Heaving to on just the mainsail

[SCUBACrunch]

The one thing I remember so well was how difficult it was to get out of the heave to with the genoa flattened on the rigging vs. heaving to with just the mainsail: I just steered slightly away.

Thanks for all your words. I'm a newbie to this site, but I'll be back. We just sold our IT40 motor sailer to purchase a 52' Tayana cutter, so I'll likely have a few more questions. I have over 10,000 nm of blue water, faced 2 Force 10 storms, have read 18 books on sailing (who is Pardee?), ...but nothing has prepared me more for buying a sailboat than being out there doing it.

[labatt]

Do a Google search on "Lin and Larry Pardee". They are very well known cruisers, writers, speakers, etc. in the sailing world. As they say, "They will forget more than I will ever learn." They have written many books and articles on many aspects of sailing from their several circumnavigations, including lots of info on heavy weather sailing - forereaching, heaving to, sea anchors, running, etc.

By the way, coming out of being heaved to with the the headsail shouldn't be too difficult. You free the windward sheet and take up on the leeward lazy sheet and you're sailing again. I agree with the others - heaving too with too much sail up or with the main sheeted in too hard will often make you heel excessively. It is important to spend some time learning how your boat best balances, and what amount of sail it balances with at different wind speeds and sea state.

[Omatako]

I recall watching a video by Larry Pardee some years ago on the subject of heaving to and he advocated the use of a parachute (sea anchor) to hold the bow to weather and then backing the main (no headsail).

I have heaved to several times in really arduous conditions by furling the headsail quite deeply and then backing it. It worked well on three different boats so it must be fairly adaptable.

It is good practise to try these manouvres in quiet conditions and upscale them as your confidence grows. Not unlike MOB practise, don't wait until your life depends on success before you try something.

Andre

[Ilenart]

I think eveyone is talking about Lin and Larry Pardey.

Just flicked thru their book "Storm Tactics" and the chapter on heaving-to has a diagram of their cutter with a reefed main only being hove-to (their cutter is a heavy full keeled boat). They also mentioned two ketches they delivered that hove-to in force 10 conditions with the mizzens sheeted in flat. Like everyone has already said on this thread, it depends on the boat.

[sailingdog]

You can also try Sailing with Lin & Larry Pardey

[Valiente]

Originally Posted by labatt

Do a Google search on "Lin and Larry Pardee". They are very well known cruisers, writers, speakers, etc. in the sailing world. As they say, "They will forget more than I will ever learn." They have written many books and articles on many aspects of sailing from their several circumnavigations, including lots of info on heavy weather sailing - forereaching, heaving to, sea anchors, running, etc.

It's Pardey and "the Pardeys". Pardee in Google will lead him astray.

[labatt]

Oops.. my bad

[Rockter]

I have hoven-to once, off Grand Banks, when going to weather in an unexpected easterly, on the long way home.
After about 50 hours, everything was soaked, morale was sagging, and I could not stand the banging anymore.
The main was dropped, and the wee jib sheeted in to give some drive.
The boat settled fine, and it was a different game for the rest of the night.
The moon was up, and I remember the clouds scudding across the sky all night long. It was a lonely place.
Then the sun came up and it wasn't so bad.
Still the easterly persisted, but we could heave-to again if we got too tired.
It was days before the wind finally freed.

This is the ship...

Image of At Cairnbaan, Crinan Canal - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

... now in more settled water.

Rockter.

[jimmalkin]

Don't recall if the Tayana 52 is one of Perry's designs, but our Passport 50 with a moderate fin keel and a skeg hung rudder hove to this Saturday off the NJ Coast in through a series of 3 thunderstorms with 40kt winds using a 3rd reefed main only. Balanced quite nicely and comfortably. We have a trunk cabin that extends well forward and a dinghy lashed to the foredeck so there is windage there to keep the bow off the wind. As everyone has said, it depends on the boat.

[Harryeod]

Originally Posted by chucklesR

I heave to every time I tack. Some folks call it 'caught in irons' but I prefer to think positively.

I like that response!

I let my girlfriend handle the tiller, no pun intended, while I went below to get a cup of coffee. She managed to heave too without any training at all! I complimented on her abilities and they way she optained something that I have been practicing to perfect.