[Rhodes22-list] What Should I Have Done Differently?
Herb Parsons
hparsons at parsonsys.com
Wed Feb 20 15:47:03 EST 2008
Yeah, I always thought it stopped abruptly, but I don't do anything more
with the main, I just let it luff. Is there something I'm missing?
Hank wrote:
> The video looked like it stopped a minute or two too soon. It didn't show
> what to do with the main after you lash the tiller.
>
> Hank
>
>
> On 2/20/08, Herb Parsons <hparsons at parsonsys.com> wrote:
>
>> For anyone who didn't have the "light bulb go on", here are two very
>> good links on the subject. The first is a video, and second is a more
>> detailed description of the procedure, and what it does (really geared
>> to open water sailing). On the second link, you have to scroll about 2/3
>> the way down for the specifics on heaving-to.
>>
>> One interesting side note on heaving-to under heavy weather conditions -
>> and please note, this is just what I was told, I've not had the
>> opporunity to try this in a storm. Supposedly, heaving-to in a storm not
>> only gives you a break from sailing the weather, it also is calms the
>> waves hitting the boat. The theory is that because a hove-to boat is
>> actually going downwind "sideways", the waterflow under the hull lessens
>> the impact of the waves on the windward side of the hull.
>>
>> I waited two years before I actually tried heaving-to because I 1)
>> didn't believe it would work and 2) figured if it DID work, every sailor
>> I knew would know how to do it (only one that knew actually did). It was
>> when I saw the video below that I finally believed it would actually
>> work. I've made up my mind that the next time a decent storm blows
>> through, even if I'm just on the lake, I'm going to test out the
>> "calming the waters" idea.
>>
>> http://www.videos.sailingcourse.com/heaving_to_wmv1.htm
>>
>> http://www.boats.com/news-reviews/articledetail.html?lid=1284
>>
>> Caesar Paul wrote:
>>
>>> Jack,
>>>
>>> I felt the same way about Slim's explanation of the "heave to"
>>>
>> procedure.
>>
>>> The light bulb did go on Slim, thats an accomplishment.
>>>
>>> Caesar
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> ----- Original Message ----
>>> From: Jack Chirch <jchirch at hughes.net>
>>> To: The Rhodes 22 mail list <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
>>> Sent: Tuesday, February 19, 2008 4:31:58 PM
>>> Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] What Should I Have Done Differently?
>>>
>>> Slim -
>>>
>>> Thanks for the clear explanation. I've passed a couple of dinghy
>>>
>> sailing
>>
>>> courses, and spent a few days on friends' boats--even sailed my Rhodes
>>>
>> once,
>>
>>> and had a vague idea how to accomplish this, but your step-through makes
>>>
>> it
>>
>>> much clearer. Think I may paste it under the bill of my cap!
>>>
>>> Jack
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org
>>> [mailto:rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org] On Behalf Of Steven Alm
>>> Sent: Tuesday, February 19, 2008 4:37 AM
>>> To: The Rhodes 22 mail list
>>> Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] What Should I Have Done Differently?
>>>
>>> Jack,
>>>
>>> Re heaving to: It's considered one of the points of sail even though
>>>
>> the
>>
>>> idea is to stop sailing and drift, but without dropping your sails and
>>> without the chaos of luffing. It's very easy to do and I use it all the
>>> time whenever I need to use the head or go below for any reason like
>>>
>> making
>>
>>> a snack, making a repair or just taking a break. And in context of this
>>> thread, it's a great way to make changes in your sail plan--especially
>>>
>> if
>>
>>> your single-handing.
