A basic sail handling question...

[Captain Mike]

It is good seamanship to sometimes drop the anchoring while sailing downwind. The rode pays out straight and the anchor sets in the correct direction. As you say, it really sets-this especially recomended when security is priority. Setting an anchor while drifting may not be as secure and the rode can get fouled. Weigh to go!

As Tom points out this is improper and tacky but I do the same and it works great. If you set the main first when trying to sail off the hook, it will just bring you head to wind. Of course I have the battenless main I mentioned in another comment so I can raise the main with out having to be exactly head to wind. In light winds I can set it well off the wind.

I also anchor going dead down wind at 2 knots let out the anchor and a moderate amount of scope. snub it (with my feet well out of the way) and bang. when it sets you know it. The Power Squadron would drum me out of the corps if they knew I did that but it has worked for me for years and if it works whats wrong with doing it??

mattngly@concentric.net

[Lyn Heiges]

Dear Sam, Neil and John,

I appreciated the comments which you all posted VERY MUCH!!!

I usually try to be careful and have not experienced any overboards, yet ---and hope I never do! The closest call was once on my CD27 on the Chesapeake Bay when I was coming back from the bow after dousing the genoa. The wind shifted while my wife was at the helm and the mainsail boom swung at me as I approached the aft end of the cabin roof, F-A-S-T!!!, I jumped back toward the bow and it didn't hit me, Thank you, God! I really shook us both because it happened so fast and if it had hit me in the head, it could have easily killed me or severely injured me.

We have a Life Sling on board and hopefully we will never have to use it for us or anyone else, but we believe it will make it easier to get the person back on board. As I believe I originally stated, we have a swim ladder on the stern and hope that would suffice to reboard.

The water stirred up from the hull and the likely conditions in which the overboard incident would occur, do raise concerns about the water and drowning possiblilities.

Maybe we will go out and try the system in the Gulf in good weather and see how this all works before we have to do it for real! We did that with the PDFs in our pool and it was interesting!!

Thanks, Guys!!

Sincerely,
Lyn Heiges
CD28 MOON CHILD
CD27 GUILLEMOT

When I am single-handing I wear an Likaris harness and I have the stern mounted ladder afixed with velcro so, should I get tossed overboard I will be dragged by the boat, not have to worry about the prop chewing me up and I can reboard. One thing not to forget is that if you are at the bow or generally forward of the mast and go over, you have the shrouds to deal with which requires your tether to be long enough to still get back to the stern should you go over at that point.

Lyn, it sounds like you are a cautious sailor but I wonder about the wisdom of a 'long' tether. if you are 10 feet back of a boat going say 5 knots there will be a lot of water pressure and a big wave in your face. Getting back to the boat could be a challenge. It is for this reason, I use a short tether when I wear one. It will hopefully keep me from going over at all. On the other hand it is a pain because you cannot easily move around the boat. I tie a line tight on the center line and attach to it. Must unhook and reconnect going forward of the mast.

wonder what others do??

lheiges@compuserve.com

[Neil Gordon]

>>we have a swim ladder on the stern and hope that would suffice to reboard.<<

Don't count on it. A person in cold water could be exhausted and otherwise unable to assist in his own boarding. Figure on using the Lifesling with the main halyard + boom vang for mechanical advantage to lift someone up and over the side.

Regards, Neil
s/v LIQUIDITY
Cape Dory 28 #167



neil@nrgordon.com

[Tony Raymond]

Hi, when I was a decade or so younger, in better shape and more prone to risk taking, I crewed on several offshore racing sail boats. We usually raced without regard for the weather and when it was nasty we often took alot of water over the deck and experienced broaching and an occasional knockdown. In those conditions, I wore a Likaris harness with tether. There was 3-4 times that I ended up overboard. Only once was I fully in the water and being dragged by the boat.

I tell you this to share my observations

First, I could not believe the force of the water when being dragged behind a boat going 6 knots, it was alarming! The strap snapped taught and the bow wave from my face disoriented me. I could not pull myself back up the tether to the boat, despite my fairly good physical condition at the time.

Second, I could not get back on the boat under my own power on other occasions when I only went partially overboard. That is, I was hanging by the tether and one hand on the lifelines along the side of the hull. In my case I had the fortune of 2-3 strong guys to "yank" back on board.

Thirdly, I found my self physically exhausted in these situations as one expends a huge amount of effort as you instinctfully try to stay on the boat as you are in the process of going over. It is not always a clean "plink" into the water. So, you are in a very bad situation and already drained of you're strength.

Lastly, another factor to consider is you're state of mind. It is a situation where you're options become suddenly few. And you need to think clearly. We always had two hooks on our tethers so we could unclip if we had to, by only pulling back 2-3 inchs instead of cutting with a knife. Of course we were always reasonably confident that the skipper would come back and get us... Single handing is a different story. I would recommend an inflatable life jacket with light and mirror so if you find yourself with the need to make the grim decision to let the boat go instead of drowning you have a better chance of surviving. I would also recommend a short tether to keep you on the boat no matter what. Unclipping and reclipping is a reasonable tradeoff.

Today when I single hand my power boat I wear an inflatable with integral harness when I transit from the lower helm to the flybridge when running at speed. I us a short tether as I definatly don't want to be dragged by that 200hp Volvo diesel running at 3/4 speed. If I have to go forward when alone, I slow down the boat and clip and unclip.

Just some things to consider, I hope you find them usefull.

Tony



tony.raymond@worldnet.att.net

[sam]

Thanks for your 1st hand experience. Hope that is as close as I get to going overboard (reading about others who have done it!!)