small boat heavy wind technique

[kenn]

Our 130% genoa is on a simple luff wire furler, and our standard jib is hank-on, so in either case it's fairly easy to drop the foresail and pull it in through the forehatch, even when it won't furl.

We converted our mainsail from boltrope to slugs on the luff, and it's way easier to raise/reef/drop in a hurry. As per Stu, reaching or running under jib alone is quite controlled and pleasant, so that is often our best option when it blows.

 

[Ray Bowles]

Hollyweird, After looking at your drawing of how you heaved-to I found what I think might have been wrong. The "correct way shown" has the boat headed more into the wind than the way you were positioned and the main closer to center.
In your way the jib is allowing the bow to be pushed downwind. If you keep the jib tighter and also pull the main in more then the wind striking the main will have effect of pushing the stern downwind and the bow upwind.
If the jib has a belly it offers a huge amount of resistance and thus the bow goes downwind. That is the reason for the tighter/flater jib.
The trick is for the jib to push the bow back while the main pushes the stern downwind while pushing the jib and bow back upwind. The tiller strikes the final placement of the boat as slightly upwind by providing some steerage. You need to play with the tiller to find that balance of steerage.
Finally you can loosen the jib if needed until the boat lies about 45 degrees to the wind and drifts slowly downwind.
Ray

 

[Hollyweirdos]

Thats the problem with this current set up. I couldn't get the bow more upwind. I tried sheeting the jib tight and loose to no avail.

 

[Stu Jackson]

I think his point was to tighten the mainsheet more.

 

[grantar2]

Recommend you don't put your furling line on a winch, I have watched that cause a headstay to fail. They just don't expect you to put that kind of load on them.

 

[Capn Bucky]

I don't have a furler on my jib but I do have a "downhaul" consisting of a 1/16" line tied to the head of the jib, running down the forestay, through a turning block and aft to the cockpit of my daysailer. All I have to do is uncleat the jib halyard and yank on the downhaul the jib comes right down to the deck without having to go forward. In the conditions you describe, I would have taken the main down also and rode out the squall on anchor.

 

[Benny17441]

You had the right idea but you need to do it early. If you see the wind piping up beyond 15 knots it is time t to reef or take sail dowm. Also strong winds can be embeded in approaching thunderstoerms. Do not wait till the storm hits you to reduce or take down sail. If it turns out to be a dud you can always raise sails back up. It is important to maintain stearage so as not to take a wave on the broadside and that can be done with the auxiliary outboard, if no engine then keep up a deep reefed mainsail. I don't like running with a storm as it means you will be longer in it so if possible it is best to push through against it.

 

[Hollyweirdos]

That is good advice. Keep it simple. I think I was a bit over confident and under prepared. Next time will be way smoother.

 

[walt]

Next time will be way smoother.

And miss out on those memorable moments of sheer terror in a small sailboat boat about to capsize? Or that did just capsize..

 

[CaptDon01]

Here's my small boat heavy weather technique.....drop the sails and motor. For this reason I never leave the slip without enough gas to get back regardless of what conditions might come up. Ant be prepared for whatever before you take off. There's no future in your sailing with a scared crew.

Don

 

[Joe11688]

I really have to agree with Don on this one. A good sailor should always avoid a storm that he thinks he may not be able to weather, and weather a storm he can't avoid.

I've always tried to have an alternative plan to switch to just in case my original plan fell short.

 

[Kestle]

That use of a drogue may have been me. Make sure you use lots of line. I put a snatch block o it so I can retrieve the drogue from the cockpit, as I'm usually out by myself.

It doesn't have to be fancy. I made one with a home depot bucket. The parachute ones are great fir bigger boats.

A drogue is THE WAY to rest in big wind, unless waves are short and steep. I'm in CA where rollers are more the norm.

Jeff

 

[Kestle]

Forgot to add, I use west marine mesh anchor line bags, clipped to stantions. Keeps the cockpit from getting crazy and makes it easy to rinse the line later.

Jeff

 

[Bill Roosa]

no matter how high the wind if you turn into it the jib will unload and you should be able to reduce sail.

 

[dscribner]

Depending on conditions and tack, I would have dropped one of the sails and possibly reefed the other. We have a roller furler that makes the jib easy. However, if you furl it too much, the shape of the leading edge is changed so dramatically that it adds no lift but tons of heeling pressure. If the weather would last all day, I'd motor sail with the main. BUT, before I did anything, I'd don my PDF and rig a tether. Another good thing to do is throw a few good sized loops in 30' of floating line and trail it off the stern. If you do go over, you'd probably have enough time to swim 5'-0 back towards the line and grab a loop. At any rate, it sounds like you tried valiantly to overcome the conditions, kept you head on your shoulders and improvised to success. Well done! Oh, and just chuck those tighty-whities. Not worth the Clorox needed!

 

[MrBill_FLL]

I think I would have dropped the main.

pompano marine flea mkt end of month... or harbor freight for cheap rain gear. I leave a set on the boat for guests or if I forget...

what doesn't kill you...

 

[CaptDon01]

When an unexpected storm comes up, sometimes it's more prudent to just drop the sails and motor. No need in taking chances, or freak'en out the crew.

Don

 

[Joe11688]

When an unexpected storm comes up, sometimes it's more prudent to just drop the sails and motor. No need in taking chances, or freak'en out the crew.

Don

I've done just that, many times. Just get the sails down and covered, batten down the hatches and get your rain gear on and motor. If you don't have enough time to cover your Main sail, just head right into the wind because a strong wind can rip your Main at the battens while it's tied to the boom. I know this first hand because it happened to me years ago out off of Bristol RI.

If you're at anchor in what you may think is a secure cove with knowledge of an impending storm, put out two anchors just in case the wind shifts and comes up hard 180 degrees from the bow anchor. I learned this one the hard way last summer. I'm glad that my centerboard and rudder blade was up when my boat's anchor slipped and the boat got blown quickly to shore. There was about 4' of water where I had anchored with good holding ground. I never figured on a wind change at the moment of gale force winds. Luckily nothing was damaged and I was able to use my outboard to back her right out of there after the storm subsided a little.

 

[Joe11688]

Hi! Sailing faster than the wind is the technique by which vehicles that are powered by sails advance over the surface on which they travel faster than the wind that powers them.

That theory can be applied to a Hobie Cat Archie but not on a mono hull heavy displacement wind boat.

 

[Hollyweirdos]

What?