Heave-to off wind

[Franklin]

Started a new thread as lots of talk about it. You should try this sometime. You will be amazed at how easy it is and how tight you can get the headsail.

"Heaving-to downwind can be accomplished by bearing away from the wind until the headsail is blanketed by the mainsail. When the headsail collapses onto the foredeck it can be hauled tight to the opposite side of the boat. Once the headsail is secure, the boat is slowly rounded up into the wind. As it rounds up the boat will stall and come to a stop in the heave-to position. The advantages of this maneuver are two-fold. First, it relieves the crew of the effort in getting to the close hauled point of sail before heaving to. Secondly, the boat remains on the same tack and does not have to tack back to continue on its course."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heaving_to

 

[Franklin]

Especially the feel to it. I always hate that feeling when I heave-to the normal way and as I tack, the quick healing motion the other way (the stronger the wind, the more pronouced it is). Using this method, you don't have to tack and the whole process is gradual and just feels so much more safer and more comfortable.

 

[Franklin]

and the other great thing is, usually our first instinct is to head downwind when the wind pipes up anyway, so when you decide that you want to heave-to after you've been running, this is a great way to do it.

 

[newly anonymous]

95% of the time I'm heaving to...

...is in order to shorten sail. Indeed, that's pretty much how I shorten sail these days, by first heaving to. And on my boat that needs to be done upwind.

Doing it your way adds an entire extra step.

 

[sailaway78]

Not sure I understand

Franklin,
Not sure I understand all of this. I understand what you are doing, but what about the sails. Are both sails left unreefed. Or is this done after the wind has picked up considerably, and the sails are already reefed. Maybe I'm just not on full function this morning, but from the way I am reading this, sails are not reefed before hand. Heaving to with out reefing anything just doesn't sound proper. Or is this just meant for a calmer weather situation, when you need to get some rest.

 

[larryw]

The procedure sounds cumbersome and time-consuming. If the headsail is collapsed on the foredeck, how does it get back up? I just go onto a close-hauled course on port tack, flop over, and it's done; technicallly underway on starboard tack, quickly and easily.

 

[Franklin]

It's for both situations....and yes, you end up with a normal heave-to pointed upwind when all is done so you can then put a reef in the main.

I know it sounds weird as it did to me when I first read it but after trying it, the only time I'll ever heave-to the normal way is when it has to be an immeditate thing and I'm already pointing and don't even have time to adjust sheets.

As for reefing...I have a tall fractional rig with a hugh rollerfurling main and small jib. I don't need to heave-to to reduce sail...don't even need to leave the cockpit and maytimes don't even need to head into the wind. I also always reduce sail on main first as the rig is designed to have the jib re-direct the wind for the main due to it's steep sweptback spreaders. I have never tried to heave-to with a partial jib but the main is always reefed in heavy winds.

Main: 500+ sq feet
Jib: 300 sq feet.

 

[Franklin]

The procedure sounds cumbersome and time-consuming. If the headsail is collapsed on the foredeck, how does it get back up? I just go onto a close-hauled course on port tack, flop over, and it's done; technicallly underway on starboard tack, quickly and easily.

collapsed as in, it's not full of air because it's covered by the main. Not dropped to the deck.

 

[bffatcat]

heaving to

I agree with larry w. seems like the simplest method is to get on the wind sheet the jib in and put the helm up. this is by far the simplest method

 

[Franklin]

It's really simplier then it sounds. Just try this next time you are out:

1) when on a broad-reach, turn dead down wind to cover the headsail with the main.

2) take the load sheet of the headsail off the winch and then tighten the lazy sheet on the headsail as tight as you can

3) slowly turn back up into the wind until you've slowed down to 1.5 knots and have the helm all the way over.

4) lock helm....all done.

I bet you will find it sooooo easy and smooth.

 

[Brian D]

I don't think the phrase "headsail collapses to the deck" means the headsail is coming down, it means that when the main blankets the headsail, it just lies limp on the headstay and may swing from port to starboard to port.

The first time I read the procedures, I was totally confused. Now I think I understand. One is on a broad reach and falls off a little. The headsail will luff. One can then pull on the windward sheet to bring the headsail over to the windward side. Then one heads back on the original course, or heads up until the boat stalls. Makes total sense to me now. That is, if I have it right. Franklin?

[added]I was typing this when Franklin made the same observation as I. Interesting. Think I will try it. Thanks

 

[Franklin]

Then after trying it, try your normal way. Then come back and tell us what you think.

 

[Franklin]

I don't think the phrase "headsail collapses to the deck" means the headsail is coming down, it means that when the main blankets the headsail, it just lies limp on the headstay and may swing from port to starboard to port.

The first time I read the procedures, I was totally confused. Now I think I understand. One is on a broad reach and falls off a little. The headsail will luff. One can then pull on the windward sheet to bring the headsail over to the windward side. Then one heads back on the original course, or heads up until the boat stalls. Makes total sense to me now. That is, if I have it right. Franklin?

