Heaving to downwind...anyone?

[Valiente]

"Basically stop" really means subject to drift and currents, so while it's still problematic to heave to in a single-hander close to shore or shipping lanes, it's far less so than the original poster's "on a run while asleep".

If I observed or parallelled the course of a boat on a run with no one appearing on deck for even 10 minutes in a coastal situation, I would be tempted to call the Coast Guard in case someone was below having a cardiac arrest over the chart table. I have used a pretty loud air horn to get people's attention, and they always act surprised because the last time they checked, I was "miles away on an otherwise empty lake".

Yeah, right.

[Calabego]

I'm with everyone here.
Drop the hook away from a channel or shipping lane, and rest if its necessary.

Originally Posted by KeelHaulin

Yes; technically you are still underway when hove-to. Sails are up and the boat is not tied to the bottom so you are under sail and underway.

The best thing to do if you have adequate room is to heave-to on starboard tack (windward side is the starboard side). Since you are on starboard you are privileged over any other sailboat that is on port tack or windward of you; so your only concern for sailboat traffic would be a leeward boat approaching on starboard.

Of course you are still burdened for vessels with restricted maneuverability, commercial fishing vessels, and ship traffic who generally don't change course for small boats.

You still are responsible for keeping an adequate watch; and the only way to do this while I can think of while singlehanded is to set a Radar with proximity sensing capability/alarm (MARPA) to do a sweep every 5 minutes or so to check the area for approaching boats or ships.

This by virtue of the Starboard tack right of way rule is for the most part true when encountering a SV on a port tack, but your vessel still may have the potential of overrunning another on the same tack.
Especially my 5.65kt SV.
You would be required to avoid me and if you were asleep, would you hear my frantic horn sounding ?
Also, if I'm coming up on you under starboard tack downwind of you (leeward), you're still required to yield, so my frantic horn blowing just before I luff or gybe in defense may or may not wake you?


Its an interesting dilema, though. The test of seamanship may not be in the proper heave to proceedure, but in placing oneself in a compromising position of needing sleep while singlehanding. Does the OP have provisions for anchor alarms to allow for sleeping while at anchor providing he is able to get to a place suitable for anchoring?

[PMC]

Originally Posted by Calabego

You would be required to avoid me and if you were asleep, would you hear my frantic horn sounding ?
Also, if I'm coming up on you under starboard tack downwind of you (leeward), you're still required to yield, so my frantic horn blowing just before I luff or gybe in defense may or may not wake you?

I believe regs ultimately put the responsibility for avoiding a collision on both parties. Enforcing a right of way or letting it get to the point where evasive action is required when the other party is not responding is not smart sailing.
It is a very rare thing for me to get close enough to another boat (the exception being an unlit boat with no watch - Darwin award cantidates) that I would have to take evasive action. They are travelling in a straight line at a steady speed. That can all change if someone is alerted to my presence at short notice. I see them so I just go around. Ultimately this is better use of my time and energy.

I usually sail single handed and I do not consider it a good choice to sail without a watch in busy waters. Fortunately I can sleep for 5 minutes at a time with the help of a $2 kitchen timer.

Cheers

Peter

[zaliasvejas]

Thanks for setting me straight.
Just to clear things up, on that particular night, wind was 5 kts. my boat was drifting just under a knot and I did not were pajamas
I did not even cat nap, just dosed of, quite aware of the sea around me.
How long would a safe break be at that point? Bathroom break style? 10 minutes? Is there a law about that?
At night I do not count on any rights anyway. If I see a boat, I would try to stay away at all cost just because everything is a lot less predictable at night.
By the way, I was still running a gauntlet of lobster traps, so I could not just pack it in.
Getting back to the heaving to downwind, the jib was actually stopping my progress, but I will try it in stronger winds.
And sail single handed....
Should I post my itinerary here so all my buddies can stay away?