Heaving-To versus Bare Poles

[sailingdog]

First of all, it is Larry and Lin Pardey.

Second, heaving to isn't always a good tactic, as it really depends on the boat, the sails, the wind and waves... some boats don't heave to very well. This is often the case with more modern designs, which don't have the keel area to heave to and create the "protective slick" that the Pardeys describe. Modern fin keels often are too small in surface area and often require water moving over their surface to generate lift and prevent significant leeway as well—and don't do much when the boat is heaved to.

What may have worked for the Pardeys in a relatively old design boat, with a full keel, may not be applicable to a different design boat.

There is no one solution.

Originally Posted by griglack

You guys should read "Storm Tactics Handbook" by Lin and Larry Purdy (look for it on Amazon, I couldn't find it on SailNet). In this, they describe a method for heaving to, on almost any boat, as a method for riding out storms. They talk about a number of storms that they have survived in this way.

Of course, before heaving to in a large storm, you reduce sail (you probably would have already done that as the wind started to pick up). You would be on a second (or third) reef and the storm jib before doing this. They also recommend dragging a sea anchor from the forward, windward rail (near the bow) to assist.

You are right, that you would need enough sea room to do this. Also, I think that there is no "one size fits all (situations)" method.

Jeff Griglack
Pearson 30 #182 "Blithe Spirit"

[drtee]

In 40 - 50 I sail "jib and reefed jigger" (staysail and reefed mizzen) in 50 - 60+ we heave to with just a reefed mizzen bolted down amidships and go to sleep and wait for better weather. Sloops have no business being out in winds that great. Get a stout double headsail Ketch if you want to be out in a hurricane. Get one with a reef or two in the mizzen. Batten down all the hatches and clear the decks. Your decks will be washed very clean! Clean of everything, including the occassional lifeline stanchion. I very rarely use my main trysail. If I had to beat off a lee shore I probably would, but I never get myself into that situation in the first place,hence the trysail looks like new and it's track is virtually unused.

[Omatako]

Originally Posted by drtee

Sloops have no business being out in winds that great. Get a stout double headsail Ketch if you want to be out in a hurricane.

Very few sailors want to be out there in a hurricane but regrettably the hurricanes don't know this or care. When you're out there you're out there, sloop or no. Best you understand what to do next.

The vessel that I wouldn't choose for really heavy weather is a multi because heaving to must a dodgy option with little or no resistance to leeway. Or do I have this wrong SD? (my limited experience with multis herewith declared ) How do you heave a multi to? Sea anchors I guess.

Andre

[sailingdog]

One of the better tactics for a multihull is lying ahull. Since they don't have a heavy keel, they tend to float up with the waves, rather than get dragged through them. Most multis don't have a deep keel to trip over either. If a multihull has to stop in a heavy storm a Jordan Series Drogue is probably the best choice of devices to use—since it is designed to help prevent wave and stom induced capsizes.

[Cruisingdreamspress]

Fellow sailors have already offered good advice on this subject but like all things relating to boats we find differing opinions. My boat is full keel. Based on her sea keeping ability, and my own experiences, I believe in heaving-to. During my seven-year solo voyage around the world I hove-to for many of the reasons discussed: to rest, to wait for dawn before entering a new port, to make repairs, to let a ship pass in front or back, to wait out a short lived squall, or in the case of a "Southerly Buster"off the coast of New South Wales, Australia to ride out 45 to 60 knot blow for three days.

In the Red Sea, 50 knot plus winds forced me to run down wind with trysail and storm jib. The waves , however were 10 feet and under. Had they threatened broaches, roles or pitch poling, I would have hove-to instead. For cruisers, I believe that continuing a course down wind in steep breaking waves, whether under storm sails or bare poles is courting disaster.

Now can you heave -to in hurricane winds with sail up? Never tried it but I assume sails would shred. For that reason I carried a parachute anchor for the ultimate storm. I dodged several but never deployed my parachute anchor.

I am not yet sold on the series drogue tactic because it doesn't appear to create a wide enough slick to protect the boat from approaching waves and because it seems to me that it would hold the stern down just when it needs to rise to meet an approaching wave. To be fair, though, I have never tried a series drogue nor do I know anyone who has.

[johnshasteen]

Don't read books and think you are ready, you won't be - it doesn't matter what Lin and Larry or Alard or someone on this net did, it will be your storm in your boat and you trying to survive. So, in your own boat, learn how to reef down or drop sails quickly, how to run before a storm with and without sails, claw off a lee shore and practice laying ahull. Know your engine - how to change an impeller, how to change a clogged filter , how to bleed the engine, etc.
Then you are ready for whatever comes.