OK, What's the deal - how much wind is too much?

[Warren S]

The biggest value Judy and I get from sailing is that we learn something significant every time out. It can be something about basic seamanship, maybe it's a discovery on how to effect engine fixes while stranded, or even new and successful galley storage scheme.

I've read where CD's are strong and manageable in higher winds (for us, that means 25 - 30 kts). We encountered a situation this weekend where the winds on the Pamlico built steadily to "small craft advisory" conditions. I was able to heave-to for the first reef pretty well, but as I didn't have a 2nd set of jiffy-reefing gear installed (my bad, I promised the crew it would be on the top of the list this season), we ended up dousing the sail entirely, but not before trying to heave-to a 2nd time to place a 2nd "manual" reef in there. We found that wile we could make some decent way with the canvas we had (albeit too much for the winds), we could not tack the boat to save our lives. To make matters more interesting, being heeled over to such an extend for so long (and with just under 1/4 fuel on board) the engine refused to fire so I couldn't "cheat" on the tack.

My question would be: is there a technique for tacking that I am not doing? When tacking in high winds, what are the "success factors" besides forward speed?

[tartansailor]

Your opening remarks about "learning" is in fact a life long
learning curve, unless you are an Olympic Gold Medalist turned
pro, then you probably peak somewhere around age 46 or so.

Tacking in heavy weather means that you need to keep your boat
upright; minimum heel. That involves sails being flat, and
the boat pointing a point or two below luff. There should be
minimum helm, and when it is time to tack, it is done more
smartly then in calmer winds. That takes feel which only
comes with practice.
Hope this is not restating the obvious, because I have only
touched on the basics.
Cheers,

Dick

[Warren Kaplan]

Just to add to Dick's comments, you want to make sure you've got good forward speed on the boat to make sure you can carry the bow of the boat through the eye of the wind when you tack. Dick alluded to dropping the point of sail a little below luffing...which should increase your speed.

If there is a seaway running you need to pick your spot. Its usually a good idea to do the tack maneuver in a trough of a wave rather than having your forward progress stalled out by slamming the bow into the crest of an oncoming wave.

Get your speed up. Time your tack for a trough and then put the helm hard over smartly and your momentum should carry you through onto the other tack.

[Cathy Monaghan]

How much headsail did you have up? You really need to be using the headsail if you're sailing on the wind. It should be reefed just as you reef the main -- in other words, when you shorten the mainsail, shorten the headsail too. Don't just roll it up or take it down.

If you have a cutter rig, use either the yankee or the staysail. When you get down to 2 reefs, it should be just the staysail and reefed main at that point. In 25-30 knots, you'll be most comfortable with 2 reefs in the main and with the staysail alone (no yankee), and the boat will sail along nicely


Hope this helps,
Cathy
CD32 Realization, #3
Rahway, NJ
Raritan Bay

[tartansailor]

Warren and Cathy have hit the nail on the head, and those words of wisdom have said it all and should be well heeded.

In my other life, campaigning a Lightning, I was young and reckless, and longed for 35kt breezes on the Hudson.
Here are some of my tuning guide notes:
25 Knots +
Note: do the following in the order given.
Reef
Flatten Main
Vang on hard (for now)
Outhaul on hard
Cunningham max w/o wrinkles
Ease Traveler
Open Slot, try to keep the jib full and driving.
Twist big time to spill air and point higher (not max) to keep the boat upright.
Back-Stay bends the mast high. (flattens sail)

That was 55 years ago, now the best advise now is avoid anything over 18 kts.

[SPIBob]

Another option is to leave the jib sheet attached until after the bow has crossed the wind, like you would do when heaving to. Then the jib is backed and will help the bow to continue coming across onto the new course. Then release and re-sheet.

[David VanDenburgh]

Warren, if you had trouble tacking after reefing, I suspect it is because you had too much sail forward of the mast and too little sail aft of the mast. Either you needed to reduce the size of your headsail(s) for the wind speed, or you overreefeed your mainsail.

