Heave To Question

[shemandr]

Thanks Gary! I don't own the Ranger anymore but it was my impression that the jib was too large or the rudder was too small. I don't remember what jib I used - it was 20 years ago. I normally had the 135 hanked on.
I sail the Flying Scots at the USSCenter Martin County now. You can vane the sails but have to deal with the boom flogging, which is annoying. If I could heave to, I might not have to deal with that.

 

[Hayden Watson]

I have heaved-to almost every boat I have been on. What I find is that if the boats current sail configuration is appropriate for the wind conditions it should settle, ie, 150% and full main in 10 knots or jib and reefed main in 25 knots.

So far I have not found a boat that had a main and foresail up that I could not get to settle. There would be differences in the angle to the wind and speed of drift but the basics that the boat was moving slowly with very little action and producing a wave slick to windward that stabilized the boat was always there.

 

[ifmdalvey]

Heave To is used when the Coast Guard hails you for inspection.
Jim...

Last time i was boarded they told me to just continue

 

[jssailem]

Last time i was boarded they told me to just continue

Sure. If you are at the helm you have to stay there while they poke about your boat.
They got you just where they want you.

 

[Terry Cox]

Last time i was boarded they told me to just continue

Same here. There were five on board this rigid high speed inflatable. I was under sail doing maybe two knots when they pulled along side. They said to just keep going. Checked my documentation, asked several questions, inspected safety equipment, a closed waste tank through hull valve, etc. Gave me a passing report. Very professional and courteous.

 

[jssailem]

Under sail, at 2 knots. Hold your course. Please show us your paperwork...

Ok which do you want me to do? You do not get both.

 

[kappykaplan]

Under sail, at 2 knots. Hold your course. Please show us your paperwork...

Ok which do you want me to do? You do not get both

That's what Otto is for!

 

[Kings Gambit]

At inspection we’ve been asked to show our documentation and identification, our flares and PFDs, and the location of head discharge thru-hulls, which should be closed and fastened, and the number of persons aboard. They take note of the oil discharge placard and the extinguishers which are visible. I don’t recall being asked about the functionality or presence of communication or navigation equipment. I do recall being asked if we have firearms aboard.

 

[Hayden Watson]

I do recall being asked if we have firearms aboard.

Answer "Yes I do" and hand them your 12ga flare pistol.

 

[lantzalot]

Heav to same as crabing !

 

[jon hansen]

Heav to same as crabing !

NO

 

[Andrew of Oracle]

we often heave to for a quick lunch or breakfast break under full sail on Oracle , she is a Bavaria 37 , the first few times it was a bit tricky to find the balance point but now it is quick and comfortable , we often end up with a 1-2 knot drift in 15 -18 knot breeze but the yacht sits flat and we can cook bacon and eggs in 1 meter seas, it is also a good way of stopping quickly to pickup hats that are lost overboard

 

[Stu Jackson]

it is also a good way of stopping quickly to pickup hats that are lost overboard

Which also makes it a really good option for MOB.

 

[Hayden Watson]

As I have said before, any sail combo that is appropriate for the wind conditions is "right" for hove to. I have now confirmed that this includes the asymmetrical spinnaker.

Not by choice, mind you. It happened in a broach on a deep reach on autopilot.

The boat broached and rounded hard to weather and as most know, it is hard to get the boat to turn back downwind in that situation. I was in front of the wheel so I hit the "standby" button and rotated the wheel a couple of spokes to windward then started hauling in the spin sheet as fast as I could. I crossed the eye of the wind with the spinnaker streached out along the side and stepped behind the wheel to hand steer the boat upwind on the opposite tack as it slowed then locked the wheel. It looked wierd with the spin laying on the shrouds but nothing was flapping and the boat stopped. I Then took the sheet forward to the mast and using the spin sock, pulled the sleeve down as I eashed the sheet. Once the sleeve was down, I could drop the spinnaker into the forehatch and off I went again.

 

[Hayden Watson]

As to heaving to as a MOB strategy, that is a useful strategy when sailing upwind, but if you are on a run, with the jib fully eased out, if you head up into a heave to position, you will be downwind of the MOB, plus you cannot get into heave to without fully trimming in the jib. Try this exercise on a windy day and I think it would be an eye-opener.

On my solo cruise a couple of weeks ago, I did a crash tack to hove to from a deep reach while crossing the Strait of Juan d Fuca. I was sailing in 12-knots at an apparent wind angle of 140º on auto pilot when I felt the wind beginning to increase and stood up to reef in some of the 135% in preparation for the forecast increase in wind as is normal most afternoons. Just as I got to my feet, the wind increased (21-knot I later found out according to my wind log). This caused the boat to round up sharply and I know from past experience that she will not willingly turn back down in this situation. Instead of wasting my time with the getting back to the wheel, I grabbed the furling line and reefed in the headsail as the boat rounded up and eventually crossed the eye of the wind at which point I cleated the furler and turned off Auto and steered up wind which stopped the boat in a perfect hove to at a point about two boat lengths to windward of where the roundup began. It took all of 5-seonds and the boat was stopped. I then pulled a reef into the main with my single line reefing which took another 30-seconed or so. I then went to the helm and jibed back over to port and resuming my course.

Here is a track from my AIS plot that shows my little circle.

 

[D Swanson]

Plus one on every sailor being proficient in heave to tactics. And in case it hasn't been mentioned... IF possible (I will) initiate a heave to from a port tack, which results in being hove to on a starboard tack - making you the stand on vessel in most situations... just sayin.

 

[Stu Jackson]

initiate a heave to from a port tack, which results in being hove to on a starboard tack

Before I got a boat with furling, I'd use this trick with my hank on jibs to drop them on the fordeck to bag them using the downhaul. Because of the way hanks are made, and with the wind pushing the sail that way, it flaked the sail and made it easy to roll up and bag it.