[Rhodes22-list] Sailing with waves

[Andrew Collins]

Bill

That's how I steer my dinghy when I have to abandon the outboard steering
for whatever reason. Just shift the weight around. My kids think this is fun
and do it while I am steering.

Andrew



On Wed, Oct 8, 2008 at 6:14 PM, Bill Effros <bill at effros.com> wrote:

> Mike,
>
> Absolutely every time anybody moves it upsets the balance if you are
> sailing upright.
>
> One year I spent all my time playing with balance.
>
> On a nice day, balance the boat perfectly.  Take the rudder out of the
> water.  Lash everything in place.  Steer the boat by shifting your
> weight around.  The boat will go in the direction opposite.  Stand in
> the middle to go straight.
>
> You can do everything short of coming about.  Jibe to change tacks.
>
> I have sailed back and forth from Greenwich to Long Island this way with
> no rudder in the water until I got back to my mooring--it's a lot of fun.
>
> Bill Effros
>
>
>
> Michael D. Weisner wrote:
> > Bill,
> >
> > When you single-hand (sailing that is), don't you find that the "balance"
> is
> > upset when you move about?  It seems that no matter how carefully I set
> the
> > sails, hove to or otherwise, as soon as I move, the whole balance
> changes.
> > Walking forward into the cabin, even on the centerline of the boat,
> changes
> > the heading, although not nearly as much as happens when rummaging around
> in
> > the v-berth or going forward to check a line or something.  I weigh about
> > 200 lbs and cannot move about without altering the "balance."  What is
> your
> > secret?
> >
> > Mike
> > s/v Shanghai'd Summer ('81)
> > Nissequogue River, NY
> >
> > From: "Bill Effros" <bill at effros.com>Sent: Wednesday, October 08, 2008
> 5:30
> > PM
> >
> >> Mary Lou,
> >>
> >> I do have the 175, and I heave to whenever there is any wind at all and
> >> I need to do something.
> >>
> >> Usually that "something" is going to the head when I'm single handing,
> >> although I will heave to with people aboard if things are chaotic and I
> >> want to calm something down.  Sometimes I heave to because it is just
> >> the most peaceful way to sail, and with all kinds of deep water
> >> available, I will heave to for hours, waving off friendlies who stop by
> >> to see if I'm in trouble.
> >>
> >> The easiest way to do it (so this is naturally the way I do it most
> >> often) is to come about and not release the jib.
> >>
> >> If you leave the rudder pointed in this direction, you will do a 360 and
> >> continue on the same tack you started.
> >>
> >> So, after the boom crosses over, you turn the rudder the other way.
> >>
> >> Then you play with the rudder, pointing more or less into the wind,
> >> until the boat gets to where you like the way it feels.  A calm will
> >> settle over the boat, the wind will feel like it has lessened, the boat
> >> will ride on the waves or tide or current without fighting it.
> >>
> >> The wind's power will push the boat sideways, faster or slower depending
> >> on how high you decide to point into the wind.
> >>
> >> Then you lash the tiller in place, and you can forget about it until you
> >> see obstacles approaching on your leeward side.  (I use dock line and
> >> both aft cleats to lash my tiller -- easy to do -- everything right at
> >> hand -- the tiller won't move an inch once lashed in place.  The boat
> >> will slowly travel in the direction set until you are ready to release
> >> the jib, or come about and take off.
> >>
> >> I can do it with any amount of sail -- it's just a matter of
> >> establishing a balance.  Most of the time I don't change the main sail,
> >> and just set the sheets so as much wind spills off as I choose.  Since I
> >> am usually going to the head, and I have a hatch, and I'm a stand-up
> >> kind of guy, I reduce the jib so that it doesn't smack me in the face at
> >> a time when my hands are otherwise occupied.
> >>
> >> Under small craft advisory conditions I already have handkerchief sized
> >> sails, and with that much wind, that's all you need.  I try not to reset
> >> anything once I'm underway in these conditions.
> >>
> >> The great thing about heaving to is that everything gets so calm.  You
> >> have all the time in the world to experiment, and you won't get hurt.
> >> Roll in the Jib, roll out the main, turn the rudder this way then that,
> >> watch the water...at some point you realize you're doing it!  There is
> >> nothing to it, and there is the thrill of learning to sail in a very
> >> different way.
> >>
> >> It's useful.  It's safe.  It's easy.  It works in every wind condition.
> >>
> >> Bill
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> Mary Lou Troy wrote:
> >>
> >>> Bill,
