DOCSLIB.ORG

Heavy Weather Sailing 135

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Heavy Weather Sailing 135 17 – Heavy Weather Sailing 135 Section 17 Heavy Weather Sailing Broach. Turn a boat broadside to wind or waves, subjecting Storm Jib. A very small, strongly built jib set in heavy it to possible capsizing. weather. Knockdown. A temporary condition of excessive heel Storm Trysail. A small, strongly built sail used in place of resulting from a sudden increase of wind force. the mainsail in storm conditions. 1 Heavy weather is a relative term. For a small centerboard mainsheet traveller to leeward, and bring the draft for- boat, a breeze of 10 to 12 knots may begin to be overpow- ward using the cunningham line. Control mainsail twist ering, while the crews of larger boats don’t begin making by easing the mainsheet to open the leech at the top of adjustments until winds reach 18 to 25 knots. However, the sail and reduce heeling forces. If different lateral the tactics employed for handling heavy weather on both sheeting positions are available for the jib sheets, lead types of vessels are similar. Before venturing into heavy the sheets further outboard as the luff is tightened. weather, it is important that the crew size and experi- ence be matched to the expected conditions, and that 5 With the jib trimmed normally and the main eased all aboard have warm clothes, foul weather gear, hats, slightly, the upper portions of the main will luff and boots, and life jackets. For boats larger than open cockpit the jib will backwind the main, reducing drive and heel daysailers, harnesses should be used. It is important to angle. stow all loose gear securely. 6 Large heel angles result in excessive weather helm, re- duced boat speed, increased leeway and crew discomfort. Sail Trim Sails that are allowed to flap for extended periods incur 2 As the wind increases, heeling and weather helm increase damage and may throw one or more battens out. To limit when sailing to windward. When this happens, a number sail damage and heeling when sailing close-hauled, sail of sail trim alterations should be made. closer to the wind than normal. Sail on the verge of luffing. Try to trim the mainsail hard enough to limit 3 During light-air upwind sailing, the drafts of the main- any flapping of the leech. Accept some sacrifice in boat sail and jib are increased and moved aft by easing luff, speed. Steer precisely to maintain adequate boat speed foot, and leech tension and by moving the traveller to with limited heel angle. windward. As wind speeds reach moderate levels, the luff and foot tensions are increased, adjustable backstay 7 As the boat is steered further off the wind, the heel tension is increased, the mainsheet traveller is eased to angle will diminish. The apparent wind speed will be its amidships position, and the jib sheet leads are moved reduced. Don’t be deluded into thinking that the wind is outboard from their light-weather positions. All of this diminishing. It is easy to overlook a building wind while trimming reduces mainsail twist, and reduces and moves broad reaching or running. Larger seas and an increase forward the drafts of the mainsail and jib. in the number of whitecaps are good indications of a rising wind. Increasing weather helm while reaching, 4 As winds become heavier, flatten the sails further by and greater yawing while running, are also indications increasing the tension on the luffs and backstay. Move of increasing wind. the mainsail to its most outboard position by easing the Sail 136 17 – Heavy Weather Sailing 8 When running before a building wind, sail area should 12 If the wind is strong and the sea rough, it is important that be reduced. Under these conditions, some boats sail sail handling be done slowly and carefully to minimize well under the jib alone while others will do quite nicely danger to the crew and rigging. All crew members must sailing with just the mainsail. Before using one of these wear life jackets and should use safety harnesses. When heavy wind, sail-reduction techniques, sail the boat in lowering the jib in heavy weather, stay well clear of a moderate weather under both single-sail configurations flailing jib clew. Running off the wind when someone to assess control and handling characteristics. is working the foredeck is a wise precaution. 