Hi Everyone... I'm new here... and new to sailing. My partner and I purchased a 1985 36' Catalina. It has a (from what we were told) 4'7" Shoal draft. My problem, I was always afraid of flipping in a sail boat and never wanted to get one. Not because I don't want to get wet, but because a boat is expensive and I don't want to destroy or damage our boat! Well, we were told we couldn't flip, broach or laydown this boat unless we went out during a hurricane. We were doing great every weekend and some times during the week, sailing out around outside our marina in the Gulf of Mexico! We were having a great time not going anywhere and just sailing around and learing. Then Gregg read about Broaching. The site he read stated broaching can happen and is common when sailing under full sail, (and I think on a broad reach) when heeling at 15-20 degrees and a Gust comes along and blows you over. It stated it can happen very fast and unexpectedly. That worried us... but the following day we were out with two friends and were sailing along when all of a sudden a gust hit us and tipped us farther than we had ever heeled. Gregg tried to steer out of it but it just got worse. Then the gust died and we steadied out. That scared the heck out of us.. but we couldn't let our friends see that! But that killed that day of sailing for us. We were glad we had read about Broaching the night before (or should we have?). The following weekend, we went out again, this time with two other friends (funny how many friends you have when you buy a boat). Again, we were sailing along and were hit by a gust and again Gregg Tried to steer out of it but I could hear the panic in his voice as he said the helm wasn't responding fast enough so I quickly popped the Jib sheet and dumped the wind from it and we righted immediately. Well, I didn't like bein so scared of sailing, so we hired a captain to take us out, make sure we're doing things right and find out if what we feared was broaching or laying down was really what it was or were we being paranoid. This captain was worthless! But thats a whole other story. We were able to recreated the situation and he said to just keep turning into or out of the wind and you'll only heel so far but then you'll be out of the wind and will right. We tried it and it felt like it was getting worse so I popped the jib again. Even HE looked nervous! When I asked if we would have layed down, he said "Well, it's possible, but in this boat you really couldn't." He didn't look very confident though. So he made us do it again and again I had to let the jib out a bit but we kept turning and came out of it. He then said "See? Just let the Jib out if your worried about it! But you won't lay this boat down." Again, he didn't seem very confident and seemed more scared than us! And I don't want to have to "Pop" The jib everytime we heel. My question(s): Can we lay down our Catalina 36' (with a 4'7" draft) in a 10-15 or even a 15-20mph wind... EVER????? By ever I mean, if we're not seasoned sailors, could we allow the boat to heel too much and lay down? Or can it NOT heel TOO much under regular wind condtions (meaning not hurricane or storm conditions)? What would it actually take to "lay it down"? Is it easier for a novice sailor to do under regular conditions (being clear skies and nice 10-15-20mph winds)? Please Someone help us to re-instill that confidence we had when we first got her! Right now we sail with just the jib and even that is scaring us as we approach a 15 Degree heel. We're even talking about selling her and we've only had her about 3 months. Anxiously awaiting a response Paul
Lay Down - Possible in 20mph winds?
- Thread starter PaulnGregg
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Broach
You should try easing the main sail out when the boat is trying to round up. Possibly you are sailing with the sails sheeted in too tight. Sailboats naturally try to turn into the wind, and the turn plus the wind can lead to excessive heel angles, but without the help of a large wave, the boat will not "flip".
You should try easing the main sail out when the boat is trying to round up. Possibly you are sailing with the sails sheeted in too tight. Sailboats naturally try to turn into the wind, and the turn plus the wind can lead to excessive heel angles, but without the help of a large wave, the boat will not "flip".
broach
First, sailboats heel and fifteen degrees is not an extreme amount. I suggest since you seem a bit alarmed by the thought of heeling uncontrollably, you should sail with one reef in the mainsail at 15 kts. You will not go as fast but everything will happen a little slower and heel will be far less. Just the first reef should make a difference. Start out with the sail reefed before you leave the slip to make things easier. If the wind drops below 15 kts you can shake the reef loose. When you become confident that the boat is not going to "broach" you can take the reef out. And like Tim suggests, be ready to ease your mainsheet. Regards.
