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!

Heave to, WTH?

6K views 30 replies 18 participants last post by  tempest 
#1 ·
I dont know how I can link the exact video, but follow the link below and watch the clip about "Heave to"..., they lost me, this is not my understanding of what to do?

TheSailingChannel
 
#4 ·
Certainly not how I do it on Auspicious.

I keep the headsail up and ease the main. To avoid forereaching I have to reef the heck out of the main. Even then, if I sheet the main in enough to stop the noise we make a bit over a knot to windward in 15-20 kts breeze.

Made Janet cranky as we watched the lights of Marsh Harbour fade behind us while waiting for the sun to come up before running the cut into the Sea of Abaco. *grin*
 
#5 ·
I think the confusion is based on two things:

1. The technique of heaving-to. Most of us probably got the basic concept as a set of instructions (tack the boat through the wind without shifting the jib, letting it back, then lash the tiller to leeward or towards the mainsail). But heaving-to is defined as "using any sail combination, any gear combination necessary to get your boat to lie stopped, about 50 degrees from the wind and drifting slowly, directly away from the wind behind its own slick" (Storm Tactics, Pardey and Pardey, p. 13). The method that the video narrator describes is his method of heaving-to.

2. The concept of the slick. Again, based on Storm Tactics, the slick breaks up waves in bad gales, which will help protect the boat. In fact, Storm Tactics is pretty much a dissertation on how and why you should heave-to in gales vice running, lying a-hull, or any other basic storm method. They made a believer out of me.

Annnnnd this post just became an advertisement for Storms Tactics. Here's a link to it: Amazon.com.
 
#7 ·
Yeah, that.

Heaving to in 15 knots to have a relaxing lunch in the cockpit is a different animal from heaving to to spare wear and tear on the boat and crew in storm conditions.

There is no way your jib would survive being bashed against the speaders in 30-40 knots for hours. I personally wouldn't want the jib up if were heaving to even in as little as 20 knots of wind. Even in the winds I typically sail in, I roll in some jib before heaving to to keep the jib from touching anything.

I haven't yet practiced heaving to with main only in heavier winds but its something I would like to try, as it seems a good strategy if the forecast is off and things start to get out of hand.
 
#6 ·
Of course, the particular combination of sails and helm position will really depend on the specific boat and wind/wave conditions. What works well for one boat, may not work at all on another. What works well in 30 knots of wind may not work in 40 knots.
 
#8 ·
Woah, woah, woah. WTH?

With just a main up (I assume full canvass since he mentioned going straight to the heave to instead of reefing) - and the tiller only 20 degrees to leeward, aren't you going to round up at the first big gust?

What am I missing here?
 
#11 ·
It wouldn't be full mainsail. It would be a mainsail reefed down for the wind conditions. In sea-states where you're worried about creating a slick, you'd typically be fully reefed or flying a trysail.
 
#13 ·
It all depends on the boat design. For our boat, I first tried just tacking and leaving the jib as is (partially furled for the 25-30 knots we were in). The boat immediately fell off downwind and gybed. Next attempt was with about half as much jib, with the same result. Finally, tried jib fully furled and it worked fine--once headway was lost and keel stalled, boat would round up to 20 degrees from the wind and stay there.

You need to try the experiment with your own boat.
 
#15 ·
I think that it is important to separate a few items in the Pardeys take on heaving to in storm conditions.

1. They recommend the use of a parachute anchor to dramatically reduce fore-reaching. There is nothing much wrong with fore-reaching except that you sail out of the slick you are trying to create. This matters if the weather is really narsty. We hove-to off Bermuda last year in benign conditions to wait for first light before entering (I would have gone in at night except the engine had quit and I was afraid of no wind in the cut). We were fore-reaching with lots of sail up at probably 2.5 knots in the general direction of Africa but it was very comfortable. After the right number of hours we headed back to the island - everyone but the person on watch had a good sleep.

1b) Also, for their technique you have the parachute rigged with two heavy duty rodes, one off the bow and a second on a bight of the first taken to a mid-deck chock and jib winch. The idea is to have the anchor at an angle to the bow. The specific angle depends on the boat and conditions but something like 30* as a start. This angle can be changed by tightening or loosening the mid-deck line.

2. The second point is what sails to have up when you heave-to. They like having the main up only (or perhaps storm trysail in really snotty conditions). Other people prefer to have some jib or staysail up. Depends on the boat in particular and less importantly the conditions.

3. Position of the helm - again this varies depending on the boat and conditions

What is critical is experimenting to see what works on a particular boat. Also, what worked well the last time you hove-to may need to be modified for a new situation.
 
