I am novice, and need advice. What exactly is broaching and what conditions produce it? Does braoching require that the boat be heeling too far upwind, with loss of rudder control? And how does one come out of it? How does one determijne one is headed into a broach and stop it in time?
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Broaching is where your mast runs into the water. Normally, this is only an issue with very high winds and sea, conditions that most likely you would avoid. As a general concept, the sails fill with so much wind, they literally knock the vessel over onto its side and therefore the mast goes into the water. The problem becomes whether the boat will right itself or not. Assuming you ease the sheets, and the cause for the broach, such as a sudden wind gust or a rouge wave, has dissipated, the vessel should right itself. However, if the wind continues strongly against the side of the vessel, seas continue to pound her, water starts to enter through the companionway, and you eased the sheets, assuming your rigging is still intact and not a pile of junk all over the deck, well, that’s that. Nevertheless, to avoid a broach, one must instantly ease the sheets. As far as the Catalina 25 is concerned, I think you’ll agree the factory mainsheet set up and factory horns or cam cleats for the jib sheets are poor. For the jib sheets, I would replace either the horns or factory cam cleats with Ronstan cam cleats that should release more easily. For the mainsheet, you’ll need to move the end of the sheet and its cam cleat to either a barney post or similar to the fashion I have on my Catalina 22 that for practical purposes is very similar to your Catalina 25. You can see my main sheet set up at: http://tinyurl.com/88t92
Not necessarily
Broaching is basically when your boat gets sideways to the seas and you loose control. Most common occurrence is running downwind with the seas following. If the seas are large enough and moving faster than the boat they can cause the stern to try and pass the bow. When the boat is sideways to the waves you have no control with the rudder as you are not making any forward movement. This is a broach. The mast doesn't necessarily go into the water but can definitely lead to that. Avoiding a broach requires you having enough sail up to maintain control of the boat but no so much as to overpower it. A big rudder helps too.
Broaching is basically when your boat gets sideways to the seas and you loose control. Most common occurrence is running downwind with the seas following. If the seas are large enough and moving faster than the boat they can cause the stern to try and pass the bow. When the boat is sideways to the waves you have no control with the rudder as you are not making any forward movement. This is a broach. The mast doesn't necessarily go into the water but can definitely lead to that. Avoiding a broach requires you having enough sail up to maintain control of the boat but no so much as to overpower it. A big rudder helps too.
Broach
Here is the definition from Marisafe: Broach- sudden, unplanned and uncontrolled turning so that the hull is broadside to the seas or wind Web site for definitions: http://www.marisafe.com/resources/boatdictionary.asp?vmcid=41&vmpid=16
Here is the definition from Marisafe: Broach- sudden, unplanned and uncontrolled turning so that the hull is broadside to the seas or wind Web site for definitions: http://www.marisafe.com/resources/boatdictionary.asp?vmcid=41&vmpid=16
Broaching normally occurs when sailing off the wind in gusty conditions. The gusts cause excessive heel and sudden bursts of weather helm, putting the vessel out of balance. The boat will start to spin out of control as it tries to round up into the wind. In heavy seas the beam-to exposure to the waves may lead to a capsize/knockdown. To avoid broaching, try to anticipate those sudden increases in weather helm and try to keep the boat flat, as in not heeling. Use the foredeck's relationship to the horizon for reference. Needless to say, you should reduce sail if the boat feels difficult to control. If the boat starts to round up, straighten the helm quickly to reattach flow and collapse the sails to pop the boat upright. Once the boat straightens up you should use the remaining speed to bear off on a broad reach so you don't round up again or jibe-broach. Re trim the sails front to back.
when you say collapse the sails what do you mean? There is no time to drop the sails. If you are going downwind and rounding up, the sails are already let out. So what do you mean? Thanks for the clarification.
collapsing the sails..
Sorry, that might be confusing. I just mean to spill the air out of them, which means you'll certainly have to release the vang and sheet on the main and let the spinnaker halyard and guy go a bit until the sails are depowered. Reattching the flow to the rudder is utmost, most of us will keep pulling to offset the heavy weather helm. My teachers recommend putting the rudder amidship and dumping the air out of the sails until control is regained.
Sorry, that might be confusing. I just mean to spill the air out of them, which means you'll certainly have to release the vang and sheet on the main and let the spinnaker halyard and guy go a bit until the sails are depowered. Reattching the flow to the rudder is utmost, most of us will keep pulling to offset the heavy weather helm. My teachers recommend putting the rudder amidship and dumping the air out of the sails until control is regained.
Broaching/Knockdown.
I've been there. My C22 swing keel, had her sails flat in the water. The sails were still cleated & she didn't want to right herself until I swam around & pulled down on the keel. The keel of course was parallel with the water & too high to reach easily. I have long arms! As soon as the vaccum between the sails & the water was broken, up she came. Because the sails were still cleated she took off like a rocket. (almost) When floating on her side, the water was not close to entering the companionway as the boat floats really high. The keel was not locked down. Regards, Bob B.
I've been there. My C22 swing keel, had her sails flat in the water. The sails were still cleated & she didn't want to right herself until I swam around & pulled down on the keel. The keel of course was parallel with the water & too high to reach easily. I have long arms! As soon as the vaccum between the sails & the water was broken, up she came. Because the sails were still cleated she took off like a rocket. (almost) When floating on her side, the water was not close to entering the companionway as the boat floats really high. The keel was not locked down. Regards, Bob B.
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