13 On boats with ballast keels, capsize is unlikely. These Helmsmanship boats can, however, be knocked down. During knock- 9 In a small boat in heavy and gusty winds, the helms- downs considerable amounts of water can be taken into man can do a great deal to keep the boat upright and the cockpit and through open hatches and companion- under control. While heeling is often exciting, it is not ways. This water may drain from the cockpit but must the indicator of speed that many novice sailors believe be pumped from the bilges if it has gotten below. People it is. Boats perform best at low heel angles. As a boat become uncomfortably wet, and gear can be soaked heels, its underwater shape changes, becoming more and sometimes smashed during a knockdown. Stowing and more asymmetric as the heel angle increases. The gear securely and closing hatches is important in heavy asymmetry increases weather helm that must be over- weather. come by increased rudder angle. The wind pressure on the sails is reduced by heeling. The effectiveness of the 14 While running, the consequence of carrying too much keel is reduced by heeling. The overall result of heeling sail too long is the loss of steering control. Since the is a reduction in driving force and an increase in leeway force of the wind on the sails is essentially forward but angle. not on the centerline of the boat, strong yawing moments develop. As these moments increase it can finally become 10 When close-hauled under heavy weather conditions, impossible for the rudder to offset their influence. The easing the mainsheet slightly will improve control and boat then rounds up abruptly until the sails luff. By then speed. The helmsman must watch the oncoming waves, it is broadside to the seas. This is called broaching. and steer through them at an approximate 45° angle rather than head-on or broadside. To reduce pitching and 15 A skipper runs the risk of gear failure when carrying too the probability of waves coming over the bow, meet the much sail on any point of sail. Sails can tear, rigging can larger crests and come off them at an oblique angle rather part, and steering gear can fail as the boat is exposed to than head-on. In a small boat, do not cleat the mainsheet; undue stresses. These risks are unnecessary. Sail area hold it in your hand. Easing the sheet quickly may be should be reduced as soon as the skipper detects a build- required to avoid a capsize. Steer precisely and very ing wind that is likely to cause discomfort to his crew, or close to the wind to reduce the heel angle. Be prepared to threaten the safety of his boat and crew. Boat speed to luff and, in a small boat, to ease the mainsheet when often increases when sail is shortened and helm load a gust hits. In luffing, be careful not to lose speed and diminishes. go into irons. 16 The reefing process becomes increasingly difficult as Shortening Sail wind strength and seas build. For this reason alone, when 11 When bad weather approaches, deciding what to do is preparing to sail in heavy weather, the skipper should based on the answers to several questions: Is too much carefully consider the expertise of the crew. A small, sail being carried for the conditions? Is the motion and inexperienced crew will find it hard enough to reef the angle of heel unusual or excessive? Will the weather sails during the earliest stages of building weather. If the continue to worsen? How sail is shortened will depend task is left too long, this crew might find it impossible upon many factors including the size and stability of to successfully reef the sails. Loss of a crew member to your boat, the capabilities of your crew, and available illness, injury, or falling overboard becomes a real pos- sail handling provisions. In deciding when to shorten sail, sibility in these situations. It is wise to reduce sail early; consider the possible consequences if the wind continues reefs are much easier to shake out than to put in. to build. At some point, despite the helmsman’s and crews’ best efforts, the boat will become overpowered. Sail 17 – Heavy Weather Sailing 137 17 On a cruising boat with an auxiliary engine out daysail- ing, it is easy enough to start the engine, drop the sails, and motor in to port. If the boat is equipped with a jib or mainsail furling/reefing system, sail area can be reduced by rolling up a sail, partly or completely. Sail area can also be reduced by changing to smaller sails or by reef- ing. Sail Changes 18 The ability to change sails is determined by the type of rig and variety of sails carried. Usually, first sail reduction on a sloop is the hoisting of a smaller jib. This reduces sail area while keeping the boat well-balanced. On a cut- Storm Jib ter, the jib is removed as the first sail reduction, leaving the boat under main and staysail. This reduction has the added advantage of keeping the sail plan well inboard and making further sail reductions safer.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Accidents Œ See Anchors/Anchoring Binoculars Boat Œ Accidents