First, sailboats heel and fifteen degrees is not an extreme amount. I suggest since you seem a bit alarmed by the thought of heeling uncontrollably, you should sail with one reef in the mainsail at 15 kts. You will not go as fast but everything will happen a little slower and heel will be far less. Just the first reef should make a difference. Start out with the sail reefed before you leave the slip to make things easier. If the wind drops below 15 kts you can shake the reef loose. When you become confident that the boat is not going to "broach" you can take the reef out. And like Tim suggests, be ready to ease your mainsheet. Regards.
Rounding up
It sounds like the boat is doing something called Rounding Up. That happens when the boat is overpowered by the wind. It causes a large amount of heel and you loose control of the rudder. It is no big deal because the boat will just head into the wind and the sails will luff when you get tight into the wind. The boat will then be back under control and you will be on your way. When you round up it means that you are carrying too much sail for the weather conditions. When the boat starts to heel over at 20 degrees or more it is time to depower the sails. You can do this be easing the mainsheet in a gust or reducing the sail area. You probably have a big Genoa on the boat so you will want to roll some in if you have roller furling. You can also reef the main to prevent the rounding up. One other thing that can be done is to steer high to the wind (pinch) in the gusts and foot in the lulls (steer low to the wind) when the conditions are border-line for reefing. Then again, I agree with the stragity of reefing the main the first time you think that you may be getting overpowered (this will save stress and undue pressures on your sails and rigging). With this in mind, I can assure you, that you won't flip the boat under those wind conditions. I am sailing in a Catalina 30 and I have been out in 40 miles per hour sustained winds and not flipped. There is a lot of ballast in the boats to prevent this. You will loose your rig before you flip the boat. One thing that you might consider is to take a sailing class. There are a lot of them out there and you will probably be able to find one in your area. That will help you learn the ropes and make you more comfortable in your boat.
It sounds like the boat is doing something called Rounding Up. That happens when the boat is overpowered by the wind. It causes a large amount of heel and you loose control of the rudder. It is no big deal because the boat will just head into the wind and the sails will luff when you get tight into the wind. The boat will then be back under control and you will be on your way. When you round up it means that you are carrying too much sail for the weather conditions. When the boat starts to heel over at 20 degrees or more it is time to depower the sails. You can do this be easing the mainsheet in a gust or reducing the sail area. You probably have a big Genoa on the boat so you will want to roll some in if you have roller furling. You can also reef the main to prevent the rounding up. One other thing that can be done is to steer high to the wind (pinch) in the gusts and foot in the lulls (steer low to the wind) when the conditions are border-line for reefing. Then again, I agree with the stragity of reefing the main the first time you think that you may be getting overpowered (this will save stress and undue pressures on your sails and rigging). With this in mind, I can assure you, that you won't flip the boat under those wind conditions. I am sailing in a Catalina 30 and I have been out in 40 miles per hour sustained winds and not flipped. There is a lot of ballast in the boats to prevent this. You will loose your rig before you flip the boat. One thing that you might consider is to take a sailing class. There are a lot of them out there and you will probably be able to find one in your area. That will help you learn the ropes and make you more comfortable in your boat.
Heeling
It sounds to me like you are experiencing a combination of events. First of all, are you talking about a steady sustained wind of 20 miles? If so, the gusts may be 50% more, or 30 miles. You probably are flying too much sail. Once the winds hit a steady 15, why don't you make it a policy to throw in the first reef, and /or furl the genoa some. You could also ease the traveller to leeward some to depower the mainsail. You probably have a clue that you're ignoring that this is necessary. Is your boat heeling and starting to strain to round up into the wind? Are you required to fight the rudder to stay on course? Your boat is talking to you, telling you it's overpowered. When you heel over too far, your mainsail spills wind, kind of like a relief valve, and you'll slow down a lot. You'll also have a tendency to round up into the wind, which willl cause the sails to luff, and also slow you down. You need to fall off the wind to regain your speed, and it happens all over again. Also, you mention that you have guests on board. Are they shifting their weight to the windward side to add ballast to the boat? if not, try it. This ain't no motorboat.
