[Rhodes22-list] Sailing with waves

Thu Oct 9 17:29:19 EDT 2008

Leland,

Please note that this is a DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME STUNT!  If you are going 
to attempt this, PLEASE DO NOT ATTEMPT IT WHILE SINGLEHANDING - have another 
sailor on board who needs to practice MOB drills.

Mike
s/v Shanghai'd Summer ('81)
Nissequogue River, NY

From: "KUHN, LELAND" <LKUHN at cnmc.org>Sent: Thursday, October 09, 2008 5:03 
PM
> Wally,
>
> I like that stupid trick!  I'm thinking that the drag from a body will
> easily turn the boat.  I may need to wait until the water warms up again
> to give it a try.
>
> Thanks!
>
> Lee
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: TN Rhodey [mailto:tnrhodey at gmail.com]
> Sent: Thursday, October 09, 2008 9:28 AM
> To: The Rhodes 22 Email List
> Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Sailing with waves
>
> When I want to move around and go forward .....   Keep in mind what you
> want
> to do while away from tiller and what side of the boat your weight will
> on.
> Trim accordingly. I secure tiller and trim sails with a little extra
> weather
> or lee helm. If you keep your weight on opposite side you can balance
> out.
>
> I learned lots of stupid sailing tricks as a kid. One can set sails and
> tiller, secure a line to aft cleat, and while holding (tightly) bitter
> end
> of line jump into the water!  Pulling on the line left or right will
> make
> slight adjustments to course. You can actually sail your R22 with no-one
> aboard while being dragged behind. I thought this was much safer than
> past
> activities like slalom water skiing while drinking a beer. :-)
>
> Note - make sure your swim ladder is down or can be lowered easily from
> water. This is very stupid and unsafe. I don't suggest anyone try this.
>
> Fair Winds,
>
> Wally
> On Thu, Oct 9, 2008 at 8:56 AM, KUHN, LELAND <LKUHN at cnmc.org> wrote:
>
>> Mike,
>>
>> You got that right.  Sailing the Rhodes is like surfing on a giant
>> longboard.  I haven't noticed much of a difference moving forward but
> it
>> makes sense that it affects the balance a little.
>>
>> The more opposing pressure you have above and below the water, the
> less
>> effect your weight will have on the balance, but you'll probably still
>> be able to turn the boat by shifting your weight.  Moving 200 lbs.
> from
>> one side to the other is a 400 lb. shift on a boat with only a 700 lb.
>> keel.
>>
>> Lee
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Michael D. Weisner [mailto:mweisner at ebsmed.com]
>> Sent: Wednesday, October 08, 2008 5:38 PM
>> To: The Rhodes 22 Email List
>> Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Sailing with waves
>>
>> 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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