SailNet Community - View Single Post - Heaving to downwind...anyone?
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Old 06-05-2009
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Valiente Valiente is offline
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This isn't heaving to. It's self-steering. Technically, I think it's problematic that you are underway while sleeping. You would be doing better to heave-to to windward in the normal fashion, if only to lessen the impact of hitting something while you were unable to keep a watch.

I would avoid this in any kind of coastal night sailing, personally. The odds are significant, in my view, that a wind or current shift could either send you someplace you didn't want to go, or into fishermen, other sailors, etc.

You wouldn't "have a nap" driving a car, would you?
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