Rounding up?

[Warren]

I have heard this term, but cannot find it written about in sailing handbooks. I was out yesterday with my 79 O'Day 23, in very light winds (5-10MPH)enjoying the day. We sail on the South Shore of Long Island and water is very scarce. Yesterday we had a nice high tide and decided to sail into the back bays and channels. We had the main and 130 Genoa set and were having a great day. We stared heading home as the tide started to head out. We were sailing along a very narrow channel on a close haul, when we decided to tack or run out of water. We had nice foward movement about 3 knots, however when I moved the tiller hard over the boat did not react. Instead it turned completley around, so now the wind was coming over the stern. I immediately reefed the Genoa (roller reefing) and headed back on course. We picked up some speed and tried to tack again, same thing happened. This time I started the motor, dropped the main and used the engine until we got back into the main channel. What could have occured? Is this what is "rounding up" is. I had a similar situation a few months back when under sail with just the Genoa. No harm was done, and the day was still enjoyed, but from a learning point of view I would like to try and understand what caused this to occur.

 

[Ben Bishop]

I think your rudder stalled

I believe if you were going with the tide and with the wind you were in effect not going at all. The water around your rudder was probably not giving you any "lift". It is a hard concept to understand, but I think that is what it sounds like to me.

 

[Mike]

I agree, you didn't round up

When you are moving at the same speed as the water, the net effect is that your boat is sitting still in water that is moving. A rudder needs water flowing past it to work. "Rounding up" is a completely different thing. Rounding up is what your boat will do as a result of another familar phrase: weather helm. A boat rounds up when it steers itself into the eye of the wind. Many if not most boats are designed to have a bit of weather helm; that is they are designed such that if left on their own they will try and steer themselves toward the wind (weather). You should be able to feel this effect as a slight to strong pressure on the tiller or wheel when sailing on a beam reach or upwind, forcing the helmsman to steer away from the wind in order to hold course. If you do not exert this pressure on the helm or suddenly let go, the boat will "round up," or point itself into the wind.

 

[Justin - O'day Owners' Web]

Rounding Up

It does sound like whatever was going on with your boat it wasn't rouding up. Probably like the guys say no relative motion through the water. That said, you should go make your boat round up b/c its an important compenent of sailing. When you get over- powered simply let go to the tiller (slowly) and the boat will turn head to wind and slow down.Justin - O'day Owners' Web