[Rhodes22-list] What Should I Have Done Differently?
Herb Parsons
hparsons at parsonsys.com
Wed Feb 20 12:11:05 EST 2008
For anyone who didn't have the "light bulb go on", here are two very
good links on the subject. The first is a video, and second is a more
detailed description of the procedure, and what it does (really geared
to open water sailing). On the second link, you have to scroll about 2/3
the way down for the specifics on heaving-to.
One interesting side note on heaving-to under heavy weather conditions -
and please note, this is just what I was told, I've not had the
opporunity to try this in a storm. Supposedly, heaving-to in a storm not
only gives you a break from sailing the weather, it also is calms the
waves hitting the boat. The theory is that because a hove-to boat is
actually going downwind "sideways", the waterflow under the hull lessens
the impact of the waves on the windward side of the hull.
I waited two years before I actually tried heaving-to because I 1)
didn't believe it would work and 2) figured if it DID work, every sailor
I knew would know how to do it (only one that knew actually did). It was
when I saw the video below that I finally believed it would actually
work. I've made up my mind that the next time a decent storm blows
through, even if I'm just on the lake, I'm going to test out the
"calming the waters" idea.
http://www.videos.sailingcourse.com/heaving_to_wmv1.htm
http://www.boats.com/news-reviews/articledetail.html?lid=1284
Caesar Paul wrote:
> Jack,
>
> I felt the same way about Slim's explanation of the "heave to" procedure.
> The light bulb did go on Slim, thats an accomplishment.
>
> Caesar
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----
> From: Jack Chirch <jchirch at hughes.net>
> To: The Rhodes 22 mail list <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
> Sent: Tuesday, February 19, 2008 4:31:58 PM
> Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] What Should I Have Done Differently?
>
> Slim -
>
> Thanks for the clear explanation. I've passed a couple of dinghy sailing
> courses, and spent a few days on friends' boats--even sailed my Rhodes once,
> and had a vague idea how to accomplish this, but your step-through makes it
> much clearer. Think I may paste it under the bill of my cap!
>
> Jack
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org
> [mailto:rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org] On Behalf Of Steven Alm
> Sent: Tuesday, February 19, 2008 4:37 AM
> To: The Rhodes 22 mail list
> Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] What Should I Have Done Differently?
>
> Jack,
>
> Re heaving to: It's considered one of the points of sail even though the
> idea is to stop sailing and drift, but without dropping your sails and
> without the chaos of luffing. It's very easy to do and I use it all the
> time whenever I need to use the head or go below for any reason like making
> a snack, making a repair or just taking a break. And in context of this
> thread, it's a great way to make changes in your sail plan--especially if
> your single-handing.
>
> Get yourself on a close reach and then plan to come about. Come about
> through the wind like usual but don't let the jib sheet go after you come
> about. Let the main tack across like usual. Now ease the main sheet and
> ease the jib sheet some but don't release it. This is called "back-winding
> the main." So now your jib is full and very baggy and your main is luffing
> a little for a moment then stops. You put the helm to the lee. In other
> words the tiller and the boom are approximately perpendicular. Lock the
> tiller in place and now you are hands free. The boat will yaw back and
> forth some but mostly beam to the wind and slowly drifting downwind.
> Centerboard down will slow the drift.
>
> To reef in the jib, you first ease out its (windward) sheet and then take in
> the reefing line. If you need to reef in the main, you should heave to on a
> port tack so the boom is off to starboard. To get going all you have to do
> is release the windward sheet and take it in on the other side just like
> completing your tack. Adjust both sheets as desired and you're under way
> immediately.
>
> About those four horn cleats on the boom; I always tie the inhaul line on
> the first cleat, most forward and the outhaul line on the second cleat.
> That way both lines are close together and I don't have to lean way out to
> get to the out haul and have the same problem with that as Mark describes.
> The slack tails of those two lines are easily dealt with in many ways. Get
> creative.
>
> Heaving to is also how I reroute my jib sheets to the inboard position
> should I need to do that. First, heave to in the way described above. Once
> you're hoven (hiven? heaved? Having hove?) reroute the lee sheet (the slack
> one.) Now cut loose the windward sheet and get under way. Pick up a little
> speed and tack across and heave to on the other side and reroute the other
> sheet. With some practice, this double heave to is sort of like ballet or
> skiing royal christies.
>
> Heaving to is also one of the tactics of storm survival but since I'm a lake
> sailor, that'd put me up on the lee shore in no time. Best git on home.