It sounds to me like you are experiencing a combination of events. First of all, are you talking about a steady sustained wind of 20 miles? If so, the gusts may be 50% more, or 30 miles. You probably are flying too much sail. Once the winds hit a steady 15, why don't you make it a policy to throw in the first reef, and /or furl the genoa some. You could also ease the traveller to leeward some to depower the mainsail. You probably have a clue that you're ignoring that this is necessary. Is your boat heeling and starting to strain to round up into the wind? Are you required to fight the rudder to stay on course? Your boat is talking to you, telling you it's overpowered. When you heel over too far, your mainsail spills wind, kind of like a relief valve, and you'll slow down a lot. You'll also have a tendency to round up into the wind, which willl cause the sails to luff, and also slow you down. You need to fall off the wind to regain your speed, and it happens all over again. Also, you mention that you have guests on board. Are they shifting their weight to the windward side to add ballast to the boat? if not, try it. This ain't no motorboat.
A comment from a person who owns a C36 like yours
I have a C36 shoal draft with a tall rig. You cannot lay your C36 down under the conditions you describe (unless you have a very high breaking wave - Cape Horn style and storm class winds). In fact I have sailed it in conditions up to 35 knots and never felt that it would evenly remotely lay down. However, I had reduced sail. The advice you have received so far is quite good. Essentially you should reef your mainsail if conditions are 15 to 20 knots AND heel is 15 to 20 degrees AND you are feeling uncomfortable with the heel. The point that you reef should be determined by how comfortable you and the crew feel. If you have inexperienced people on board reef sooner. If you and the crew are having a good time wait a while longer, however you should know that angles of heel above 20 degrees may feel exciting and fast, but because of increased leeway (sidewise drift) you are probably going slower than you would if you reefed and reduced your heel. For now, I would suggest you try reefing your main at 15 knots and above when on a reach. You will find it a joy to handle. Around 22 to25 knots furl your genoa until you feel comfortable. Over 30 knots put in a second reef in your main or reef your genoa more and head in if you feel uncomfortable. I have had previous boats round up on reaches heeled to the extent the boom was in the water. Nothing disastorous happened except my wife screamed (well that is not good but that is another story - she continued to sail with me). When the boat rounded up, as other posters have indicated, they feather into the wind and you regain control. If continually being overpowered drop your traveller and slack off your main a tad until you have enough control to reef the main. If you need to learn how to reef the main that is another subject and it depends on the set-up you have and whether you want to heave to or reef underway - your hired captain should have made sure you knew how. You should practise going through the motions of reefing on a calm day at dock. The Catalina 36 has less tendancy to round up than others I have owned or chartered - I find I don't have to fight it when hit by a gust to the same extent as others. On a reach I have never put the boom in the water or anywhere close. PS - if you find you are rounding up more than you like, it is a comfort to have the companion way hatch boards in place so in the unllikely eventuality that you get knocked right down, water can't get inside your boat. As long as the boat has air in it and you are still on board all is OK. I hope this does not scare you - it is just a precaution that says even in the worst circumstance you are going to stay afloat. It makes me feel better even though I have never had sufficient water come into the cockpit to make this necessary and I have been out in conditions much worse than you describe.
