I am new to sailing but have already found out that having the correct amount of sail up is very important. At winds over 12 knots I reef the main and over 18 knots I put up the storm sail with the reefed main and head in. I have a 25 foot o'day w/centerboard and we enjoy learning on this boat. My question is, how much of a heel is correct? My wife is uncomfortable at 15 degrees and I am incomfortable much over 20 degrees but from what I have read that isn't close to what 25 foot boats could take. At what degree heel do you start to make corrections? We are finding out that sailing is alot of work by adjusting sails constantly trying to keep what we precive a comfortable heel. By the way, I only have a 15 dollar device thats glued on to the boat to make my est. on heeling. Thank's in advance for any advice. jack
- Status
Control your heel
I've never seen a general cruising boat that sails better past 15 to 20 degrees. In fact 15 is just about the optimum. Its like reving an engine above the red line. You lose power. Note, If you are uncomfortable its to much heel. It is also very hard on your rig.
I've never seen a general cruising boat that sails better past 15 to 20 degrees. In fact 15 is just about the optimum. Its like reving an engine above the red line. You lose power. Note, If you are uncomfortable its to much heel. It is also very hard on your rig.
Over 20 too much
An ODay 25 is at its optimum with 15-20 degrees of heel. ANything more and you are going sideways. Flatter is faster in general but 15 to 20 is ok before shortening sail. Try moving the traveler down on your mainsheet to depower before reefing (12 knots is a bit early). Also, pick up your centerboard a little bit it helps to keep the heeling down in heavier air (something to do with the center of leverage)
An ODay 25 is at its optimum with 15-20 degrees of heel. ANything more and you are going sideways. Flatter is faster in general but 15 to 20 is ok before shortening sail. Try moving the traveler down on your mainsheet to depower before reefing (12 knots is a bit early). Also, pick up your centerboard a little bit it helps to keep the heeling down in heavier air (something to do with the center of leverage)
If you don't like it
or it makes you uncomfortable, its too much heel. Adjust the traveler (if you have one, and the Oday 25 didn't come with one), reef, point higher into the wind, whatever. Sailing is about enjoyment, and if you're not enjoying yourself for whatever reason, change it. As you gain experience, your comfort level with different sailing conditions will increase. I reef my Oday 23 when the wind hits about 15 knots, but I do it even sooner when I have my wife and kids on board, as their comfort level is different from mine.
or it makes you uncomfortable, its too much heel. Adjust the traveler (if you have one, and the Oday 25 didn't come with one), reef, point higher into the wind, whatever. Sailing is about enjoyment, and if you're not enjoying yourself for whatever reason, change it. As you gain experience, your comfort level with different sailing conditions will increase. I reef my Oday 23 when the wind hits about 15 knots, but I do it even sooner when I have my wife and kids on board, as their comfort level is different from mine.
O'Day 25 heel
When I first started sailing I installed an incline meter on my Catalina 22 to teel me how much hel I had. I was miserable! My 2nd Catalina 22 didn't have the device and I was much happier. In stead of looking down to see what my angle was I was now looking ahead and enjoying the power of the wind and the feel of the boat. Toss the meter! Mike
When I first started sailing I installed an incline meter on my Catalina 22 to teel me how much hel I had. I was miserable! My 2nd Catalina 22 didn't have the device and I was much happier. In stead of looking down to see what my angle was I was now looking ahead and enjoying the power of the wind and the feel of the boat. Toss the meter! Mike
It's supposed to be fun
Sailing should be fun! That's the real limit for how much heel you should have. If it isn't fun your doing something wrong. Everyone seems to have a different tolerance for heeling. If my wife is aboard the limit is about 5 degrees. But yesterday I was out alone in my O'Day 23 in 28 mph winds gusting to 40 and I had a blast! Who cared how much the heel was? I started with a reefed main and the standard jib but after out running a Hunter 25.5 I dropped to just the main. One thing to consider is the state of the waves. On my relatively little body of water waves aren't a real problem. Less heel can be much safer when you mix waves and wind.
