Stop The Boat

[Don Guillette]

A Tucson sailor told me yesterday everyone seems to fixate on keeping the boat going forward but there is not much talk about how to stop the boat say to pick up a hat, a mooring or running into someone.

I told him every skipper should be able to stop his boat within 6' to windward of any target and be in complete control of the boat. He told me it can't be done. Well, he's wrong and it is because he is doing it the wrong way.

How would you do it??

Coming head to wind, the Tucsons sailors method, is not correct. The reason being is that unless he hits the target dead on, which is very difficult, he'll stop but will be short and have no control of the boat and will start moving backwards.

There is a better way to stop where the skipper has complete control of the boat. WHAT IS IT?

 

[Bill Roosa]

I'll bite

With the boat stopped there should be no water flowing over the rudder so I'd have to agree that the boat will be out of my control until I get some way on and water flowing over the rudder.
Perhaps I'm not understanding your question.
Course you could have the iron spinnaker hoisted.

 

[Marc Bergmueller]

Heave to.

 

[Anchor Down]

Some Clarification, Please

If only TucsonSailor had mastered his outhaul technique… just kidding.


Don, it's impossible to be six feet to windward of the target and be dead on the target at the same time. Which "target" is the target here? How can he be short of it if he's six feet to windward of it?

And once you do that, will you please explain why one will of necessity be short by making the slightest error with a head-to-wind technique. Seems to me one could err long just as easily.

I know it's clear in your mind, but it's not in mine.

What conditions will obtain at the end of a successful maneuver?

 

[Benny]

Heave to.

 

[Alan]

Where's the 'brakes?'

tsk tsk tsk, you guys. :naughty: Sooooo there is something good to be said about us 'racers' after all. We match race a fleet of Swedish Match 40's every week on Tuesdays and Fridays. Match racing, unlike PHRF racing, allows you to 'hunt' your opponent (same as Americas Cup). Many times we will drive the boat head to wind and back the main to stop the boat very quickly. The jib is then used to keep the boat hanging head to wind and stationary. All the time under complete control and able to break away on either tack in a split second.

If you want easy for mom & pop, just heave to.

If your spinnaker is up you just do a 'quick stop' figure eight, although this will take more than six feet.

 

[Don Guillette]

That was too easy!! I'm working on another topic that may not be so easy.

For some of the lurkers who might not have known the answer, here's a little background.

To stop the boat you want to position it so the wind can't possibly fill the sail (sounds like head to wind but wait a minute) and the easiest way is to ease the sails out as far as possible when the boat is on a close reach. The key to stopping to pick up a hat or cushion is to always approach on a close reach because on that point of sail the boat can sail both fast and be stopped quickly. In addition, if you are short you can simply trim the sails to pick up speed because the sails are are merely luffed. You have control of the boat as opposed to a head to wind situation where your only choice when short is get the boat turned away from the wind to start sailing again. You then have to come up on the target again until you stop EXACTLY where you want.

As always this is just my opinion about a system that works for me. I'll never convince the head to wind group (the Tucson sailor called me last night to explain why he likes his system) and I don't really try to. Skipper must use what they are most comfortable with - if it works for them then they should just go for it.

 

[Scott B]

Don, what is the advantage of releasing the sails intsead of heave-to where you don't have the sails flailing while you're trying to deal with a MOB or your hat.

 

[Warren Milberg]

My 2 cents on heaving-to: on every boat that I've done it, the boat will "fore-reach," that is, keep heading up and falling off as the backed headsail and rudder counter-balance one another. The boat will not come to a complete stop.

 

[Stu Jackson]

One size does NOT fit all

Don's right. Here are what I see as the options

1. Heave to
2. Head to wind
3. Don's close reach
4. Release sails

Seems 3 & 4 may not be the same thing. #1 has two options main sail or jib and main. You can start with both and furl the jib.

We have successfully picked up man overboard hats any number of times with both jib & main up hove to. Whether I'd use the relative speed for a MAN overboard is doubtful, but we could furl the jib and slow way down.

The close reach I feel is too bloody fast, but one could luff up, but then once stalled, when you fall off you take off like a bat outta hell. I think it's dangerous. And anytime you release sails, OR even luff up, it's so bloody NOISY as to scare even the most hardened skipper. I truly HATE that sound.

But them's the options.

Anyone have any others (no motors allowed)?

This seems to be just a tad different than how to retrieve a MOB, but when you think about it, it almost begs to be exactly the same. I can stop a boat anywhere. The larger question is how do I CONTROL the boat afterward, which is so crucial to MOB situations. Or POB for those of you who choose to be pc.

 

[CharlieCobra]

I've pinched up tight and basically parked waiting for ships to clear my path in 15+ with minimum flogging. It depends much on the boat too.

 

[Don Guillette]

Scott B: Stu is reading my mind!! I had composed a message but got sidetracked by my wife with a chore and when I got back to the sail trim forum Stu had stole my thunder.

Releasing the sails in a head to wind situation and having them flailing all over the place is distracting but more importantly in that scene you’ve lost CONTROL of the boat and it is going to go where it feels like going. Picking up a hat is one thing but a MOB is a whole different ball game but the approach is basically the same. In the MOB situation there is no fooling around and you have to be able to MAINTAIN CONTROL of the boat and have the ability to move it ahead and get it to go where you want.

I don’t want to get into a MOB discussion on this thread but the following has to do with the next thread I’ll be putting out and that is there are certain things that happen on a sail boat where there is no time to ponder or have a meeting with the crew to discuss what to do and the MOB is one of them. With the MOB you have to react instantly and instinctively with the program you like. How may of us take the time to practice a MOB? Not very many.

This is a good discussion as control is big part of sailing. Any other ideas?

 

[Stu Jackson]

Not reading minds, Don, it's simple basic REALITY. There are only so many options to choose from. Good thread. Thanks.

 

[Bob V]

combination approach

we take the opportunity to practice every time something is dropped overboard. I have even picked up hats dropped off of other boats that we are sailing with.

This works on any point of sail with minor modifications. Let's say we were heading upwind close-hauled. First thing is to mention to the crew that in a real man-overboard this is when you toss the life-sling over the stern. Then you fall off and get down wind of the MOB. From that position you approach a point just upwind of the MOB while controlling your speed by easing the sheets if required.

If this were a real MOB, I would pass on the upwind side to avoid driving over the lifesling line and heave to just upwind. If it's a hat and no line is in the water I pass downwind while slowing the boat and heave to directly upwind of the hat. Then the boat will drift towards the hat. I would not try to get that close to a MOB for fear of hitting them with the boat.