>
> Slim
>
>
>
> On Feb 18, 2008 11:49 PM, David Bradley <dwbrad at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
>> Mark, you've probably gotten your fill of advice by now. One thing I
>> would add... once I'm clear of my slip I disconnect the steering
>> mechanism from tiller to motor while still motoring. Does your
>> outboard have a pin to lock it in position? The tiller will be 300%
>> lighter in your hand, and you can then unfurl the sails, kill the
>> motor and be underway, raising the motor when you're ready. I use the
>> steering mechanism only when I'm in a tight area.
>>
>> Dave
>>
>>
>> On Feb 18, 2008 12:55 PM, <mputnam1 at aol.com> wrote:
>>
>>> Hello everyone,
>>>
>>> I am hoping you can help me learn from my sailing experience today.
>>> I
>>>
>> know I must have done some things wrong, but maybe I did a few things
>> right because I was able to get back to the harbor safely in the end.
>> Let me describe what happened and then ask a few questions. And let
>> me apologize in advance for not getting all my nautical terms right …
>> I'll do the best I can.
>>
>>> My R-22 is kept at the Washington Sailing Marina on the Potomac
>>> River,
>>>
>> just across the river from DC. The weather this morning was
>> unseasonably warm with winds in the 15-20 knot range with gusts up to
>> 29, according to the coast guard weather report. I knew a cold front
>> was approaching and that it would get windier as the day went on, but
>> it was around 11am and while I was a little uncertain about going out,
>> it was one of those rare weekdays when my lack of work intersected
>> with wind on the water. So I decided to try and see if I could handle
>> it and learn something at the same time. I had thought I'd read
>> enough on this group about how to handle the boat in windier
>> conditions – I wanted to put some of that knowledge to the test.
>>
>>> I was single-handing the boat and motored out of the marina and down
>>> the
>>>
>> Potomac to where I usually head for the center of the river before
>> killing the engine, hauling it up and unfurling the main. Before I
>> killed the engine, I noted that the water was choppy, but there were
>> no white caps. I resolved to myself that if I began to see white
>> caps, I'd head home. I pointed into the wind, killed the engine,
>> hauled the engine up and only let out a little less than half of the
>> main (having read so many posts on this group about being conservative
>> in windier weather) and it almost immediately got out of my control.
>>
>>>
>>> The boat swerved into a beam reach and began tipping over, so I let
>>> out
>>>
>> the main sheet to try and keep the mainsail from tipping me over.
>> Right then I noticed that white caps had appeared (great timing on my
>> part). The clew and the foot of the main sail was thrashing around,
>> with a good amount of airspace between the clew and the boom.
>>
>>>
>>> As an aside, I've never quite understood what is supposed to keep
>>> the
>>>
>> foot of the sail close to the boom besides just securing the sheet.
>> In these stronger winds, the main was actively pulling away from the
>> boom. Am I perhaps missing some key component to keep the bottom/foot
>> of the main sail in tighter proximity to the boom?
>>
>>>
>>> Because I had let out the main sheet to try and control the heeling,
>>> I
>>>
>> could not reach the line to furl the mainsail back into the mast. The
>> line was out over the water. So I was having to try and pull the boom
>> back into the cockpit to get a grip on the furling sheet … which, of
>> course, led to more heeling. And when I pulled on the line to furl
>> the main, it wouldn't furl.
>>
>>>
>>> And, most disturbingly, with so much wind filling the small amount
>>> of
>>>
>> the main that was out, I just couldn't furl the sail. It wouldn't
>> budge. I also noticed that more of the main seemed to be inching out.
>> I thought I had secured the main so it wouldn't further unfurl, but I
>> don't remember if I had and I don't remember checking it in all the
>> hullabaloo. It never fully unfurled, thank goodness, so maybe I had
>>
> secured it to some degree.
>
>>>
>>> Anyway, every time I tried to point the boat into the wind, it
>>> didn't
>>>
>> help give me more slack to furl the main. It was noisy as hell, of
>> course, which I expected. But I didn't get the slackness necessary to
>> furl the main. And the boat didn't want to stay pointed into the
>> wind, which I found a little surprising. I thought sailboats, when
>> pointed into the wind, stayed there. But I guess I learned otherwise
>>
> today!
>
>>>
>>> I eventually put the motor back in the water, cranked it up and
>>> powered
>>>
>> into the wind. The swells had increased to the point that the engine
>> was coming up out of the water on every swell, but at least I was
>> seeming to make progress. I then somehow pulled hard enough on the
>> furling line to be able to furl the main. I don't know how I did it,
>> but I did. At this point, I noticed that my tiller to engine linkage
>> was not working. The 8hp Mercury motor I have only has one latch to
>> hold the cowling onto the engine and it was failing with the severe
>> pressure on the cowling, and the cowling was being ripped off the
>> engine. I had to use the engine tiller to point the motor. I tried
>> to disengage the linkage, but in the frenzy of the moment, I wasn't
>> able to do that. So I just continued steering by using both the boat's
>>
> tiller and the engine's tiller.