    Subject Article Author Issue & Page Accidents – See Boat – Accidents Tow Vehicle – Accidents Trailer – Accidents Advice-See Sailing Stories Anchors/Anchoring Lights Anchor Light Alternative Brandt Spr 91 p33 Cockpit/Anchor Light Christensen Spr 98 p26 Rights Anchoring: A Right or a Privilege Ed Fall 93 p20 Anchoring Charges in Ontario Hodgson Spr 98 p28 Markers The World’s Best Anchor Buoy Christensen Spr 97 p10 Another Anchor Marker Ziliox Sum 97 p23 Shore tie anchoring Reading in the Rain Christensen Spr 99 p6 Summer ’98 Around Lake Huron (Almost) Vanderhulst Spr 99 p19 Storage Me and my Mac 26-Bow Pulpit Anchor Storage Bracket Schmitt Sum 97 p25 Stories & Techniques Dragging Anchor With a Nudist Hodgson Spr 90 p39 Dinghy Mooring Christensen Spr 93 p15 How to Gain Experience Collins Spr 94 p38 A New Slant on Anchoring Collins Fall 94 p38 Blown Away in the Florida Keys McComb Fall 97 p15 From Cleveland to Jurassic Park (and Back) Reichert Spr 98 p15 Reading in the Rain Christensen Spr 99 p6 Unusual Anchors Cove Dwellers Butler Spr 87 p11 Ants-See Pests-Bugs & Critters Batteries – See Electrical Beer – See Liquor Bimini-See Cockpit Binoculars The Bahamas Despite El Nino Kulish Fall 98 p3 Boat – Accidents The Shortest Cruise Cooperman Fall 90 p4 Just One Armadillo Hodgson Fall 90 p32 Chronicles of a Budding Sailor Bradley Spr 94 p80 Sail Safely Arnett Spr 96 p16 Beached Miller, M Sum 97 p11 Prepare for a Fire Emergency Collins Sum 97 p17 Subject Article Author Issue & Page Boat – Bottom Barnacles Bubble, Bubble, Toil and Trouble Hodgson
    [Show full text]
  • J Lotuff Wianno Senior Tuning Guide.Pages
    Wianno Senior Racing Guide I. Crew Page 2 II. Boat Setup Page 5 III. Sail Trim Page 9 IV. Quick Reference Page 14 Contact [email protected] with questions or comments. **pre-Doyle Mainsail (2013)** I. Crew: At the most basic, you cannot get around the racecourse without a crew. At the highest level of the sport where everyone has the best equipment, crew contribution is the deciding factor. Developing and maintaining an enthusiastic, competent, reliable, and compatible crew is therefore a key area of focus for the racer aspiring to excellent results. Prior to the Class Championship you should have your crew set up, with assigned positions and job responsibilities – well trained in tacking, jibing, roundings and starts. The following may help you set up your program to attract good crew. First, good sailors want to do well. So do everything you can to make sure that you understand how to make the boat go fast and do everything you can to ensure that your boat is in good racing condition (more on these two issues later). If you are a helmsman make sure that your driving skills are developed to your best abilities. Assemble sailors who are better than you or find an enthusiastic non-sailor to train and encourage. Arrange practice time either pre/post-race or on a non-racing day. The right type of crew personality will want to improve performance and the best way to do this is to spend time together in the boat. If your crew does not wish to make the effort to spend time in the boat, cast a wider net.
    [Show full text]
  • The Safety Position Is a Standard Basic Small Boat Sailing Technique
    SAFETY POSITION Paul Tara, 2014 Definition: The Safety Position is a standard basic small boat sailing technique. It occurs when a boat is borne off onto a close reach, stopped or moving slowly, with the sail eased and luffing. The Safety Position is used to minimize speed while maintaining control. Physics: In the Safety Position, the boat is more or less in equilibrium. Because she is on a close reach, she is out of the “no go zone” where control decreases. Easing the sail reduces speed and heeling force. It also moves the center of effort of the sail plan forward, decreasing weather helm. Control is maintained because the boat is almost stopped, but still in balance, requiring only very small changes in rudder angle and sheet tension to maintain the same relative wind angle. The Safety Position is not, as many believe, when a boat is luffing, headed straight upwind. Such a boat is in disequilibrium. It will eventually stop. Then it will begin making sternway, often with unpredictable consequences. Guidelines: • Beginners are often told to “let go of everything” if things get out of control. This may avert an initial capsize but is not “safe”, especially in close quarters. The boat will immediately go into a series of uncontrolled round-ups and accidental tacks. • After a near capsize, or whenever needing to maximize control, the boat should be deliberately steered onto a close reach and the sail eased until it is luffing. • In breeze, ease the vang and raise the board halfway. This will help the boat settle down.