#25 ·
Also, what worked well the last time you hove-to may need to be modified for a new situation.
This was an important point, if I remember. What you did to heave-to in 15-20 knots (sail combination, sheets, rudder, etc.), will be very different, for the same boat, when in 40 knots.

Additionally, in really bad conditions, your rudder will break unless you securely tie it off.
 
#19 ·
Let me see if I've got this right...;)
If I drop my headsail. ;)
Tie my tiller off. ;)
I can create a "slick" on the surface of the water upwind from my boat?:confused: :confused: :confused: :confused: :eek:
If anything, I think the actor/narrator made a mistake and intended to illustrate the "slick" downwind and in the lee of the mainail.
Just my thought:cool:
 
#20 ·
Let me see if I've got this right...;)

I can create a "slick" on the surface of the water upwind from my boat?:confused: :confused: :confused: :confused: :eek:
If anything, I think the actor/narrator made a mistake and intended to illustrate the "slick" downwind and in the lee of the mainail.
Just my thought:cool:
Nope the narrator is correct the turbulence slick is upwind (as the boat s-l-o-w-l-y drifts 'downwind' due to the pressure on the sail(s)). The slick is between the boat and the oncoming (breaking) waves, and causing them to break 'before' they get to the boat.
If the slick was in the lee of the main, the waves would break 'after' hitting the boat !!! ;-)
 
#23 · (Edited)
Every boat is different - you just gotta experiment. Often as not, [unless you need a kip or to repair something], its really blowin, so you are reefed down.

3/4 rigs use more main - so it is more of the power. An old IOR, like a UFO34 has a smallish main and a huge genny (its main power).

To 'KISS'- you need the weather helm off the main to round up and the headsail to push the bow away. So you zig zag a little and slide 'downhill' - this creates what they are referring to ' the slick'.

Not every boat can heave to. I can in the Peterson, but prefer to slowly go to windward with only the storm jib up [ but I have not been caught out in anything beyond 65-70kn - so this is just my experiences]

I tack the storm jib on behind the furler and hoist it on a halyard at the 2nd spreader [where I have backstays]. This sail's luff has an angle of about 60 deg.

On the occasion I have needed it, I had its halyard and sheets ready. The sail in its bag with 100mm velcro at the opening. So, I hoisted it, the velcro popped and the sail went up, flogging just a little until the halyard was tight. I have a downhawl as well.

Although it all works well, I am always re-assessing how to do it all better and safer. (Thats where you guys come into the equation - thanks in advance)

{unrelated - but; I only have 2 reefs in the main. The reef points lie about where a normal 2nd and 3rd would lie and I use an outhawl and a downhawl at the mast.}
 
#26 ·
FWIW, the crew in the video needs to fully release the main until the boat stopped, then they could trim it a bit if they wanted to adjust how the boat sits off the wind.

As their jib pushes the bow off, the main pushes it up, if the main is trimmed enough, it'll tack the boat, backed jib or no.
 
#30 ·
I'm in - balance

First - sailingdog, donradcliff, something Anna - all said wrote cool stuff.
I can't remember exactly what the book says (Hvy WX Sailing), never saw the vid.
To me me "heaving to" means this:
ballancing a boat. Storm tactic, ya - if you can ballance it. Every boat and sail configuation is different. Of course, wind spd and seas come into it.
If ya want to learn more about "heavin to" (on your ride)- give it a try.
It's about ballancing a particular boat, and a particular situation.
It'll be a totally different deal if you need to "heave to" to save your arse.

Wx is a thing.
Safe sailing
Max
 
#31 ·
It probably doesn't need to be mentioned, but heaving-to is a useful tactic in many situations. It's not just a storm tactic. Some folks have mentioned heaving-to while waiting for the sun to come up to enter a harbor.
I use it all the time to stop for lunch if I have room, rather than anchor.
If we get a fish on, I'll heave-to.

In less than storm tactics, I'll always furl the genoa to the point that it doesn't rest on the spreaders or shrouds before I heave-to

It is my preferred method for taking in or shaking out reefs on the mainsail.
especially single-handed. Even with a crew, it's less stressful to simply heave-to to take a reef.

In heavy weather, it would seem logical that, at the point that you decide to heave-to, you already have at least a double reefed main or a storm tri-sail rigged and a storm jib. Unless it is a quick passing squall. In which case, I douse the jib...and employ the use of the engine with a deeply reefed main to keep me headed to wind.

Having the Storm -tri and the storm jib bagged an on deck ready to deploy, and then deploying them sooner rather than later is wise. I remember waiting too long , and watching a crew member get dunked several times up to his waist at the bow in the gulf stream..( at least the water was warm)

I like the tactic, and use it all the time...Never had to use it in a storm, came close only once.
 
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