Very Scary...What should I have done?

[CoastalEddie]

Originally Posted by smackdaddy

No you're not weird...bl is actually 9'6". So he's much more affected by the roll. You should see his bimini.

Cool! He could wear a big cape, stand on the transom, and act as a mizzen!

[bljones]

dude, I could lay on deck and provide the mast.

[CoastalEddie]

Originally Posted by bljones

dude, I could lay on deck and provide the mast.

There's a joke in here somewhere about a "really big blow"......oh, never mind.

[smackdaddy]

I actually just had a HBSG. Not quite an LOL - but damn close.

[catamount]

Back to steering with a following sea, and dealing with the yawing and rolling when sailing off the wind: I suspect that novices may have a tendency to oversteer, with large rudder movements for every wave. I find that, generally, you don't really need to move the rudder much at all -- rather you simply apply force to the tiller (or wheel) in a way that counter-acts the wave's attempt to turn the rudder. The net result is that the boat swings around a bit, but stays on course! With practice you develop a feel for how the boat is moving, you'll get a sense of the rhythm of the waves, and soon it will come naturally.