Holy Bleeeeeeepppp!!!!

[severnmd]

Well, I got my first good shot of adrenaline this morning. Went out for a 0700 sail...wind was good!!! ( Ideal 18 Keel Boat is my ship right now )

Well, I shove off and instantly have a good tail wind so I am happy...Get out of my little protected area and this is where it gets "fun".....(note - these boats are designed not to capsize )

So, I get out to the main body of water and basically, I get stuck doing a 360 all over the place. No matter what maneuver I try to make, I begin to seriously HEEL!!! And I mean, I was heeling to the point where I was wondering if my last will and testament was up to date or needed any modifications!!!

I didn't panic because I know these boats aren't SUPPOSED to capsize, but I didn't want to test the limits. I seriously don't even know what I did to get back on track . It seemed if I let my sail out, I heeled more....if I brought the main in, I was heeling. I would basically steer toward the heeling until the boat righted itself a bit.

I was FINALLY able to get my boat pointed up wind and I tried to just close haul it for a minute so I could change my pants. I eventually got back to the pier and, if I might say so myself, made a pretty good landing....even with about 2 gallons of adrenaline coursing through my veins!!!

So, when heeling, turn toward the heel or away? I could definitely be mis-remembering what I did this morning....! In larger boats is this more or less of an issue?

All in all, I am still on my adrenaline high and don't look forward to the inevitable crash....no pun intended.

Hope you all have a good day. I will do some more reading and get some more practice and see what happens in the future!!

[rjcaudle]

Too much heel is inefficient,prob 15 degrees for most. Should not have to change course. De-power main by easing main and moving traveler leeward, spilling air aloft. If this doesn't do it you need to reef.

What was wind speed and point of sail?

rjc

[sck5]

too much sail up. you can reef before you leave the dock.

[Jeff_H]

My first suggestion is that it is probably time for you to read a basic 'learn to sail' book or take a sailing course before heading out in heavy air. But the broad generalities of dealing with the conditions you are describing are;

-If the wind is forward of abeam (forward of 90 degrees to the centerline); Head up (towards the wind) a little in a gust but do not turn head to wind.

-If the wind is aft of abeam (more than 90 degrees to the centerline towards the stern (back of the boat)); Head down (away from the wind) a little in a gust but do not turn dead downwind or Jibe.

- In a gust lower the traveler (if you have one) then ease the mainsheet. On some small boats, when you ease the mainsail, you may need to ease the jib sheet so that the boat can head up (turn towards the wind).

-In continual heavy air, lower the traveler and tighten the halyards, outhaul, vang, and backstay.

-The wind always seems lighter when heading down wind so when in doubt, before traveling a far distance downwind experiment with heading upwind.

We all started where you seem to be. Sailing at a basic level is not all that complicated, but it does require a commitment to spending some time learning the basics and then building additional skills over time. There is no shame in taking the time to learn a step at a time.

Jeff

[smackdaddy]

Congrats on getting out and feeling that adrenaline rush dude! Kind of fun, eh sev?

[overbored]

not too many ideal 18s have reef points. so when you need to sail upwind sail to the jib. pull the jib in very tight. keep the coarse so you are pinching it up very close into the wind. then sheet in the main to keep the boat on a normal heal, the main will be doing some backwinding near the mast but that is ok. as the boat gets a gust and heels more you want to head up into the wind more and let off more mainsail sheet

[tweitz]

On a boat without reef points, you can consider sailing on either main alone or jib alone. You should experiment with these configurations in somewhat lighter air and see how well you can point and how easy it is to handle.

[dnf777]

Centerboard and ballast all ok? Sounds excessive. How much wind?

[BubbleheadMd]

Originally Posted by Jeff_H

My first suggestion is that it is probably time for you to read a basic 'learn to sail' book or take a sailing course before heading out in heavy air.
Jeff

He just took a two day sailing course. He's just new and needs practice.

Sounds like you were over-canvassed (too much sail). Does that little boat have a reef in the main sail so you can reduce it?

[DonScribner]

When in doubt . . . let it out. If you're going over so badly, ease off the main to right yourself, then gently take it in to get a feel for where you're comfortable. Reef over say, 15 knots and at the dock if you're entertaining a non-sailor. As a newbie, worry more about clean shorts than optimum sail shape, but if you still have your wits, experiment with the traveler and vang. If you're too scare too often, you'll give up the dream, and than ain't good! Besides, an 18 foot boat won't make any headlines unless it washes up on shore, pilotless.