[added]I was typing this when Franklin made the same observation as I. Interesting. Think I will try it. Thanks

Yep...got it perfect.

 

[Roger Long]

I think this is a good method to have in the tool bag although I would probably use it only if I was already heading downwind and decide to heave to. This might well be the case in a sudden wind rise thad kept increasing beyond my initial prediction.

My boat is a fairly conventional mast head sloop and is on the tender side so I need to be very proficient at these things. Here is my SOP in sudden large wind increases.

First thing is to get the jib fully rolled up. It's easier to unroll than roll if wind rises faster than expected. My boat also jobs along by itself to windward under main alone, even without the self steering gear. I often fully roll up the jib in order to reef simply because it makes the deck work easier and calms everything down. Easing the main off to reef doesn't compromise the course keeping. She is a quick turning boat with a fin keel and separate rudder on a skeg so I would expect similar behavior from similar boats.

Picture here:

http://www.endeavourowners.com/boats/e32/e32specs.html

Once the main is reefed, I unroll as much jib as I think she can stand.

If I decided I needed to heave to at that point, I probably would use the tacking method.

If I have sea room and any problem getting the jib in, I go downwind and smother it. If I decided at that point that I needed to heave to right now, I would leave some jib out and use Franklin's method doing the reefing after coming up on the wind with the jib backed.

 

[Stu Jackson]

Franklin's got it

take the load sheet of the headsail off the winch and then tighten the lazy sheet on the headsail as tight as you can

This is the absolute KEY to this maneuver. In order to heave to (on most boats I've sailed on, mostly fin keelers) you MUST have the jib (however much of it is deployed) in as Franklin recommends.

After lots of trial and error, I learned that, well before the Internet made these discussions available.

If the jib is NOT set up as if you were sailing closehauled (i.e., in TIGHT), then the heave to is sloppy and you'll find yourself wandering all over the place and won't like the results.

With the jib in tight (however you get there), the mainsail then becomes the "controller" of how the boat lays to the wind.

For those who expressed concern about heeling over when doing the tack going upwind, you can minimize that by making the traveler drop once you make the turn, so the mainsail is on the low side, and also let some mainsheet out, too. The main is what'll "knock" you over after passing thru the eye of the wind, not the jib, so just "dump it." Remember, if you're sailing upwind and you "need" rather than want, to heave to, then you probably have had the mainsail down anyway, so if you don't move the traveler and mainsheet when you turn, you've got the main on the new high side, no wonder it's pushy!

Also remember the difference discussed between fore reaching on main alone and heave to.

If you do it going downwind, you'll find that the next step after blanketing the jib is going to be a wing-on-wing situation which is not the easiest point of sail to maintain in rough conditions, especially if there are quartering seas which tend to cork screw the boat's balance.

I agree with Roger, good to have a number of different techniques in your aresenal.

I used to heave to to reeef. We now reef going upwind (weather permiting) since our double line reefing system allows us to sail upwind with the jib, drop the traveler, let out a bit of mainsheet to backwind the main, then easily reef from the cockpit. I did this alone a few weeks ago when the wind came up unexpectedly. Much depends on how you are setup and your level of comfort.

 

[Franklin]

This may not be as important to mast head rigs, but for boats like mine with a small jib and things getting in the way on the mast, like the steaming light on my boat, I can get the jib a lot tighter when the jib is covered by the main then I can when I have the boat close hauled. Trying to tighten it when I'm in the eye is hard when I'm single handed as I'm at the helm then.

So that's another reason to try it...works awesome when single handed as you set the sails up first before heading into the wind. You set the auto-pilot to dead down wind and do your work, then take the helm.

 

[Franklin]

...She is a quick turning boat with a fin keel and separate rudder on a skeg so I would expect similar behavior from similar boats.

Picture here:

http://www.endeavourowners.com/boats/e32/e32specs.html

Interesting that you call that a fin keel. I think of fin keels as half as long and 1/3 deeper. I think of those as a modified keel. Maybe it's just the drawing.

 

[Roger Long]

I think of those as a modified keel. Maybe it's just the drawing.

Strictly speaking, I agree with you. If there are two classes of keels, those with rudder attached and those with rudder somewhere else, it's a fin keel. It's really a third category though. She turns as quickly as a fin keeler.

 

[Bill Roosa]

Tightening a sheet

Well Franklin I'm sure that both ways are tools to have in my tool box of sail handling. I find it interesting that your sheets perform differently depending on wither you are going into or with the wind. Mine seem to work the same no mater what direction I'm going.
I personally never use the tactic because I have the reef lines lead back to the cockpit and practice crew rest religiously. Bardi Sea is a stiff boat and even eating while underway has proved to be quite comfortable.

I'd be interested to learn why folks heave-to.
To reef
rest
eat
pull maintenance on something
something else

 

[Ross]

The differences in the way boats handle can be quite a study. Mine won't go to the weather under jib only. The wind blows the bow down against all efforts of the rudder. It will sail to about 45-50 degrees to the weather under main only and much closer with both.