I have a C36 shoal draft with a tall rig. You cannot lay your C36 down under the conditions you describe (unless you have a very high breaking wave - Cape Horn style and storm class winds). In fact I have sailed it in conditions up to 35 knots and never felt that it would evenly remotely lay down. However, I had reduced sail. The advice you have received so far is quite good. Essentially you should reef your mainsail if conditions are 15 to 20 knots AND heel is 15 to 20 degrees AND you are feeling uncomfortable with the heel. The point that you reef should be determined by how comfortable you and the crew feel. If you have inexperienced people on board reef sooner. If you and the crew are having a good time wait a while longer, however you should know that angles of heel above 20 degrees may feel exciting and fast, but because of increased leeway (sidewise drift) you are probably going slower than you would if you reefed and reduced your heel. For now, I would suggest you try reefing your main at 15 knots and above when on a reach. You will find it a joy to handle. Around 22 to25 knots furl your genoa until you feel comfortable. Over 30 knots put in a second reef in your main or reef your genoa more and head in if you feel uncomfortable. I have had previous boats round up on reaches heeled to the extent the boom was in the water. Nothing disastorous happened except my wife screamed (well that is not good but that is another story - she continued to sail with me). When the boat rounded up, as other posters have indicated, they feather into the wind and you regain control. If continually being overpowered drop your traveller and slack off your main a tad until you have enough control to reef the main. If you need to learn how to reef the main that is another subject and it depends on the set-up you have and whether you want to heave to or reef underway - your hired captain should have made sure you knew how. You should practise going through the motions of reefing on a calm day at dock. The Catalina 36 has less tendancy to round up than others I have owned or chartered - I find I don't have to fight it when hit by a gust to the same extent as others. On a reach I have never put the boom in the water or anywhere close. PS - if you find you are rounding up more than you like, it is a comfort to have the companion way hatch boards in place so in the unllikely eventuality that you get knocked right down, water can't get inside your boat. As long as the boat has air in it and you are still on board all is OK. I hope this does not scare you - it is just a precaution that says even in the worst circumstance you are going to stay afloat. It makes me feel better even though I have never had sufficient water come into the cockpit to make this necessary and I have been out in conditions much worse than you describe.
Dealing effectively w/ wind gusts
I own a 2003 Catalina 36 Mk. II with a wing keel that draws 4' 5" and a standard 135% jib, which is structurally the same in most important ways to your 1986 C 36. Perhaps more importantly I've crewed on a 1980's vintage C 36 in "racing trim", which includes a kevlar 165% (i.e. over-large) jib and experienced the same types of conditions you speak of, include heeling well beyond 20 degrees. To your first question: "Can we lay down our Catalina 36' (with a 4'7" draft) in a 10-15 or even a 15-20mph wind... EVER????" In a word, no. I've sailed in 15-20 knot breezes on my C36, Wind Angel, under full sail both upwind and downwind. I've never come even remotely close to a knock down. Simply stated, the C36 displaces (weighs) in toto more than seven tons (14,100 lbs), of which the wing keel makes up more than 3 tons (6,600 lbs). Even under full standard sails of about 555 square feet, a 15-20 knot breeze can't create enough energy to cause a knock down. But there's a further point as well. Remember the sail (and the wind) operates in *three* dimensions. As the boat heels, less of the surface of the sail will be directly exposed to the wind. Moreover, the sails are not generally cut to capture all of the wind pressure from the top to the bottom. The upper portion of the sail tends to "spill" the wind as the boat heels. Ultimately, as the boat moves along on in a heeled position, it essentially reaches a point of dynamic equilibrium at the point where the total wind pressure on the sails (causing the boat to heel) is equally counterbalanced by the downward force of gravity acting on the keel in the water (called the boat's "righting moment"). In short, under 15-20 knot conditions with standard sails, I don't think it would be physically possible to "knock down" the boat, absent VERY bizarre circumstances, such as being hit by a breaking "rogue wave" or a tsunami close in shore. To your second question: "What would it actually take to "lay it down"?" In order to "knock down" a C 36 or any large boat of that ilk can only really be caused by grossly "over-canvassing" (putting