SailNet Community banner
  • SailNet is a forum community dedicated to Sailing enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about sailing, modifications, classifieds, troubleshooting, repairs, reviews, maintenance, and more!

Heaving to

9K views 33 replies 21 participants last post by  Classic30 
#1 ·
The last two trips out in a Rhodes 19 I have tried to demonstrate heaving to. Both times I headed into the wind leaving the working sheet cleated. I waited until the boat had just about stopped and then finished the tack to backwind the jib. At this point, the tiller gets pointed toward the mainsail.

For a few cycles, the boat gets pushed down by the backwinded jib for about 30 degrees. Then the mainsail powers up and turns the boat back up. Jib pushes boat down, main turns boat up, etc.

Yet both times I have done this, the main eventually brings the boat so far up that it tacks and starts sailing again.

Am I doing something wrong, or is it simply due to shifting winds?
 
#9 ·
I was taught that the jib and rudder should be hard opposed to one another. The main is used to tweak the opposing balance. That will give the most stable heave-to, I believe, by having the two largest moment-arms in full opposition.
 
#10 ·
If you're out in conditions that warrant heaving to in a Rhodes 19, you should have stayed in port in the first place. Unless you feel like having a picnic lunch without having to anchor. In such a situation, you should be able to play around with the settings of your rudder & sails (as mentioned above) so you're comfortable and secure. If yours is a CB version, adjusting it in different ways will llkely also have an impact on your sail and rudder trim while hove-to. Keep a good lookout while hove-to -- you are still under way and subject to the rules of the road.
 
#12 ·
If you're out in conditions that warrant heaving to in a Rhodes 19, you should have stayed in port in the first place. Unless you feel like having a picnic lunch without having to anchor.
A. Good learning experience that can be applied to bigger boats.
B. Put in/shake out reef.
C. ^^Lunch
D. Teach sailors-in-training how to stop the boat and hold it roughly steady with the sails up in case the skipper falls out.
E. It's cool to show guests the sails working against themselves instead of together.
F. Switch roles in the boat when it's "crowded."
 
#11 ·
The main largely serves to affect the angle at which the boat sits to the wind...partially trimmed and you sit close, eased out and you sit broadly..except if the main is trimmed in close it is likely to overpower the jib and tack the boat (regardless of rudder angle).
 
#13 ·
Your boat is the same or similar to mine, a cb 19' mariner. I was out at Cape Lookout practicing heaving to. With the main up and no jib it did fine, the main was out pretty far with the tiller out pretty far also on the same side of the boat. This worked two different times, wind about 15. A couple of days later I tried it again with the jib up also and the boat wouldn't settle down. A good skill to have when single-handing like I was and you need a break to figure out where the deeper water is. Enjoy.
 
#16 ·
Not every yacht/boat will heave to. Is a Rhodes 19 a 19 footer.
If so, then you can play with rig/sail config much easier than a larger yacht.

The theory is that the jib is backed and will push you off the wind. The main and the rudder will round you up - therefore play with the power of the 2 sails to get the desired effect.

Older designs will heave to more readily than a more modern design.
 
#21 ·
heaving to and hoving to are completely different. As I recall (but i maybe mixing them up!) hoving to is an emergency heavy weather manoever with the idea that the boat is kept at an angle wrt to the on coming waves of about 45 degrees so that the boat maintains speed , rudder control and can roll over the waves. The other, heaving to, is a configuration in order that the boat can be left to sail itself by backing the jib and easing the main so the sailor can do other jobs. If you back the jib and ease the main in storm conditions very good luck to you. Just for further the confusion "bijdraaien' , in dutch is how the sails where traditionally set in good weather so the boat could be left to steer itself and bijleggen is what the dutch sailors did in storm conditions to keep the ship rolling over the waves at a angle.
 
#22 ·
I'm not familiar with the difference you mention (although I'm always happy to be re-educated). My perspective is that heaving to is the act of doing it, and hove to is the post-execution state. Heaving to, or being hove-to, is used to 'park' the boat (such as it can be with minimal forward or leeward progress) both during normal conditions (to take a break and/or reef a sail) and/or during heavier weather (to take a break and or calm the wave action).

Backing the jib and easing the mainsheet completely, while lashing the tiller seems to work well on a C22 swing keel.
 
#23 ·
not steal the thread, but i have tried back winding my working jib, luffing the main and putting tiller over hard to leeward. the boat stalls but then starts to make forward progress, however slight, the slick is always behind me. I have tried playing with rudder angle...and it only pics up speed the more i center the rudder. What could I be doing wrong.

BTW..Alberg 30...seems like it would heave rather easily.


thanks
 
#24 ·
not steal the thread, but i have tried back winding my working jib, luffing the main and putting tiller over hard to leeward. the boat stalls but then starts to make forward progress, however slight, the slick is always behind me. I have tried playing with rudder angle...and it only pics up speed the more i center the rudder. What could I be doing wrong.

BTW..Alberg 30...seems like it would heave rather easily.

thanks
Cruiser, it sounds to me like you are doing everything right: Keep the tiller to leeward.

Just remember that no boat will ever be completely stationary whilst hove-to but should be moving slowly ahead and to leeward (slight forward progress at an angle to the direction you're pointed).
 
#32 ·
I think the Pardeys' description of evaluating your boat's slick with paper towels, to avoid breaking waves in a major storm, making very little headway and very little leeway, includes the use of the bridled para anchor that they recommend for heaving to in storm or hurricane conditions. Until their para anchor is deployed, they make a bit of headway and leeway just like everyone else when hove to without the parachute.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top