Heaving to

[BillyO]

As as returner to sailing, I am slowly practicing different things needed to be learned.
One of them is Heaving To.
Now for the interesting part; sometimes I can get the CD 22 to remain in the hove to position and other times she will fall off.
I do not know yet what I am dong correct and wrongly
Any suggestions ??
Maybe a GOOD explanation is in order.
I slowly round up the boat to almost a stall, let it come around with the jib or genny still cleated to the former windward side. Then I tighten up the main sheet let it swing over to the lee side also.
After this I lash the tiller to the mainsail side--sometimes it works, sometimes not.

[barfwinkle]

Have you noticed if it works better with the jib vs the genny? I would think it would work better with the jib. What are your observations?

Fair winds

[BillyO]

Funny that you should ask-- It seemed to work better w/ 150 Genny.

[Tod M]

with the mainsheet, easing or trimming it?

and helm angle?

Other than fooling with those two things, I can't think of anything else. Sounds like you are going about it right.

<img width=540 img src=http://www.htmills.com/images/LF-A32.jpg>

[Chris L]

In my 25 I have found playing with the trim of both the jib and main sheets helps. Prior to heading up I will sheet in the jib or genoa hard, and come about leaving the jib sheet cleated. Once the main comes over I ease it slightly, it seems to me that how much I ease the main depends on if I have the 145 genny or 100 jib up. The tiller is hard to lee and lashed in place. I can heave to with either head sail comfortably. Chris

[Sea Hunt]

As everyone knows, I am a true "tadpole sailor". The below comments should be viewed with that understanding.

I have a Cape Dory Typhoon Weekender with hank on head sails (a 100 working jib and a 130-140 Genoa).

I have used both when practising heaving to. With the 100 working jib backwinded and the tiller lashed to leeward, I found that it was best to leave the main "loose" and well over to leeward as well. The "wind push" on the jib seems to counterbalance the rudder very well resulting in very little movement in a "S" pattern. The mainsail just flutters and provides little "power".

However, with the 130-140 Genoa, I do it a little differently. With the Genoa backwinded, I secure the main only a little to leeward or even amidships depending on the strength of the wind. Sometimes the tiller is left "loose"; sometimes I will lash it a little to leeward-again depending on wind conditions. I make the tiller adjustment last.

Because of the different sail cloth size the "wind push" on the jib is less than the "wind push" on the Genoa and I think this results in a different center of effort location and thus a slightly different configuration for the main and the tiller.

I am told that our full keel Cape Dory sailboats are the best for heaving to because of the full keel. I have never had to heave to in bad weather - only to practice or to take a break for lunch, etc.

Hopefully, I never will have that "experience" but she sure seems comfortable when hove to - at least in winds less than 15 kts.

I was also told to always "try" to be hove to on a starboard tack so that you will establish "rights" over most other watercraft.

[Bill Goldsmith]

On my prior CD27 and on my current CD32 I have found that the mainsail is not absolutely necessary to heave to, except to tweak the attitude or control speed. The main can help balance things out depending on the strength of the wind and the sea state, but it's the last thing to adjust. If you are falling off while hove to, it sounds like you have no way on, so the wind is just pushing the bow down. Also, you said that you lash the tiller last--after tweaking the main. You should steer to windward (push tiller to leeward) immediately after coming about the wind--as soon as the jib starts backwinding.

Many people think that heaving to means you are not moving, but this is not the case--you must keep some way on or else the rudder is useless. Instead of bringing the boat to a stall, try coming about smartly so you keep some way on the boat. Smaller CDs tend to hobbyhorse in chop, which can slow you down at a time when keeping way on is important. Once you come about, with the jib on the windward side, first lash the tiller and then try using the mainsail initially to keep speed up, and then let it out to slow the boat down a bit. It will take some trial and error, and it will be different depending on the wind strength, boat speed and sea state.

[BillyO]

Thank you all for giving me some more insight into the procedure.

[RC James]

may have lost his tail and started to grow webbed feet, gills are disappearing to be replaced by lungs, and the waterlocked tadpole may already have a trailer in his future, to become a TRUE amphibian!

[Michael Heintz]

Me thinks you are far more developed than the creature you once were.

Captain Heintz

[chase]

that's good stuff, sail on-

Chase

[BillyO]

Thank you again. We practiced it today, worked better with main eased more.
Wids were between 10 to 16

[Sea Hunt]

You guys are very kind - very wrong, but very kind.

Carl Thunberg's posts end with a quotation from Isaac Newton:

"The more I increase the island of my knowledge, the more I enlarge the shoreline of my wonder."

In my situation, it is more accurately described as "The more I learn the more I know how very little I know and how dumb I really am." I am, and shall remain for some time, a true "tadpole sailor".