I've only heaved-to a few times in my boat. I'm sure it was with full sails and as I recall I did it while reefing the main each time and it worked fine. This weekend while single-handing for the first time (thanks to the PX Powercleats!) I tried to heave-to just for practice. I had full jib and reefed main. Well, after heaving-to I was doing 3.9 knots! Can anybody confirm that this can be done with reefed main just as easily as with full sails? I'll certainly try again until I can do it reliably. I guess while I'm asking, with a reefed main how much can the jib be furled and still be able to heave-to?
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Steve O.
Balance of Power
The secret to heaving to is to balance the drive of the backwinded jib, which wants to drive the boat to leeward, with the mainsail which wants to drive the boat to windward (I think I have thet right, or is it the other way around?) Anyway, it's the balance between the two that stalls the boat. I think that you probably had too musch jib out for the reefed main.
The secret to heaving to is to balance the drive of the backwinded jib, which wants to drive the boat to leeward, with the mainsail which wants to drive the boat to windward (I think I have thet right, or is it the other way around?) Anyway, it's the balance between the two that stalls the boat. I think that you probably had too musch jib out for the reefed main.
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David Foster
Find the balance for your boat
Each boat design heaves to differently. But you would expect to do under 2 knots hove to. You should be able to heave to on a reefed main. Which direction were you going 3.9 knots? If you were moving downwind, I would lash the rudder more to leeward to reduce the power in the jib. Next, I might haul in a little on the mainsheet and/or ease the jib sheet a little to balance the jib. If that didn't get the speed down below 2 knots, I would reef the jib. If you were reaching on the main, I would ease the mainsheet some more to depower it. Hope this helps - good on you for practicing heaving to - it's an invaluable maneuver for all kinds of heavy weather needs - lunch, reefing, a break, or riding out a big blow. David Lady Lillie
Each boat design heaves to differently. But you would expect to do under 2 knots hove to. You should be able to heave to on a reefed main. Which direction were you going 3.9 knots? If you were moving downwind, I would lash the rudder more to leeward to reduce the power in the jib. Next, I might haul in a little on the mainsheet and/or ease the jib sheet a little to balance the jib. If that didn't get the speed down below 2 knots, I would reef the jib. If you were reaching on the main, I would ease the mainsheet some more to depower it. Hope this helps - good on you for practicing heaving to - it's an invaluable maneuver for all kinds of heavy weather needs - lunch, reefing, a break, or riding out a big blow. David Lady Lillie
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Frank Ladd
Mine does fine
We back wind the jib and sheet out the main and put the tiller all the way over to the leeward side of the boat. This causes the boat to drift sideways in the normal Heave to fashion. I cannot imagine going sideways at almost 4 knots without serious wind and current! It must have been really blowing. Another thin we do sometimes is to raise the centerboatd about have way or more. This adds stability to the sideways slip/wallow. Some keel and certerboard boats with deep keels don't heave to well. But the 23.5 heaves to just fine in most any weather so I'd just keep practicing!
We back wind the jib and sheet out the main and put the tiller all the way over to the leeward side of the boat. This causes the boat to drift sideways in the normal Heave to fashion. I cannot imagine going sideways at almost 4 knots without serious wind and current! It must have been really blowing. Another thin we do sometimes is to raise the centerboatd about have way or more. This adds stability to the sideways slip/wallow. Some keel and certerboard boats with deep keels don't heave to well. But the 23.5 heaves to just fine in most any weather so I'd just keep practicing!
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Rick Macdonald
I was close-hauled when I tried,
but after reading the comments I'd say I probably didn't ease the main much or at all and I likely didn't move the tiller full to leeward and keep it there. I was moving forward at 3.9 knots in short order, and the wind wasn't that strong. It was like I had done done a normal tack and ended up close-hauled again. Now that I think about it, I was under the impression that heaving-to would work from any close reach point of sail (from beam reach to close-hauled) just by coming about to the right angle off the wind, and then not adjusting the sails at all. Is it closer to the truth that the window of sail trim for heaving to is much narrower than this? For example, when starting from close-hauled or from a beam reach one would expect to adjust both sails, but if you start at some certain trim configuration (for example, 50 degrees off the wind) then little or no adjustment is required? Is this what I missed? I could simply that question by asking if it matters how the jib is sheeted or does it work across a wide range of jib trim. It may be that when I was successful a few times before I never started from being close-hauled like I was the other day. I'll certainly keep trying and won't give up. On practicing... When I have my sailing buddy with me (we met in sailing class last year and he has a Tanzer 22 on the same lake) we even practice crew overboard procedures, especially if the wind is quite strong to make it realistic. I'll be practicing COB when I'm single-handed too, but I need to find something cheaper than a lifejacket or two fenders tied together to throw overboard! ;-)
but after reading the comments I'd say I probably didn't ease the main much or at all and I likely didn't move the tiller full to leeward and keep it there. I was moving forward at 3.9 knots in short order, and the wind wasn't that strong. It was like I had done done a normal tack and ended up close-hauled again. Now that I think about it, I was under the impression that heaving-to would work from any close reach point of sail (from beam reach to close-hauled) just by coming about to the right angle off the wind, and then not adjusting the sails at all. Is it closer to the truth that the window of sail trim for heaving to is much narrower than this? For example, when starting from close-hauled or from a beam reach one would expect to adjust both sails, but if you start at some certain trim configuration (for example, 50 degrees off the wind) then little or no adjustment is required? Is this what I missed? I could simply that question by asking if it matters how the jib is sheeted or does it work across a wide range of jib trim. It may be that when I was successful a few times before I never started from being close-hauled like I was the other day. I'll certainly keep trying and won't give up. On practicing... When I have my sailing buddy with me (we met in sailing class last year and he has a Tanzer 22 on the same lake) we even practice crew overboard procedures, especially if the wind is quite strong to make it realistic. I'll be practicing COB when I'm single-handed too, but I need to find something cheaper than a lifejacket or two fenders tied together to throw overboard! ;-)
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David Foster
Jib close hauled, backwinded,
Mainsheet traveler to leeward, Mainsheet eased, Tiller lashed to leeward (over the leeward bench front is far enough on our '77 h27.). That's the standard set-up. Sounds like you were reaching on your main. If you ease the main sheet/treveler, and lash the tiller to leeward, I'll bet it will seyyle right down. The jib is usually closehauled because you tack into the hove to configuration from close hauled sailing. But the sheeting of the jib shouldn't be so critical unless it was a huge genny. David Lady Lillie
Mainsheet traveler to leeward, Mainsheet eased, Tiller lashed to leeward (over the leeward bench front is far enough on our '77 h27.). That's the standard set-up. Sounds like you were reaching on your main. If you ease the main sheet/treveler, and lash the tiller to leeward, I'll bet it will seyyle right down. The jib is usually closehauled because you tack into the hove to configuration from close hauled sailing. But the sheeting of the jib shouldn't be so critical unless it was a huge genny. David Lady Lillie
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