[sgbernd]

One of the neat things you can do with self tacking boom of the CDs and hank on sails is put a set of reef points into the jib, just like the main. I have a full batten jib which can be reefed way down to about a 45. When you put the second reef in the main, I can reef the jib as well. I found dealing with high 20s with gusts to mid 30's was actually quite comfortable and very controllable, the boat was balanced, tacked, didn't heel much, and sailed quite happily at about 4kts. Funny how you go slower in 30kts than in 15.

The down side is you make too much leeway to make progress into the wind, but if you are off the wind, it works pretty well.

[Warren S]

I had reduced the roller-furled genny to what I felt was a goos compromise between keeping her somewhat upright and still be able to make way so we could tack away from an oncoming lee shore. I wasn't clear in my description so I'll clarify: i was trying to tack in order to heave-to. I had but one reef in, and I would guess enough head sail to = 20% of the reefed main. the bow would come ever so close to passing the eye and backwinding the genny, but no soap, even falling off enough to get speed (which ie exciting with the shore looming and Judy calling out depth)!

When I steam her back to her home port from Bath, where we put in with low fuel and, yes, a torn main from the experience (Once again I'll be clearing my dining room to make way for the sewing machine and Judy will work her magic), we will be adding that 2nd set of reefing gear the same weekend!

[Roy J.]

If the main is blown out it will be harder to flatten. Did you also remember to haul on the outhaul to tighten the mainsail clew? I had this trouble once on Auburn when I reefed, but did not ensure good flat sail shape with the outhaul/aft reefing car block.

[Dick Kobayashi]

It is momentum defined as mass x velocity that carries the boat through the tack until the wind catches the headsail and pushes the bow further around to complete the tack. I have never sailed on the CD 270 which has a center board and perhaps a somewhat different degree of momentum at a given speed ( only 20 of these built, I think) but I suggest that only experimentation with the 270 and/or consultation with other 270 owners or the designer (Dieter Empacher of Marblehead) will yield information specific to this craft. However it remains a truism that MOMENTUM is key to tacking.

[Duncan]

I had a heavy centreboard boat that didn't like to tack in some conditions, either (Paceship Westwind 24). Ted Hood design, and of course that's where Empacher got started, so there may be some similarities.

I used to try and "carve" the tacks, just ease her around without a lot of rudder, so as not to lose boat speed. This often had the opposite effect, and stalled the boat in stays. I then adopted a completely different approach, hard over, full rudder, and then midships once she was through the eye of the wind. That often "kicked" the stern over pretty smartly, and generally worked better.

If all else fails, of course, you can always "wear ship", and gybe her around. It won't win you any races, but it always gets you around onto the other tack. If you leave the jib sheeted, and gybe the main, I guess you should end up hove to on the opposite tack (although I've never done it this way).

[Dick Kobayashi]

Leaving the jib fully sheeted when tacking allows the wind to "bite" into it and help finish the tack AFTER the bow has passed through the eye of the wind. After you know you will complete the tack by observation let the sheet fly and sheet home on the new leeward side. Actually it tends to me a trick used when there are light airs and the boat doesn't have much momentum.

[Neil Gordon]

Leaving the jib fully sheeted when tacking allows the wind to "bite" into it and help finish the tack AFTER the bow has passed through the eye of the wind.

It also kills your boat speed as you're effectively hove to for the short time until you let go the jib sheet. With the jib backed and no boat speed, you'll likely fall off further than you want on the new tack and be beam to the wind and waves until you get going again.

Rather than depend on the backed jib to get you through the tack, try to time the turn at a time when you're coming off a wave rather than going into the face of one, so that you have boat speed. Fall off a bit to gain momentum, turn into a trough and (hopefully) meet the next wave on the (new) windward bow. The bow will fall off to leeward, helped by the wind and waves and will complete the tack.

(It doesn't always work for me, either. Keep some sea room so that your failed tack doesn't find you on a lee shore or on the rocks.)

[marilou]

My rule of thumb - do not release jib until boom has come across boat. Centerboard all the way down, if possible, especially in lite air. Maintaining full speed ahead is critical. The foresail is the key. You may experiment with sailing with the main down. I do not have furling gear - but have sailed many times with only the 150 up.