Turning around

[Ken]

I appreciate any input on the best way to turn completly around and head in the opposite direction. I have run into this before and not sure exactly what to do. Great sailing sunday out of Pirates Cove, Portsmith Sunday. The winds were approx 15 knots comming from the south. I was tacking back and forth heading south. Then I wanted to turn around and head North. My question, do I jibe or tack. Turning into the wind I don't seemed to be able to get turned around. Plus when I am perpendicular to the wind it seems like we will tip over.



Zipwhittle@aol.com

[Bill Goldsmith]

Ken,

You can either jibe or tack (come about) to head downwind. In 15 knots it's probably easier and safer to tack, even if you have to come ALL the way around. Try to get a few knots of speed under the keel before you come about. If you are beating close into the wind in chop, your speed over water may be minimal and you won't have the headway to tack. Try falling off (steer away from the wind) to a reach, pick up some speed, and then come about through the wind smartly.

On a beam reach (purpendicular to the wind) let out the main and jib to reduce heel. If that does not work, try a reef in the main.

What boat are you sailing?

Best of luck.

Bill Goldsmith
CD27#173
Second Chance

I appreciate any input on the best way to turn completly around and head in the opposite direction. I have run into this before and not sure exactly what to do. Great sailing sunday out of Pirates Cove, Portsmith Sunday. The winds were approx 15 knots comming from the south. I was tacking back and forth heading south. Then I wanted to turn around and head North. My question, do I jibe or tack. Turning into the wind I don't seemed to be able to get turned around. Plus when I am perpendicular to the wind it seems like we will tip over.

goldy@bestweb.net

[Al Levesque]

I appreciate any input on the best way to turn completly around and head in the opposite direction....

If the wind is such that you will go directly downwind you do not need to tack or jibe. Simply ease the sheets and bear off on whichever tack you are on until you are heading downwind. On the other hand, if the wind is more to the side opposite the tack you are on then change tack first.

Al



albertlevesque@cove.com

[Neil Gordon]

>>... do I jibe or tack.<<

If you are beating into the wind, I'd reverse course from the tack that doesn't require a jibe. But on either tack, you can just fall off the wind, ease the sheets as you go, settle on a broad reach and jibe when it's a bit more settled in the cockpit.

>>Turning into the wind I don't seemed to be able to get turned around.<<

Why isn't that just another tack? If you are on a beam reach and want to reverse direction, and you do it by tacking, you need to trim in the sheets, both jib and main, as you head up into the wind. That way, the boat will continue to drive through the turn. When you are through the wind and on the other tack, ease the sheets as you go and settle on the new course.

>>Plus when I am perpendicular to the wind it seems like we will tip over.<<

Ease the sheets if you're heeling over too far. As for tipping over, go out in 15 kts of wind and see how far over you can go... it's not all that easy to dip the rail, and that's a far way from capsizing. It's really hard to capsize a keel boat with just wind.


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



neil@nrgordon.com

[Tom G]

I appreciate any input on the best way to turn completly around and head in the opposite direction. I have run into this before and not sure exactly what to do. Great sailing sunday out of Pirates Cove, Portsmith Sunday. The winds were approx 15 knots comming from the south. I was tacking back and forth heading south. Then I wanted to turn around and head North. My question, do I jibe or tack. Turning into the wind I don't seemed to be able to get turned around. Plus when I am perpendicular to the wind it seems like we will tip over.

Has anyone ever heard of a Cape Dory tipping over or turtling? I do not believe it will happen under normal conditions. Weather helm and the full keel will prevent it from happening in my humble opinion but I am no expert. Lose of a keel or huricane may be different but I would not worry about tipping till about 85 knots of wind reefed correctly.

Tom G
Ambuscarde



tgrant9008@aol.com

[Larry DeMers]

I have been knocked down to 70-80 deg. , with mast top in the water and main full of water, the cockpit was getting flooded by water over the coaming boards, cleated genoa and mainsail with the genoa cleats 2ft. underwater. This was a freak happening, and I estimate the winds at near 75 kts or perhaps higher.
What happened was this: We were motorsailing in absolute calm..glassy surface, hot day. Came around Madeline Islands south tip, and saw a white wall ahead of us, moving at us quickly. It was a downburst of heavy cold air from the jet stream (that had been diverted by other pressures etc.)that impinged on the surface kicking up a hell of a wall of water and wind. The sails filled, and we went over as the boat was still on a broadreach, turning into the winds. My main concern was the engine which cannot operate at over 20 deg. heel due to oil starvation, so I had to try and kill it while this was going on, then uncleat the sails. Jan was on the port side, trying hard to release the genoa, and started squealling..literally.heh.. Only time in 35 years she has almost screamed at the situation..

Anyway, she came back up soon as the wind was off the mainsail and genoa, and we were able to turn downwind and run like hell for the protection of hte islands lee while we shortened sail to a double reef (all we had at the time..now have triple reefed main). Of course, this thing blew itself out -before we even finished reefing, leaving a good 10-20 kt . blow in it's wake. This is the normal sailing winds on Superior, so that was fine.

But that was as close to turtling as we have gotten, and no thanks..would not like to try it again. The keel did what it was supposed to do, but it took 30-45 sec. to get her back up while struggling to get the engine off and sails released.

If you feel yourself overcanvased to the point where you are heeling too much..reef the sails. There is really no excuse for a boat that is in normal conditions getting so far out of trim that they get knocked down, unless you do get sucker-punched as we did. But normally, I would expect conditions to deteriorate slowly enough for the skipper to get the sails shortened before they need to be.

If you do get hit by a freak wind as we did, simply releasing the sheets and allowing the sails to be free will bring the boat right back up..almost too quickly, so watch for an overreaction by the boat to your input.

Don't be afriad to run with the winds until you get the boat in shape and properly trimmed.

Larry DeMers
s/v DeLaMer
Cape Dory 30 Lake Superior

I appreciate any input on the best way to turn completly around and head in the opposite direction. I have run into this before and not sure exactly what to do. Great sailing sunday out of Pirates Cove, Portsmith Sunday. The winds were approx 15 knots comming from the south. I was tacking back and forth heading south. Then I wanted to turn around and head North. My question, do I jibe or tack. Turning into the wind I don't seemed to be able to get turned around. Plus when I am perpendicular to the wind it seems like we will tip over.

Has anyone ever heard of a Cape Dory tipping over or turtling? I do not believe it will happen under normal conditions. Weather helm and the full keel will prevent it from happening in my humble opinion but I am no expert. Lose of a keel or huricane may be different but I would not worry about tipping till about 85 knots of wind reefed correctly.

Tom G
Ambuscarde

demers@sgi.com

[Serge Zimberoff]

Just memorize Al's instructions and you will be under control all the time.
Serge
TY #1700 'Cloning Around'



serge@srtrop.com