>
>>>
>>> I eventually made it closer to the shore where the wind wasn't as
>>>
>> severe, and was able to disengage the tiller linkage and made it back
>> to the dock.
>>
>>>
>>> So here are my questions:
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> 1) First, the most basic question -- whenever I go out on 5 knot
>>> days, I
>>>
>> make little progress on the water. And if 15-20 knot days are too
>> much, it seems a narrow window indeed that I am able to sail in. Is this
>>
> the case?
>
>> Is the R-22 a boat that should only go out in 10-12 knot winds in
>> order to best enjoy it?
>>
>>>
>>> 2) What should I have done differently when the half unfurled main
>>>
>> immediately got out of my control? Should I have steered the boat
>>
> DOWNwind?
>
>> Would it have been easier to furl the main if I had done that? Or is
>> steering the boat INTO the wind and the chop the right thing to do?
>>
>>>
>>> 3) Is there something I should be doing differently so that the clew
>>> of
>>>
>> the mainsail doesn't get pulled so far away from the boom in windy
>>
> weather?
>
>> It seemed very loose and uncontrollable. This was one of the two
>> most disconcerting parts of the experience (the other being the
>> inability to furl the main).
>>
>>>
>>> 4) In a worst case scenario where I can't furl the main (especially
>>> if
>>>
>> it's fully unfurled) in strong winds, should I just try to motor to
>> shore with the main flapping away and catching wind? I didn't know in
>> the situation I was in if the imperative is to a) try and furl the
>> main first or
>> b) to just get myself out of the windy area of the river even if it
>> means motoring with the main unfurled. I was afraid that if I tried
>> to do option b, that the boat could tip over if I was going in a
>> direction that was putting the main into a position to be able to tip
>> the boat. In retrospect, I'm now thinking that it's possible to motor
>> with the main unfurled, as long as the main sheet is fully out and
>> allowing the main to go wherever it wants to go.
>>
>>>
>>> 5) Has anyone else with the tiller/engine linkage had a similar
>>> problem
>>>
>> in strong wind situations? The cowling only has the one latch on the
>> back of the engine (furthest astern) and this one latch was clearly a
>> weak point in situations of stress on the linkage. If I'm going to be
>> relying on this linkage in bad weather conditions, do any of you have
>> any advice on where and how I can get more latches put on my cowling?
>> OR should I not attempt to use the linkage in stronger winds?
>>
>>>
>>> 6) What should be the role of the motor in these situations? Is it
>>> the
>>>
>> first thing to engage to get the boat pointed in a particular
>> direction? Or is it the last thing to resort to? Should I be able to
>> furl the main without using the engine?
>>
>>>
>>> I have to tell you, it was very disconcerting to have trouble
>>> furling
>>>
>> the mainsail. I have loved the innermast furling main up until this
>> point … but pulling with all my might on the line was doing nothing.
>> It just refused to budge. I still don't know quite how I was able to
>> get it finally furled. It must have had something to do with engaging
>> the motor in the process, but I don't know for sure.
>>
>>>
>>> For anyone out there who is reading this and considering purchasing
>>> the
>>>
>> R-22, please know that I think this is a marvelous boat. The
>> inner-furling mast is something that I've been very happy with up
>> until today and perhaps it's all a function of this being too much
>> wind for the boat. Or too much wind for me, a relatively inexperienced
>>
> sailor.
>
>>>
>>> I don't know for sure the best way to learn how to sail in weather
>>> like
>>>
>> this … especially if I feel I have to go back to the dock as soon as
>> there are white caps. Maybe there is someone out there who is
>> experienced in this sort of weather AND knows the R-22 who can tutor
>> me on-board in just this sort of weather, but finding that person
>> would not be easy. But I am ready for any and all suggestions.
>>
>>>
>>> Thanks for reading this very long email and I look forward to any
>>> and
>>>
>> all advice … including "stay the hell out of 20 knot wind weather."
>> Maybe that's the root of the problem, but it seems easy to imagine
>> that going out in a 10 knot day could easily turn into a 20 knot day
>> with gusts in no time at all.
>>
>>>
>>> Thanks everyone,
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> - Mark P.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> ____________________________________________________________________
>>> ____ More new features than ever. Check out the new AOL Mail ! -
>>>
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>>
>>> __________________________________________________
>>> Use Rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org, Help? www.rhodes22.org/list
>>>
>>
>> --
>> David Bradley
>> +1.206.234.3977
>> dwbrad at gmail.com
>> __________________________________________________
>> Use Rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org, Help? www.rhodes22.org/list
>>
>>
> __________________________________________________
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--
Herb Parsons
S/V O'Jure - O'Day 25
S/V Reve de Pappa - Coronado 35
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