Just reading-up on storm tactics and wondering what works best for a cd25. Whether you use use a backed headsail and reefed main or just the reefed main. What about tri-sails, storm anchors,etc... I know different things work for different type boats so I'm asking specifically for the CD25. I've used the backed headsail and reefed main relatively successesfully but slipped quite a bit leeward. Not a problem out at sea but could cause problems closer to shore.
Scott
capedorysailor@earthlink.net
CD25 Heaving to...
Moderator: Jim Walsh
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JimL
Re: CD25 Heaving to...
NOTE TO THE BOARD: I'm a little hesitant posting this....I don't want folks to think I'm a "real" ocean sailor....because I'm not. My apologies in advance to anyone who thinks I sound like a "know it all"....it's just what happened.
My storm experience occurred when I was a lot younger, and still immortal. I do think, in retrospect, that we did the right thing, and perhaps someone may benefit from what we learned in the Sea of Cortez, in the spring of 1975.
I'm a believer in "stern to" for bare poles, survival stuff. In Mexico (in a Coronado 23) I ran before a gale for about 2 days with 150' lines astern dragging a sleeping bag, boat ladder, folding shovel, an empty cooler, and other bits.....enough to keep the boat speed down to about 4 knots. Trying to keep the bow into the waves had resulted in a lot of green water all the way over the cabin and decks.....it just wouldn't lift fast enough. I was able to keep the boat moving and steering (downwind), though we got pooped a couple times. Here's the point....if you're moving with the waves, you buy yourself a little more time between each problem....which is probably why we survived. At the time, I was just trying to reduce the stress and impact on the boat, as well as slow down the motion for the two seasick ladies in the cabin.
I recently saw an article on Coast Guard tests of "stern to" sea anchoring and it was very enlightening. Essentially.....we aren't fast enough to run with big waves (the bigger, the faster) so we are best to use the relatively flat run aft, and extra bouyancy, to get the stern to lift and slide the wave under us. Their best drogue system was a series of small cones, on about 100+ feet of line! They reinforced what I learned by luck and accident. If I can find the website, I'll put up a post.
I will offer this suggestion, based on my bad experience: Be sure your rudder and tiller are strong, and have something like a heavy jacket to protect your ribs from the tiller. We took turns steering and when a wave really slammed us from behind, it was necessary to brace in the bottom of the cockpit with the tiller under your arms, to keep the rudder straight. As the boat accelerated down the wave, I'd wait until the curl had broken into white water, and was running with the boat, then I angled off slightly to keep from driving the bow into the trough. God help you if the tiller or rudder fails in such a situation.
Be sure you've a way to get the dropboards to stay in, and hatch to stay shut. When the top of the wave breaks over the transom, it'll smack the back of the cabin so hard the whole boat shakes. We slammed a small jib under both seat locker lids, then tied the jib down to the genoa blocks and the mast base (to cover the back of the cabin, wrapping over the top). It kept a lot of water out of the cabin (it had been squirting in with great force, on each big hit), but scared the H... out of the girls, tied inside the cabin (they didn't like being tied in....but if the boat had broken or sunk, it wouldn't have mattered).
I REALLY, REALLY never want to get on national news again... the Coast Guard couldn't find us because the waves were so much taller than the boat (sliding down a wave, I could look over the top of the mast and see the top of the wave that had just passed under us). My best suggestion is....be a chicken sailor, like I am now. Don't get caught in that stuff!!!!
leinfam@earthlink.net
My storm experience occurred when I was a lot younger, and still immortal. I do think, in retrospect, that we did the right thing, and perhaps someone may benefit from what we learned in the Sea of Cortez, in the spring of 1975.
I'm a believer in "stern to" for bare poles, survival stuff. In Mexico (in a Coronado 23) I ran before a gale for about 2 days with 150' lines astern dragging a sleeping bag, boat ladder, folding shovel, an empty cooler, and other bits.....enough to keep the boat speed down to about 4 knots. Trying to keep the bow into the waves had resulted in a lot of green water all the way over the cabin and decks.....it just wouldn't lift fast enough. I was able to keep the boat moving and steering (downwind), though we got pooped a couple times. Here's the point....if you're moving with the waves, you buy yourself a little more time between each problem....which is probably why we survived. At the time, I was just trying to reduce the stress and impact on the boat, as well as slow down the motion for the two seasick ladies in the cabin.
I recently saw an article on Coast Guard tests of "stern to" sea anchoring and it was very enlightening. Essentially.....we aren't fast enough to run with big waves (the bigger, the faster) so we are best to use the relatively flat run aft, and extra bouyancy, to get the stern to lift and slide the wave under us. Their best drogue system was a series of small cones, on about 100+ feet of line! They reinforced what I learned by luck and accident. If I can find the website, I'll put up a post.
I will offer this suggestion, based on my bad experience: Be sure your rudder and tiller are strong, and have something like a heavy jacket to protect your ribs from the tiller. We took turns steering and when a wave really slammed us from behind, it was necessary to brace in the bottom of the cockpit with the tiller under your arms, to keep the rudder straight. As the boat accelerated down the wave, I'd wait until the curl had broken into white water, and was running with the boat, then I angled off slightly to keep from driving the bow into the trough. God help you if the tiller or rudder fails in such a situation.
Be sure you've a way to get the dropboards to stay in, and hatch to stay shut. When the top of the wave breaks over the transom, it'll smack the back of the cabin so hard the whole boat shakes. We slammed a small jib under both seat locker lids, then tied the jib down to the genoa blocks and the mast base (to cover the back of the cabin, wrapping over the top). It kept a lot of water out of the cabin (it had been squirting in with great force, on each big hit), but scared the H... out of the girls, tied inside the cabin (they didn't like being tied in....but if the boat had broken or sunk, it wouldn't have mattered).
I REALLY, REALLY never want to get on national news again... the Coast Guard couldn't find us because the waves were so much taller than the boat (sliding down a wave, I could look over the top of the mast and see the top of the wave that had just passed under us). My best suggestion is....be a chicken sailor, like I am now. Don't get caught in that stuff!!!!
leinfam@earthlink.net
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Kurt
Re: CD25 Heaving to...
An excellent post and very worthwhile reading for anyone who believes sailing is all fun and romance!
kjlgpw@aol.com
kjlgpw@aol.com