    [Show full text]
  • Mainsail Trim Pointers, Reefing and Sail Care for the Beneteau Oceanis Series
    Neil Pryde Sails International 1681 Barnum Avenue Stratford, CT 06614 203-375-2626 [email protected] INTERNATIONAL DESIGN AND TECHNICAL OFFICE Mainsail Trim Pointers, Reefing and Sail Care for the Beneteau Oceanis Series The following points on mainsail trim apply both to the Furling and Classic mainsails we produce for Beneteau USA and the Oceanis Line of boats. In sailing the boats we can offer these general ideas and observations that will apply to the 311’s through to the newest B49. Mainsail trim falls into two categories, upwind and downwind. MAINSAIL TRIM: The following points on mainsail trim apply both to the Furling and Classic mainsail, as the concepts are the same. Mainsail trim falls into two categories, upwind and downwind. Upwind 1. Upwind in up to about 8 knots true wind the traveler can be brought to weather of centerline. This ensures that the boom will be close centerline and the leech of the sail in a powerful upwind mode. 2. The outhaul should be eased 2” / 50mm at the stopper, easing the foot of the mainsail away from the boom about 8”/200mm 3. Mainsheet tension should be tight enough to have the uppermost tell tail on the leech streaming aft about 50% of the time in the 7- 12 true wind range. For those with furling mainsails the action of furling and unfurling the sail can play havoc with keeping the telltales on the sail and you may need to replace them from time to time. Mainsail outhaul eased for light air upwind trim You will find that the upper tell tail will stall and fold over to the weather side of the sail about 50% of the time in 7-12 knots.
    [Show full text]
  • Sail Trimming Guide for the Beneteau 37 September 2008
    INTERNATIONAL DESIGN AND TECHNICAL OFFICE Sail Trimming Guide for the Beneteau 37 September 2008 © Neil Pryde Sails International 1681 Barnum Avenue Stratford, CONN 06614 Phone: 203-375-2626 • Fax: 203-375-2627 Email: [email protected] Web: www.neilprydesails.com All material herein Copyright 2007-2008 Neil Pryde Sails International All Rights Reserved HEADSAIL OVERVIEW: The Beneteau 37 built in the USA and supplied with Neil Pryde Sails is equipped with a 105% non-overlapping headsail that is 337sf / 31.3m2 in area and is fitted to a Profurl C320 furling unit. The following features are built into this headsail: • The genoa sheets in front of the spreaders and shrouds for optimal sheeting angle and upwind performance • The size is optimized to sheet correctly to the factory track when fully deployed and when reefed. • Reef ‘buffer’ patches are fitted at both head and tack, which are designed to distribute the loads on the sail when reefed. • Reefing marks located on the starboard side of the tack buffer patch provide a visual mark for setting up pre-determined reefing locations. These are located 508mm/1’-8” and 1040mm / 3’-5” aft of the tack. • A telltale ‘window’ at the leading edge of the sail located about 14% of the luff length above the tack of the sail and is designed to allow the helmsperson to easily see the wind flowing around the leading edge of the sail when sailing upwind and close-hauled. The tell-tales are red and green, so that one can quickly identify the leeward and weather telltales.
    [Show full text]
  • The Weather Helm Issue (Rev 20 02 2020)
    Corbin 39 – the weather helm issue (rev 20 02 2020) Synopsis The subject of weather helm comes up repeatedly when discussing the Corbin 39 and not all of the folklore is justified. This note attempts to summarise the issue and to relate it to sufficient evidence, and to qualitative theory, that we can be reasonably certain of the situation. Remember - It is possible to overpower a yacht and induce weather helm, what we are trying to do is identify excessive weather helm. The key take-away is that the excessive weather helm was a genuine issue, which affected all the mk1 cutters irrespective of whether they were equipped with the taller double-spreader mast or the shorter single-spreader mast, provided that the mast was set in the intended aft mast position. Perhaps this was worse in the mk1 tallmast vs the mk1 shortmast, but we are not at all certain of that. All the mk1’s that had the forestay relocated onto a 3-foot long bowsprit were later able to alleviate this to an extent. The mk 1’s that have reduced the area of their main by shortening the mainsail boom & foot (or used in-mast furling) have reportedly completely eliminated this weather helm. All other versions including the mk1 ketches and all the mk2 cutters & ketches appear to be completely unaffected. This is the first openly published version of this analysis. Previous drafts were incomplete and drew erroneous conclusions in some areas due to an absence of reliable data. That has now been overcome as further evidence has come forwards, and so there are material differences between this version and previous drafts.