up too much sail) for the conditions present, such as flying a spinnaker (a type of "balloon sail") in heavy wind conditions or in a situation where a strong "downburst" of wind occurs during a squall line of thunderstorms. In either case, the *real* cause of the "knock down" is the failure on the part of the skipper and crew to use common sense. I have three recommendations to you: First, take a week-long sailing course NOT on your own boat. Because your not on your own boat you won't be afraid of damaging it, which may lessen your anxiety in the first place. There are a number of REALLY excellent sailing schools that can teach you about sailing, managing and maintaining a relatively large cruising boat like a C 36. Second, when you do sail on your own C 36, I recommend that you DON'T sail with just the jib alone (unless your going down wind only). Without getting into too much physics, sailing across the wind or upwind with only the jib flying may induce a phenomenon known as "lee helm" where the boat feels like it constantly wants to point away from the wind, and make the boat difficult to sail and potentially unmanageable. It's generally better to sail with only the mainsail alone than with the jib alone. Third, join the Catalina 36 International Association to learn more about the minutiae of the C 36. You'll be glad you did. The link is attached. Best regards! Rick Gottlieb s/v Wind Angel #2115
I own a 2003 Catalina 36 Mk. II with a wing keel that draws 4' 5" and a standard 135% jib, which is structurally the same in most important ways to your 1986 C 36. Perhaps more importantly I've crewed on a 1980's vintage C 36 in "racing trim", which includes a kevlar 165% (i.e. over-large) jib and experienced the same types of conditions you speak of, include heeling well beyond 20 degrees. To your first question: "Can we lay down our Catalina 36' (with a 4'7" draft) in a 10-15 or even a 15-20mph wind... EVER????" In a word, no. I've sailed in 15-20 knot breezes on my C36, Wind Angel, under full sail both upwind and downwind. I've never come even remotely close to a knock down. Simply stated, the C36 displaces (weighs) in toto more than seven tons (14,100 lbs), of which the wing keel makes up more than 3 tons (6,600 lbs). Even under full standard sails of about 555 square feet, a 15-20 knot breeze can't create enough energy to cause a knock down. But there's a further point as well. Remember the sail (and the wind) operates in *three* dimensions. As the boat heels, less of the surface of the sail will be directly exposed to the wind. Moreover, the sails are not generally cut to capture all of the wind pressure from the top to the bottom. The upper portion of the sail tends to "spill" the wind as the boat heels. Ultimately, as the boat moves along on in a heeled position, it essentially reaches a point of dynamic equilibrium at the point where the total wind pressure on the sails (causing the boat to heel) is equally counterbalanced by the downward force of gravity acting on the keel in the water (called the boat's "righting moment"). In short, under 15-20 knot conditions with standard sails, I don't think it would be physically possible to "knock down" the boat, absent VERY bizarre circumstances, such as being hit by a breaking "rogue wave" or a tsunami close in shore. To your second question: "What would it actually take to "lay it down"?" In order to "knock down" a C 36 or any large boat of that ilk can only really be caused by grossly "over-canvassing" (putting up too much sail) for the conditions present, such as flying a spinnaker (a type of "balloon sail") in heavy wind conditions or in a situation where a strong "downburst" of wind occurs during a squall line of thunderstorms. In either case, the *real* cause of the "knock down" is the failure on the part of the skipper and crew to use common sense. I have three recommendations to you: First, take a week-long sailing course NOT on your own boat. Because your not on your own boat you won't be afraid of damaging it, which may lessen your anxiety in the first place. There are a number of REALLY excellent sailing schools that can teach you about sailing, managing and maintaining a relatively large cruising boat like a C 36. Second, when you do sail on your own C 36, I recommend that you DON'T sail with just the jib alone (unless your going down wind only). Without getting into too much physics, sailing across the wind or upwind with only the jib flying may induce a phenomenon known as "lee helm" where the boat feels like it constantly wants to point away from the wind, and make the boat difficult to sail and potentially unmanageable. It's generally better to sail with only the mainsail alone than with the jib alone. Third, join the Catalina 36 International Association to learn more about the minutiae of the C 36. You'll be glad you did. The link is attached. Best regards! Rick Gottlieb s/v Wind Angel #2115
it won't flip over....
