[alberg30] Re: Heaving To: What works?

[Robert E Johns]

From: Robert E Johns <bobjns at nais.com>

>From: "Forhan, Thomas" <Thomas.Forhan at mail.house.gov>
>
>Subject says it all. What sail configuration seems to work best? Voices of
>Experience, please let me know.

Tom,

Heaving to normally involves the main sheeted in tight, the jib back winded
(ie: sheeted in on the wrong side) and the helm to leeward (tiller tied
down on the same side as the boom). The easiest way to heave to is to sail
hard on the wind and then tack without releasing  the jib sheet. As the jib
back winds, move the tiller hard to leeward and secure it when you find the
stable position. When heaved to the boat will drift to leeward with no
appreciable forward motion.

I first tried heaving to on our previous boat, a Mobjack which is a light
planing boat similar to a Thistle. I found that I could make it heave to,
but with the high aspect centerboard and rudder it really slipped rapidly
to leeward.

The first time I heaved to with the Alberg was when we were cruising with a
sailing dinghy in tow. I had taped the centerboard trunk of the dinghy, but
the tape loosened and the dinghy filled with water. The wind was probably
about 12 to15 kts and we still had the full  main and furling genoa. I
tried the above procedure and it worked just great. The boat sat quietly
and I went to the stern pulpit, pulled the dinghy up to the transom, lifted
the bow up with the painter, and sloshed the water out over the transom. I
could use both hands, the Alberg was heeled slightly but not rolling or
pitching.

All of the theory I had read said that heaving to works because the main
tries to drive the boat forward and up into the wind, and the back winded
jib drives it in the  other direction. The opposing sails result in the
boat drifting to leeward wit no forward or backward motion. That's the way
I remember it at least. This obviously says that you need both a main and a
jib to heave to.

On one of our Maine trips, we had big following seas that the autopilot
could not handle. We had to steer by hand all night and arrived at
Matinicus Rock at daybreak in such poor visibility that we did not dare to
head for the nearest harbor (Ragged Island) because there were rocks
between us and the harbor. We started sailing from the buoy off Matinicus
Rock for 5 miles out to sea, back to find the buoy, and then back out.
About midmorning, I realized that the fog could last all day, or longer,
and the two of us were really tired by then. We were sailing with only the
working jib with about 25 kts of wind and breaking seas. I knew  that you
were supposed to heave to with main and jib, but decided to try heaving to
anyway. It took about three tries, but I finally timed everything right and
the boat heaved to. It worked as well as if two sails were opposing each
other but with only the jib up. You are not supposed to be able to do this!
We stayed that way for exactly an hour and then went back and found the
buoy. We had drifted 2 nm in the hour. During that time the boat was
heeled, but comfortable, with almost no motion. The boat left a smooth
slick to windward and the seas broke at the edge of the slick about 50 feet
to windward of us. The seas did not break at the boat at all.

As you can guess, I am a big believer in heaving to. I don't understand how
it worked with only a jib but it did. Maybe the theory of sails opposing
each other is not correct. We have a dodger, which was up. We had some
windage in the stern with a Seagull outboard band several gas cans at the
stern pulpit.
Anyway, at about 3:30 in the afternoon, the fog lifted to about a hundred
yards and we scooted for Ragged Island. We spent 2 days there resting up.

I would guess that the easiest sail combination to heave to with would be
main and working jib. Main and genoa works, but it is rough on the genoa
because it is back winded against the spreader and shroud. The only reason
to heave to with the genoa is some immediate emergency like the swamped
dinghy. I don't know if other boats besides the A30 can heave to with only
the working jib. And I don't know why it worked. I would like to hear
others' experiences on this.

Regards,
	Bob Johns, Wind Call #397



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