. I had a 22 for years, it is the best mannered boat in a hove to position. Brad on the Willy T
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