Heeling with the Admiral
The Admiral and I have agreed that 15 degrees is the maximum sustained heel for Lady Lillie. (Agreeing with Admirals is, naturally, pretty much a one way process.)My job is to read the wind, see the gusts coming, trim and reef the sails to avoid significant violations of our agreement. Actually my boat (and yours) slows down heeled beyond that point anyway. So trimming and reefing actually help us to go faster.I also avoid trying to point close hauled in big weather. That's the trim most likely to lead to unexpected heeling from waves and/or wind. We are cruisers and day sailers, so all of this makes sense to both of us. If you are racing, I suggest you find another crew.Yes, I've heard that water ballasted hulls steady up around 20 degrees. But I know too many sailing buddies who sail alone or no more because they didn't focus on the importance of keeping the Admiral (or mate) happy.The Admiral loves sailing with me. And, after a few years, and learning how reliable our boat is, she is a little more tolerant of the occasional "thrill." But she can see that I still take our agreement seriously, and change tuning, alter course, or set a reef quickly when needed for her comfort.DavidLady Lillie