Sailing should be fun! That's the real limit for how much heel you should have. If it isn't fun your doing something wrong. Everyone seems to have a different tolerance for heeling. If my wife is aboard the limit is about 5 degrees. But yesterday I was out alone in my O'Day 23 in 28 mph winds gusting to 40 and I had a blast! Who cared how much the heel was? I started with a reefed main and the standard jib but after out running a Hunter 25.5 I dropped to just the main. One thing to consider is the state of the waves. On my relatively little body of water waves aren't a real problem. Less heel can be much safer when you mix waves and wind.
Heel
Usually when the rail goes under is enough. Dip one side then tack. Get a mop and scrub the windward deck and tack again to rinse. Repeat other side. Be sure to close the valve on the sink drain in the head or you might find some mystery water in the bilge.
Usually when the rail goes under is enough. Dip one side then tack. Get a mop and scrub the windward deck and tack again to rinse. Repeat other side. Be sure to close the valve on the sink drain in the head or you might find some mystery water in the bilge.
In Pittsburgh
We sail Lake Arthur. We never have steady wind. The Lake has many fingers and the fingers manipulate the wind. Sometimes turning the wind as much as 180 degrees. It also changes the wind speed as it funnels down one valley and is crosswinded by another valley. I sail in a kind of range. 15 degrees to 40 degrees is optimum, if the 40 is for no more than a few minutes at a time. If you reef on Lake Arthur when you hit 20 degrees, you will kick yourself for doing it about half the time because the next cross wind may cut the wind speed down to 6 knots. If there are white caps, I reef. Other wise I point up, flatten sails, or sheet out to keep the boat reasonably flat. The hard part is the clean-up down below after a day of 20/40 sailing. Everything gets loose.Fishing rods, clothes, sail cover and bags, the tea pot,sun block, and on one sail the porta potti (now secured with it's own bungee cord) all piled on the cabin sole. r.w.landau
We sail Lake Arthur. We never have steady wind. The Lake has many fingers and the fingers manipulate the wind. Sometimes turning the wind as much as 180 degrees. It also changes the wind speed as it funnels down one valley and is crosswinded by another valley. I sail in a kind of range. 15 degrees to 40 degrees is optimum, if the 40 is for no more than a few minutes at a time. If you reef on Lake Arthur when you hit 20 degrees, you will kick yourself for doing it about half the time because the next cross wind may cut the wind speed down to 6 knots. If there are white caps, I reef. Other wise I point up, flatten sails, or sheet out to keep the boat reasonably flat. The hard part is the clean-up down below after a day of 20/40 sailing. Everything gets loose.Fishing rods, clothes, sail cover and bags, the tea pot,sun block, and on one sail the porta potti (now secured with it's own bungee cord) all piled on the cabin sole. r.w.landau
Sail Shape
Besides letting out the traveller to spill some air, check out your sail shape. Are your sails old & blown out? If so have them repaired or replaced. A flatter sail shape will give the boat more lift & less side force that heels the boat. Tighten halyards & outhauls & downhauls. Move genny leads aft. Read some books about sail shape. Annapolis Book of Seamanship by John Rossmaneare(sp) is good or books about racing & sail shape. If you get new sails or have them repaired, have the sailmaker go for a sail w/ you to show you how to set up & control the shape. At 12 knots most boats are in their element & shouldn't need reefing. Centerboard boats tend to be more tender & heel easier also.
Besides letting out the traveller to spill some air, check out your sail shape. Are your sails old & blown out? If so have them repaired or replaced. A flatter sail shape will give the boat more lift & less side force that heels the boat. Tighten halyards & outhauls & downhauls. Move genny leads aft. Read some books about sail shape. Annapolis Book of Seamanship by John Rossmaneare(sp) is good or books about racing & sail shape. If you get new sails or have them repaired, have the sailmaker go for a sail w/ you to show you how to set up & control the shape. At 12 knots most boats are in their element & shouldn't need reefing. Centerboard boats tend to be more tender & heel easier also.
scream meter
Second Mike's comment about the inclimeter. I call it the scream meter. Whenever I sail with my wife, she keeps an eyeball on it. Whenever it goes past 15, I get the first "steve". As I continue to have some fun, the "steve" gets louder and more repeated. "steve", "steve", "steve". Whenever, it turns to "STEVEN!", I head upwind. Steve!