unless the keel falls off and a big wave hits the boat sideways. When the boat heels over and starts to round up... the first thing you should do is ease out the main... traveller and mainsheet. If the vang is on you should release it so the boom won't drag in the water. The goal is to keep water flowing over the rudder so you can steer back to your course. Over steering while the rudder is cavitating can cause a violent reaction when the boat pops back up by causing it to accidently jibe the other way... a dangerous event. The boat will not tip over, no matter how hard you try. Keep one hand on the mainsheet or traveller in gusty conditions. Learn to reef if you feel the boat is overpowered. Stick a reef in the main before you go out if you have any doubt. Sail with a smaller head sail. Get a good sailing manual or take some lessons from one of the local sailing schools.... I'm sure there are many in the area.... you'll gain a lot of confidence.
unless the keel falls off and a big wave hits the boat sideways. When the boat heels over and starts to round up... the first thing you should do is ease out the main... traveller and mainsheet. If the vang is on you should release it so the boom won't drag in the water. The goal is to keep water flowing over the rudder so you can steer back to your course. Over steering while the rudder is cavitating can cause a violent reaction when the boat pops back up by causing it to accidently jibe the other way... a dangerous event. The boat will not tip over, no matter how hard you try. Keep one hand on the mainsheet or traveller in gusty conditions. Learn to reef if you feel the boat is overpowered. Stick a reef in the main before you go out if you have any doubt. Sail with a smaller head sail. Get a good sailing manual or take some lessons from one of the local sailing schools.... I'm sure there are many in the area.... you'll gain a lot of confidence.
Sailing with jib alone
We often sail with jib alone and have not experienced lee helm at heel angles up to 20 degrees. We also have marked the top of the wheel with a piece of tape when the rudder is straight ahead. When this tape is observed to be halfway to the cockpit sole or at a 90 degree position, it is time to get rid of some sail. We also find that our 36 sails fastest to windward at a heel angle of 15 degrees and that it is considerably slower at heel angles above 20 degrees. It however gets very stiff above 20 degrees and it takes a very big gust to drive it as far as 25 degrees. Our prior 27 foot boat would readily reach 35 degrees and then round up. The 36 is so stiff it feels as though we would break something before it would round up. We have sailed for 30 years in keel boats and never felt that any of our three could be upset even purposly in winds under 20 knots. Rounded up yes but upset never. Hope this helps. Jack
We often sail with jib alone and have not experienced lee helm at heel angles up to 20 degrees. We also have marked the top of the wheel with a piece of tape when the rudder is straight ahead. When this tape is observed to be halfway to the cockpit sole or at a 90 degree position, it is time to get rid of some sail. We also find that our 36 sails fastest to windward at a heel angle of 15 degrees and that it is considerably slower at heel angles above 20 degrees. It however gets very stiff above 20 degrees and it takes a very big gust to drive it as far as 25 degrees. Our prior 27 foot boat would readily reach 35 degrees and then round up. The 36 is so stiff it feels as though we would break something before it would round up. We have sailed for 30 years in keel boats and never felt that any of our three could be upset even purposly in winds under 20 knots. Rounded up yes but upset never. Hope this helps. Jack
You guys have all been awesome!