    [Show full text]
  • How the Beaufort Scale Affects Your Sail Plan
    How the Beaufort scale affects your sail plan The Beaufort scale is a measurement that relates wind speed to observed conditions at sea. Used in the sea area forecast it allows sailors to anticipate the condition that they are likely to face. Modern cruising yachts have become wider over the years to allow more room inside the boat when berthed. This offers the occupants a large living space but does have an effect on the handling of the boat. A wide beam, relatively short keel and rudder mean that if they have too much sail up they have a greater tendency to broach into the wind. Broaching, although dramatic for those onboard, is nothing more than the boat turning into the wind and is easy to rectify by carrying less sail. If the helm is struggling to keep the boat in a straight line then the boat has too much ‘weather helm’ i.e. the boat keeps turning into the wind- in this instance it is necessary to reduce sail. Racer/cruisers are often narrower than their cruising counter parts, with longer keels and rudders which mean they are less likely to broach, but often more difficult to sail with a small crew. Cruising yachts often have large overlapping jibs or genoas and relevantly small main sails. This allows the sail area to be reduced quickly and easily simply by furling away some head sail. The main sail is used to balance boat as the main drive comes from the head sail. Racer cruisers will often have smaller jibs and larger main sails, so reducing the sail area means reefing the main sail first and using the jib to balance the boat.
    [Show full text]
  • SAFETY PRACTICES a BASIC GUIDE Adopted January 2002 Amended October 2014
    INTERSCHOLASTIC SAILING ASSOCIATION SAFETY PRACTICES A BASIC GUIDE Adopted January 2002 Amended October 2014 Special thanks to our sister organization, the Intercollegiate Sailing Association of North America, for allowing us to use this Safety Guide, modeled after their own. TABLE OF CONTENTS General Safety Practices ..................................................... 1 Personal Equipment ............................................................ 2 Personal Training ................................................................ 4 Capsizes ............................................................................... 4 Safety Boats ........................................................................ 5 Safety Boat Crew Training ................................................... 6 Head Injury Awareness ....................................................... 9 References .......................................................................... 9 Foreword: Interscholastic (high school) sailing requires competitors to be safety conscious. It is our obligation to maintain the positive safety record that Interscholastic Sailing Association has enjoyed over the past 85 years. This is a BASIC GUIDE for Member Schools and District Associations to follow in regard to SAFETY PRACTICES during regattas, and instructional and recreational sailing. George H. Griswold As amended by Bill Campbell for ISSA 1. GENERAL SAFETY PRACTICES You sail because you enjoy it. In order to enhance and guarantee your enjoyment, there are a number of general
    [Show full text]
  • Sailing Course Materials Overview
    SAILING COURSE MATERIALS OVERVIEW INTRODUCTION The NCSC has an unusual ownership arrangement -- almost unique in the USA. You sail a boat jointly owned by all members of the club. The club thus has an interest in how you sail. We don't want you to crack up our boats. The club is also concerned about your safety. We have a good reputation as competent, safe sailors. We don't want you to spoil that record. Before we started this training course we had many incidents. Some examples: Ran aground in New Jersey. Stuck in the mud. Another grounding; broke the tiller. Two boats collided under the bridge. One demasted. Boats often stalled in foul current, and had to be towed in. Since we started the course the number of incidents has been significantly reduced. SAILING COURSE ARRANGEMENT This is only an elementary course in sailing. There is much to learn. We give you enough so that you can sail safely near New Castle. Sailing instruction is also provided during the sailing season on Saturdays and Sundays without appointment and in the week by appointment. This instruction is done by skippers who have agreed to be available at these times to instruct any unkeyed member who desires instruction. CHECK-OUT PROCEDURE When you "check-out" we give you a key to the sail house, and you are then free to sail at any time. No reservation is needed. But you must know how to sail before you get that key. We start with a written examination, open book, that you take at home.
