High winds
- Thread starter gtg
- Start date
Both the jib and main halyards need more tension to take the scallops out of the luffs of the sails.
What causes you to think you need to adjust your rake and tension shrouds?
Your halyards ( main and jib) were not tight, perhaps they were when you raised the sail but they either were slackened or they stretched. The wrong halyard line can stretch after being tightened and secured.
Looks like you used a reefed main.
How did it go?
What did I you feel?
Any frightening moments?
Did you correct anything?
What discoveries happened?
Your halyards ( main and jib) were not tight, perhaps they were when you raised the sail but they either were slackened or they stretched. The wrong halyard line can stretch after being tightened and secured.
Looks like you used a reefed main.
How did it go?
What did I you feel?
Any frightening moments?
Did you correct anything?
What discoveries happened?
What causes you to think you need to adjust your rake and tension shrouds?
I was unable to tack. My guess is too much reefing. I was sailing Beam Reach, Starboard Tack and my tiller was all the way to the port side. I would have to jibe to change my direction. I experienced this a month earlier on another boat I skippered with 3 mph winds.
How did it go?
The voyage was not as daunting as I thought it would be. Quite a comfortable situation, I guess it was because I was so reefed. I also left my outboard motor down in the water the whole time.
What did you feel?
Liberated, freedom. Start of a new favorite past time, and she is MY boat rather than a borrowed boat.
Any frightening moments?
The heeling in the big gust make me second guess my self and I would let out the line or adjust with the tiller.
Did you correct anything?
I let my mail sail out more as I sailed in a beam reach. It seemed to help speed.
What discoveries happened?
I have a lot to learn. sSiling with other who call the shots, I missed a lot of the little things. I will find out these little things.
On boat handling in heavy winds. TACKING...
If you give it a bit of help, push the tiller towards the boom, the boat should tack.
OK. You are on a starboard tack with wind coming over your back. The boom is sitting on the port side of center. The boat is flying along, what happens if you release your hold on the rudder and let the boat decide? In most cases the boat will turn into the wind. This means the boat is designed with a little bit of weather helm and will naturally turn into the wind.
If you give it a bit of help, push the tiller towards the boom, the boat should tack.
If you really need to tack because you are heading towards the rocks, then you must jibe... It is a higher risk technique but it will turn the boat away from the rocks. You need to practice this technique.
The mainsheet is your relief valve.
my first sailing experiences was on a call 22 it is a fun little boat when it blows hard and heals on a beam reach or a close haul i remember water coming over the rail and into the cockpit wondering at what point the boat would flip, and just as I was thinking this..... the boat rounds up points it nose strait into the wind for a few seconds taking away my stress. You should try putting the boat into a heave to in different wind conditions this will alow you to be able to get up on deck in windy conditions incase you want to put in or take out a reef in the main. My first experience with doing this was on my 30T Hunter in 6, swells blowing about 25 with full main up and jib all out. I was taking a real beating once I got the boat in a heave to I was surprised how it basically laid in the wave trough I felt very secure getting up on deck at that point and dropped the main. If I had to choose one I would sail with jib, can't hove to with a main sail. glad to hear you had a good experience.
Just to make sure we are using the correct terms, when you say you are on a starboard tack, you mean the wind was coming from the starboard side of the boat?
On 99% of boats, sailing in overpowered condition, you would need to pull the rudder to starboard to keep straight.
You would throw the rudder to port to tack.
In fact most boats would naturally tack if you just let go of the rudder. If you described your situation correctly then I would think you had too large of a head sail up... but that really seems unlikely.
On 99% of boats, sailing in overpowered condition, you would need to pull the rudder to starboard to keep straight.
You would throw the rudder to port to tack.
In fact most boats would naturally tack if you just let go of the rudder. If you described your situation correctly then I would think you had too large of a head sail up... but that really seems unlikely.
I takes some speed and momentum to tack. If you can't get enough speed you have to jibe, and it's important to be comfortable with this. I've had to do this in very light winds and also high winds with large, steep waves (I have a light boat which is also a factor). From you pictures I would think you should have been able to tack. Something was bad off to need full port tiller on a starboard beam reach. You sure it was starboard tack?
Full tiller to maintain heading will be slow. Next time out focus on balancing the sails to minimize tiller input need.
So @srimes has a good point. The next time you are out in less wind, try a few things.
- Tension your halyards to straighten out the luff of your sails
- Tension your outhaul to get the foot as tight as you can (within reason).
The next thing to check is the position of your keel and rudder.
- Is your keel all the way down?
- Is your rudder all the way down and locked.
If your rudder is not all the way down, it cannot act like a proper foil when steering and you will have to mussle the rudder a lot more than normal.
Hope you find a simple (simple = inexpensive) solution.
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