Second Mike's comment about the inclimeter. I call it the scream meter. Whenever I sail with my wife, she keeps an eyeball on it. Whenever it goes past 15, I get the first "steve". As I continue to have some fun, the "steve" gets louder and more repeated. "steve", "steve", "steve". Whenever, it turns to "STEVEN!", I head upwind. Steve!
Let her take the helm
My wife was scared silly past 15 degrees until the day I told her I need her to hold a course. I said that I needed to check some thing up at the front and proceeded to sit on the front pulit. The wind was at about 12 and we were close hauled. So, we had a decent heel and when we caught a good puff we would round up. What this did was give her the feel of the tiller and she finally realized the boat was not going to roll,it was going to point to the wind. That day was the most fun that I have had on the water to date and I think that she would say the same. She sailed the boat until dark on about 8 tacks close hauled to beam reach On Kentucky Lake(Big Wind, Big Water, Big Waves.)Now wants to take the tiller most any time we are out. By the way, she likes it at about 40degrees of heel if possible. Check the heel with the photo of my wife at the helm. Seth Dixon Quiet Time Oday 25
My wife was scared silly past 15 degrees until the day I told her I need her to hold a course. I said that I needed to check some thing up at the front and proceeded to sit on the front pulit. The wind was at about 12 and we were close hauled. So, we had a decent heel and when we caught a good puff we would round up. What this did was give her the feel of the tiller and she finally realized the boat was not going to roll,it was going to point to the wind. That day was the most fun that I have had on the water to date and I think that she would say the same. She sailed the boat until dark on about 8 tacks close hauled to beam reach On Kentucky Lake(Big Wind, Big Water, Big Waves.)Now wants to take the tiller most any time we are out. By the way, she likes it at about 40degrees of heel if possible. Check the heel with the photo of my wife at the helm. Seth Dixon Quiet Time Oday 25
Attachments
Turn Over Control...
...to your wife for a while. As was mentioned in several other posts it is sometimes a good thing to let her control the angle, speed, wave action, etc.. I think you will find that as her confidence grows...so too will the angle of heel! My wife was new to sailing and spent all her time looking at the cockpit readouts...and worrying that wind speed was rising, heel was over 15 degrees and so on. I was smart enough to know that my future sailing pleasure was tied directly to her on-board comfort level...so we began to let her run the helm while I took the orders. As part of her "training" we have covered up one of the cockpit displays on each trip (except the depthfinder) so that she will learn to sail without the benefit of readouts and gain the knowledge of reading sail shape, learning how to read the wind on her face, and how the boat responds when she points more towards the wind. It has been fun to watch her develop confidence. Our last sail of the year was a great run out into Lake Huron in 15-20 knot winds, 15 degrees of heel and a 7 knot pace. She is still talking about that and is now looking forward to getting back on the water.
...to your wife for a while. As was mentioned in several other posts it is sometimes a good thing to let her control the angle, speed, wave action, etc.. I think you will find that as her confidence grows...so too will the angle of heel! My wife was new to sailing and spent all her time looking at the cockpit readouts...and worrying that wind speed was rising, heel was over 15 degrees and so on. I was smart enough to know that my future sailing pleasure was tied directly to her on-board comfort level...so we began to let her run the helm while I took the orders. As part of her "training" we have covered up one of the cockpit displays on each trip (except the depthfinder) so that she will learn to sail without the benefit of readouts and gain the knowledge of reading sail shape, learning how to read the wind on her face, and how the boat responds when she points more towards the wind. It has been fun to watch her develop confidence. Our last sail of the year was a great run out into Lake Huron in 15-20 knot winds, 15 degrees of heel and a 7 knot pace. She is still talking about that and is now looking forward to getting back on the water.
- Status