>>>
>>> Get yourself on a close reach and then plan to come about. Come about
>>> through the wind like usual but don't let the jib sheet go after you
>>>
>> come
>>
>>> about. Let the main tack across like usual. Now ease the main sheet
>>>
>> and
>>
>>> ease the jib sheet some but don't release it. This is called
>>>
>> "back-winding
>>
>>> the main." So now your jib is full and very baggy and your main is
>>>
>> luffing
>>
>>> a little for a moment then stops. You put the helm to the lee. In
>>>
>> other
>>
>>> words the tiller and the boom are approximately perpendicular. Lock the
>>> tiller in place and now you are hands free. The boat will yaw back and
>>> forth some but mostly beam to the wind and slowly drifting downwind.
>>> Centerboard down will slow the drift.
>>>
>>> To reef in the jib, you first ease out its (windward) sheet and then
>>>
>> take in
>>
>>> the reefing line. If you need to reef in the main, you should heave to
>>>
>> on a
>>
>>> port tack so the boom is off to starboard. To get going all you have to
>>>
>> do
>>
>>> is release the windward sheet and take it in on the other side just like
>>> completing your tack. Adjust both sheets as desired and you're under
>>>
>> way
>>
>>> immediately.
>>>
>>> About those four horn cleats on the boom; I always tie the inhaul line
>>>
>> on
>>
>>> the first cleat, most forward and the outhaul line on the second cleat.
>>> That way both lines are close together and I don't have to lean way out
>>>
>> to
>>
>>> get to the out haul and have the same problem with that as Mark
>>>
>> describes.
>>
>>> The slack tails of those two lines are easily dealt with in many
>>>
>> ways. Get
>>
>>> creative.
>>>
>>> Heaving to is also how I reroute my jib sheets to the inboard position
>>> should I need to do that. First, heave to in the way described
>>>
>> above. Once
>>
>>> you're hoven (hiven? heaved? Having hove?) reroute the lee sheet (the
>>>
>> slack
>>
>>> one.) Now cut loose the windward sheet and get under way. Pick up a
>>>
>> little
>>
>>> speed and tack across and heave to on the other side and reroute the
>>>
>> other
>>
>>> sheet. With some practice, this double heave to is sort of like ballet
>>>
>> or
>>
>>> skiing royal christies.
>>>
>>> Heaving to is also one of the tactics of storm survival but since I'm a
>>>
>> lake
>>
>>> sailor, that'd put me up on the lee shore in no time. Best git on home.
>>>
>>> Slim
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On Feb 18, 2008 11:49 PM, David Bradley <dwbrad at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>> Mark, you've probably gotten your fill of advice by now. One thing I
>>>> would add... once I'm clear of my slip I disconnect the steering
>>>> mechanism from tiller to motor while still motoring. Does your
>>>> outboard have a pin to lock it in position? The tiller will be 300%
>>>> lighter in your hand, and you can then unfurl the sails, kill the
>>>> motor and be underway, raising the motor when you're ready. I use the
>>>> steering mechanism only when I'm in a tight area.
>>>>
>>>> Dave
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On Feb 18, 2008 12:55 PM, <mputnam1 at aol.com> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> Hello everyone,
>>>>>
>>>>> I am hoping you can help me learn from my sailing experience today.
>>>>> I
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> know I must have done some things wrong, but maybe I did a few things
>>>> right because I was able to get back to the harbor safely in the end.
>>>> Let me describe what happened and then ask a few questions. And let
>>>> me apologize in advance for not getting all my nautical terms right …
>>>> I'll do the best I can.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> My R-22 is kept at the Washington Sailing Marina on the Potomac
>>>>> River,
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> just across the river from DC. The weather this morning was
>>>> unseasonably warm with winds in the 15-20 knot range with gusts up to
>>>> 29, according to the coast guard weather report. I knew a cold front
>>>> was approaching and that it would get windier as the day went on, but
>>>> it was around 11am and while I was a little uncertain about going out,
>>>> it was one of those rare weekdays when my lack of work intersected
>>>> with wind on the water. So I decided to try and see if I could handle
>>>> it and learn something at the same time. I had thought I'd read
>>>> enough on this group about how to handle the boat in windier
>>>> conditions – I wanted to put some of that knowledge to the test.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> I was single-handing the boat and motored out of the marina and down
>>>>> the
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> Potomac to where I usually head for the center of the river before
>>>> killing the engine, hauling it up and unfurling the main. Before I
>>>> killed the engine, I noted that the water was choppy, but there were
>>>> no white caps. I resolved to myself that if I began to see white
>>>> caps, I'd head home. I pointed into the wind, killed the engine,
>>>> hauled the engine up and only let out a little less than half of the
>>>> main (having read so many posts on this group about being conservative
>>>> in windier weather) and it almost immediately got out of my control.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> The boat swerved into a beam reach and began tipping over, so I let
>>>>> out
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> the main sheet to try and keep the mainsail from tipping me over.
