A QUESTION OF COURTESY

[Paul J. Rusyniak]

Two sailboats that are very similar in all aspects are on parallel head-on courses.If I’m the helmsman of the port tack boat, I think I should pass the other boat to her lee.Suppose, just for my own convenience, I’d like to pass to her windward.How far off should I be in order to not “steal” her wind? There are NO OTHER CONSIDERATIONS, just a matter of maintaining enough distance to preserve the courtesy.Thanks,Pauls/v Pretty Lady

 

[Warren Milberg]

This is an interesting

question, and one that I have grappled with now and then, too. Not sure there is a perfect answer for every type of boat in every kind of wind condition. But when I find myself in this situation, I do a quick calculation/estimation of the "wind shadow" my mast, which is about 41 ft above the water line, will create as I pass the the other boat to windward. If I have sea room to windward, I pass as far away as I reaonably can. If space is more limited, I think about 4 boat lengths separation is about right. You can always tell if you did it right if the other skipper waves as you pass. If you gives you a glare or the bird, you need to recalculate next time. Courtesy pays.

 

[Fred Ficarra]

Stealing 'air' doesn't seem to be a courtesy thing

Even if done on purpose. Seems to me that it just means the race is on.

 

[newly anonymous]

my preference

If I'm on starboard tack and you sail to my leeward side, you're going to be passing to my blind side, which means I'll have to get up from where I'm sitting on the high side and watch around the foresail on the low side to make certain you're giving way. Maybe I'm lazy, or maybe my insurance deductible is just too high, but I'd rather spend a few seconds sailing through your wind shadow then have to watch for an entire minute to make certain you don't hit me.

 

[John Nantz]

Demasting

An interesting aspect of steeling wind can result in a dismasting. This is a true story about a friend of mine with a Hunter 35.5 that was either passed by or passed, I don't remember which, another sailboat in the channel in Redwood City, South San Francisco Bay. Due to the fact they were sailing in the channel, the winds are typically roughly abeam there, there wasn't the usual room to keep clear as one would have in open water. Anyway, when they passed the leward boat upon loosing it's air stood upright and the two boats collided with their masts! My friends boat was dismasted as a result.So, the question that is asked about "courtesy" can actually be more than that.In racing, however, the rules are a little different. I think it's more like "all's fair in love and war"!

 

[Paul J. Rusyniak]

WARREN, JOHN AND JOHN...

Thanks for sharing your thoughts!!!Pauls/v Pretty Lady

 

[Alan]

Wind shadow

The extent of a wind shadow is greatly dependent on the speed of the wind. In light air the wind shadow can easily extend 10 times the mast height. On a 50 ft mast that would be 500'. As the wind speed increases the shadow still exists but leaves a greater percentage of wind available for the leeward boat.Except in racing situations, every sailor realizes that sailing in the wind shadow of another boat is inevitable from time to time and the most courteous thing to do would be to make your change of course as evident as possible for the other skipper to see your intentions. The longer you wait the greater the anxiety level of all concerned.

 

[John T1594]

Wind effects

If the winds are blowing 15-20+ knots and the other boat is sailing close to the wind, I would give him/her plenty of room and pass to leeward. I have encountered this situtaion many times and find that the approaching boat will often round-up to windward in a gust. That puts me and mine at risk.