Quote:
Originally Posted by mwrohde
Alex -
Thanks for that video. It's the best description of heaving to that I've seen. I've got a few follow up questions.
In your video it appears that you have the head sail sheeted quite tightly. Is that coincidence due the sailing conditions the day you shot the video, or is that the typical sheeting of the jib when heaving to?
You didn't discuss the main much, but my interpretation is that you leave it trimmed as well. Is that correct? I've typically been releasing my main, which may be the reason for my last question.
Ideally, when hove to, where is the wind coming from? My boat seems to turn a long way away from the wind. She stands up nice and becomes quite steady, but she tends to drift into and away from the wind a bit with the general wind direction from the beam to a little aft of beam.
Thanks again,
Matt
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Matt, thank you for the comment, and happy you liked my video. Makes my day believe mee.
(Now get ready for a long one, you should know better not to ask questions about sailing to me).
Matt, each boat is different, and each particular sea and wind conditions will dictate where all the sail settings "land" in the end.
I (on purpose because of time, and because the videos are to introduce the "basics of" to new comers) did not include in the video a section on how to trim after you get into it, because it really is only possible by each one's personal experimentation in own boat, as all boats are different, and the "right" settings have to be found by you.
The video was made to show how it’s done, why it works and as a first step to getting people into hove to. The "trimming" then is up to each person to find, by doing it. Basically...here...this is how its done, now piss off and go try it on your own..
almost...
None the less, I believe that with the explanation done of the principle of operation in the video, one can understand the effects the Main and Genoa have in the “heading maintaining” abilities and capabilities of the boat. (wetaherhelm and leehelm).
However, and since the rudder is 99% of the cases, fully deflected and locked (for wheel steering), and/or tied down (for tiller steering), with that in mind, only 2 items have to be manipulated by you. Genoa and main; And their positioning will dictate where you boat sits in relation to the wind direction. With this, I mean that your apparent wind angle changes ( I believe within 20º), with wind speed, and with Genoa/main trim and settings, with some influence of currents and sea conditions.
So basically the wind when hove to can vary anywhere from 50º to 90º of the bow, depends as I mentioned above.
If the main is exerting more influence on the boat, (more draft, less outhaul, no backstay, and boom jack sheeted in, all affecting draft, increasing it) more main sheet tension, moves the center of effort aft, in relation to the CofLR, (which is obviously fixed unless you have a moving keel), and the angle between boat bow and wind decreases.
If on the other hand you increase draft in your Genoa, my releasing some sheet tension, or my moving the Genoa traveler forward or reducing Genoa halyard tension, the Genoa becomes “more efficient”, at picking up wind, the CofE travels forward and the bow goes down to leeward with the wind.
Here is a way to demonstrate this: Pick up a piece of wood, hold it with two fingers in the middle, like a caliper, call one of the ends the bow, the other the stern. Move the fingers aft, that is simulating the CofE moving aft, the bow descends, right? Do the opposite and the bow raises. Now instead of fingers imagine the CofE, and instead of gravity imagine wind. Simple, huh?
Also an important note I would like to attract your attention to, is how it is done in
my boat, a less than "normal" boat, compared to other "more forgiving" boats, and how it is done in your boat. Your boat, probably has a different keel and different rig and smaller sail plan Vs keel area ratio, with completely different centers of effort (CofE), and above all different center of lateral resistance (CofLR)..so really looking at my boat and how I set my sails may be a "bad" example, as you probably can't maintain hove to if you try to "replicate" my sail settings.
In my case, with a very high aspect ratio fin keel, a large spade rudder, and an enormous sail plan, it is slightly harder to maintain steady hove to, but absolutely possible to do, as you can see, unlike many “hard core traditionalists believe, (but I don’t really care about them anyway), but off course, like everything, it just takes some skill and a properly balanced boat, so my settings differ from yours, and from everyone’s else.
Also although I have a smaller Genoa (115 to 120%), it is a very efficient sail, and therefore need to have it sheeted in to remove draft and reduce its influence it turning the bow with the wind. My main, to counteract that effect and help in the heading maintaining, needs to be less trimmed, but with as much draft as possible.
For the video, as you can see I was sailing alone, filming and steering at the same time, so I started from a heading to apparent that would give me a good hove to with out having me to leave the wheel. That’s why.
My head sail was in fact sheeted in, not fully, but quite sheeted in. I started the filming while beating into the wind at around 30 to 35º.
I then hove to by simply turning the wheel. I did it that way for the demonstration. If you look carefully, my main is not fully sheeted in, and you can actually see my boom gybe when I showed the heave to by gibing.
I hope I have answered your question, which basically boils down to, try it in different settings, play with it, and having what I explained above, go on ypur boat and try to change the CofE while hove to.
Thank you
Alex