    [Show full text]
  • Rhodes 19 Tuning Guide
    Rhodes 19 Tuning Guide Jud Smith | jsmith@doylesails Tomas Hornos | [email protected] Send order forms to: [email protected] SETTING UP YOUR RHODES 19 FOR DOYLE SAILS BEFORE STEPPING THE MAST 1. Clean and lubricate turn-buckles. 2. Check your mast step location fore and aft with a tape measure; run the tape from the intersection of the center of the transom and the deck to the aft edge of the mast step. This dimension should be 12 feet 6 1/2 inches. TUNING YOUR MAST 1. Center mast with upper shrouds, check it by measuring to port and starboard chain- plate with a tape measure attached to the jib halyard. 2. Tension uppers and lowers for existing wind conditions. We use a Loos Tension Gauge, Model A, for consistent settings. 3. Tension uppers to 150 lbs. Tension lowers equally to 80 lbs. Sighting up aft face of the mast to check for straightness. It is essential that the mast is straight. SHROUD TENSION WIND 0-4 4-8 9-14 15+ Lowers 0 0 80 80 Uppers 110 110 150 200 An increase in overall rig tension results in greater headstay tension. TRIMMING THE SAILS It is important to mark all your shrouds, sheets, tracks, outhaul, etc. Keep records of your set-ups, the conditions you sail in and how your speed is. It is essential to be able to duplicate settings from race to race and to know exactly how the boat was set up when you were going fast. Check to make sure the soft end of the battens are insert- ed first.
    [Show full text]
  • Series Drogue. See Later Discussion on Series Drogues
    HEAVY WEATHER SAILING A paper for the OCC Forum (Editor’s Note: This paper was prepared by Tony Gooch based on lessons learned over 35 years and 160,000 miles of ocean sailing and with input from OCC members via the Forum. Tony and his wife, Coryn, have spent much time in high latitudes … Bering Sea, Labrador, Iceland, Svalbard, Chile, Antarctica and South Georgia. Tony has made two solo circumnavigations via the Southern Capes.) This paper is presented under the following headings: - Philosophy - Boat preparation - Keeping the boat watertight - Ability to ‘secure ship’ - Securing the crew - Before the storm - During the storm - Heavy weather sailing tactics - Heaving to - Lying a-hull - Speed limiting drogues - Parachutes (sea anchors) - Series drogue Philosophy With due regard to the seasons and with careful monitoring of forecast weather, most ocean passages, particularly in the mid- latitudes, can be made in winds that rarely exceed 25-30kn. Most often the heavy weather can be handled by heaving-to while the gale passes. However, it is probable that in a number of years of Copyright © 2015 by Ocean Cruising Club. All rights reserved. Terms & Conditions apply. 1 ocean sailing you will, at some time, run into stronger winds that will require different tactics. Although heavy weather can be uncomfortable, with good preparation and thorough knowledge of your boat, it is not something to be particularly worried about. Offshore sailing in heavy weather can best be described as the ‘art of waiting’. Assuming you have sea room, the best approach is to take it easy. There is no point in fighting the weather.
    [Show full text]
  • J/22 Sailing MANUAL
    J/22 Sailing MANUAL UCI SAILING PROGRAM Written by: Joyce Ibbetson Robert Koll Mary Thornton David Camerini Illustrations by: Sally Valarine and Knowlton Shore Copyright 2013 All Rights Reserved UCI J/22 Sailing Manual 2 Table of Contents 1. Introduction to the J/22 ......................................................... 3 How to use this manual ..................................................................... Background Information .................................................................... Getting to Know Your Boat ................................................................ Preparation and Rigging ..................................................................... 2. Sailing Well .......................................................................... 17 Points of Sail ....................................................................................... Skipper Responsibility ........................................................................ Basics of Sail Trim ............................................................................... Sailing Maneuvers .............................................................................. Sail Shape ........................................................................................... Understanding the Wind.................................................................... Weather and Lee Helm ...................................................................... Heavy Weather Sailing ......................................................................
    [Show full text]