> >>> What size jib when you heave to in those conditions. You have a 175
> >>> right?
> >>>
> >>> We've never been successful getting the boat to heave to but we
> >>> haven't practised much and we may not have tried it in enough wind.
> >>> Do you find you can heave to in winds less than 10 knots?
> >>>
> >>> Thanks,
> >>> Mary Lou
> >>>
> >>> At 12:33 AM 10/8/2008, you wrote:
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>> Andrew,
> >>>>
> >>>> I've sailed in the same place under the same conditions.
> >>>>
> >>>> I find I can control the boat up into 20-25 mph wind conditions.
> >>>>
> >>>> I sail with far less than 50% of both sails, and can maintain
> sustained
> >>>> over ground speeds between 7 and 11 kts--exceeding theoretical hull
> >>>> speed by planing on the waves.  I try not to heel at all, and roll up
> my
> >>>> 175 to storm sail size--tiny just for balance.
> >>>>
> >>>> The main drives the boat, and I set it at any size that will not cause
> >>>> heeling.
> >>>> It is almost impossible to come about under these conditions factoring
> >>>> in the waves.  I always jibe...carefully, with a very small main, and
> >>>> just a small "pop" when I change tacks.  I generally sail with the
> boom
> >>>> up so I don't have to worry about getting killed by a small mistake.
>  My
> >>>> main is so small, the higher boom does not create heeling.
> >>>>
> >>>> Heaving to under these conditions is a kick, and definitely what I
> would
> >>>> do if I found myself in a storm not on purpose. If you didn't try it
> >>>> when you were out there, you should next time.  You bob like a cork in
> >>>> complete calm.  I had lunch, then released the jib in such a way that
> I
> >>>> headed on the opposite tack and came home.
> >>>>
> >>>> Bill Effros
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> Andrew Collins wrote:
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>> Question for blue water and Great Lakes (maybe) sailors:
> >>>>>
> >>>>> The day before Hanna, the one before Ike, was due to roll in, I took
> a
> >>>>> sail
> >>>>> to try the boat out in unusual conditions. The wind was steady out of
> >>>>> the
> >>>>> east at about 15-20 mph with rolling 5-6' swells 20' apart once
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>> out of port.
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>> On LI Sound waves are uncommon, as it is usually only choppy. So
> going
> >>>>> out
> >>>>> the tack was port on a reach and crossing the swells at less than 90
> >>>>> deg.
> >>>>> This was sailing into, up and over the swells, which was
> controllable,
> >>>>> the
> >>>>> sails reefed to 50% area. Boom down, life jacket on, pulse up. The
> boat
> >>>>> behaved well. Upon approaching Payee Reach which gets more air
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>> and having to
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>> cross a more shallow area the swells got larger as the bottom pushed
> >>>>> them
> >>>>> up. So this got a little too exciting sooo, it was time to tack and
> >>>>> turn
> >>>>> back. The wind was too stiff and the the swells enough so she
> wouldn't
> >>>>> come
> >>>>> around, and I fell off to the former port tack.
> >>>>>
> >>>>> Keeping a weather eye on the swells a quick jibe got me on a
> starboard
> >>>>> tack
> >>>>> headed back towards port. So now we are sailing across and with
> 'down'
> >>>>> the
> >>>>> swells, where before we were sailing 'up'. The boat is heeling to
> port
> >>>>> and
> >>>>> when sailing down, the heeling is being accentuated by going downhill
> >>>>> on an
> >>>>> angle across the swell, a new experience. This I did not like, so
> >>>>> whenever
> >>>>> the boat started to head down a wave I fell off to brad reach and
> >>>>> headed
> >>>>> straighter down the wave (closer to the fall line) and headed up
> again,
> >>>>> describing a zig-zag course. This I liked as there was a bit of
> surfing
> >>>>> involved. Having had my fun I headed home, where the first mate
> >>>>> observed
> >>>>> that I looked a mite piqued.
> >>>>>
> >>>>> What have other R22 sailors done in these circumstances, besides
> >>>>> avoiding
> >>>>> them? In how much wind are you able to tack? My boat will tack up to
> >>>>> about
> >>>>> 20 mph, depending on the seas.
> >>>>>
> >>>>> Andrew
> >>>>> s/v Carmen
> >>>>> __________________________________________________
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> >>>>>
> >>>>>
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> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>> __________________________________________________
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
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> >>>
> >>>
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