WOW! Thanks so much! EVERYONE! That was all Great Advice! I do feel 100% relieved and comfortable now! Thanks So much! I would like to just add, the captain we hired DID show me how to Reef the main sail and last weekend (when winds were supposed to be 10-15mph but seemed higher) we did not unfurl the jib/genoa all the way and it made a big difference, but it was really choppy and got choppier so we were only out for 2 hours. Our Jib IS Quite large in comparison to some we've seen too! As for using someone elses boat is a good idea... we are mainly afriad of damaging our boat. I'm not worried about it anymore. Thanks to all of you. We're going out today and it's supposed to be 10-15mph from n changing to NW later in the day. I'll add a reef and give it a shot! Also, we usually DO just use the jib if it's windy but will try the main instead. It's just easier to unfurl the jib than uncover the main, hoist it then pack it all away when we're done. Can't be lazy though
Oh... as to angle of heel, we have a little plastic thing that tells the angle under the companionway and we've heeled at 10-15degrees under normal conditions and easily to 20° if we turn more into the wind and had gusts push us to 30° without a problem. Infact, the incident with that captain had us at 35°! That was why I popped the jib without waiting for that bonehead to tell me what to do! But after hearing that a heel acts like a "release valve" spilling excess air over the top made me feel a lot more comfortable... So what does everyone else heel at, regularly? And what do you think about us hitting 35°? Was that as far as we would have gone? The wind should have been spilling over, right? Or, was that the right thing to do and pop the jib? We do have to replace the mainsail sheet as it's too big and doesn't freely slide throught he block, so popping it (or letting it out) is not so easy! And the Travelers... well, we've never even touched them. Well, Thanks again and again everyone Paul
WOW! Thanks so much! EVERYONE! That was all Great Advice! I do feel 100% relieved and comfortable now! Thanks So much! I would like to just add, the captain we hired DID show me how to Reef the main sail and last weekend (when winds were supposed to be 10-15mph but seemed higher) we did not unfurl the jib/genoa all the way and it made a big difference, but it was really choppy and got choppier so we were only out for 2 hours. Our Jib IS Quite large in comparison to some we've seen too! As for using someone elses boat is a good idea... we are mainly afriad of damaging our boat. I'm not worried about it anymore. Thanks to all of you. We're going out today and it's supposed to be 10-15mph from n changing to NW later in the day. I'll add a reef and give it a shot! Also, we usually DO just use the jib if it's windy but will try the main instead. It's just easier to unfurl the jib than uncover the main, hoist it then pack it all away when we're done. Can't be lazy though
Oh... as to angle of heel, we have a little plastic thing that tells the angle under the companionway and we've heeled at 10-15degrees under normal conditions and easily to 20° if we turn more into the wind and had gusts push us to 30° without a problem. Infact, the incident with that captain had us at 35°! That was why I popped the jib without waiting for that bonehead to tell me what to do! But after hearing that a heel acts like a "release valve" spilling excess air over the top made me feel a lot more comfortable... So what does everyone else heel at, regularly? And what do you think about us hitting 35°? Was that as far as we would have gone? The wind should have been spilling over, right? Or, was that the right thing to do and pop the jib? We do have to replace the mainsail sheet as it's too big and doesn't freely slide throught he block, so popping it (or letting it out) is not so easy! And the Travelers... well, we've never even touched them. Well, Thanks again and again everyone Paul
Rail Down
When the stantions start throwing rooster tails, that is a bout as far as it will go over. I don't know how many degrees that is because I'm too busy to look, my wife quit looking years ago, and we quit telling new guests about the tilt meter. When the rail hits the water the rudder stalls, and the boat tries to go head to the wind (round up, broach etc!). Technically a broach involves a spinaker sailing down wind, and you do get pinned down by the spinaker when the boat gets beam to the wind. When you are sailing on a beam reach to a beat and get overpowered by the wind it's called rounding up. 15-20 degrees is slightly overpowered, and can be relieved either by easing the traveler, easing the main sheet, or by putting in a reef.
When the stantions start throwing rooster tails, that is a bout as far as it will go over. I don't know how many degrees that is because I'm too busy to look, my wife quit looking years ago, and we quit telling new guests about the tilt meter. When the rail hits the water the rudder stalls, and the boat tries to go head to the wind (round up, broach etc!). Technically a broach involves a spinaker sailing down wind, and you do get pinned down by the spinaker when the boat gets beam to the wind. When you are sailing on a beam reach to a beat and get overpowered by the wind it's called rounding up. 15-20 degrees is slightly overpowered, and can be relieved either by easing the traveler, easing the main sheet, or by putting in a reef.
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