>>>> Right then I noticed that white caps had appeared (great timing on my
>>>> part). The clew and the foot of the main sail was thrashing around,
>>>> with a good amount of airspace between the clew and the boom.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> As an aside, I've never quite understood what is supposed to keep
>>>>> the
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> foot of the sail close to the boom besides just securing the sheet.
>>>> In these stronger winds, the main was actively pulling away from the
>>>> boom. Am I perhaps missing some key component to keep the bottom/foot
>>>> of the main sail in tighter proximity to the boom?
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> Because I had let out the main sheet to try and control the heeling,
>>>>> I
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> could not reach the line to furl the mainsail back into the mast. The
>>>> line was out over the water. So I was having to try and pull the boom
>>>> back into the cockpit to get a grip on the furling sheet … which, of
>>>> course, led to more heeling. And when I pulled on the line to furl
>>>> the main, it wouldn't furl.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> And, most disturbingly, with so much wind filling the small amount
>>>>> of
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> the main that was out, I just couldn't furl the sail. It wouldn't
>>>> budge. I also noticed that more of the main seemed to be inching out.
>>>> I thought I had secured the main so it wouldn't further unfurl, but I
>>>> don't remember if I had and I don't remember checking it in all the
>>>> hullabaloo. It never fully unfurled, thank goodness, so maybe I had
>>>>
>>>>
>>> secured it to some degree.
>>>
>>>
>>>>> Anyway, every time I tried to point the boat into the wind, it
>>>>> didn't
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> help give me more slack to furl the main. It was noisy as hell, of
>>>> course, which I expected. But I didn't get the slackness necessary to
>>>> furl the main. And the boat didn't want to stay pointed into the
>>>> wind, which I found a little surprising. I thought sailboats, when
>>>> pointed into the wind, stayed there. But I guess I learned otherwise
>>>>
>>>>
>>> today!
>>>
>>>
>>>>> I eventually put the motor back in the water, cranked it up and
>>>>> powered
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> into the wind. The swells had increased to the point that the engine
>>>> was coming up out of the water on every swell, but at least I was
>>>> seeming to make progress. I then somehow pulled hard enough on the
>>>> furling line to be able to furl the main. I don't know how I did it,
>>>> but I did. At this point, I noticed that my tiller to engine linkage
>>>> was not working. The 8hp Mercury motor I have only has one latch to
>>>> hold the cowling onto the engine and it was failing with the severe
>>>> pressure on the cowling, and the cowling was being ripped off the
>>>> engine. I had to use the engine tiller to point the motor. I tried
>>>> to disengage the linkage, but in the frenzy of the moment, I wasn't
>>>> able to do that. So I just continued steering by using both the boat's
>>>>
>>>>
>>> tiller and the engine's tiller.
>>>
>>>
>>>>> I eventually made it closer to the shore where the wind wasn't as
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> severe, and was able to disengage the tiller linkage and made it back
>>>> to the dock.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> So here are my questions:
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> 1) First, the most basic question -- whenever I go out on 5 knot
>>>>> days, I
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> make little progress on the water. And if 15-20 knot days are too
>>>> much, it seems a narrow window indeed that I am able to sail in. Is
>>>>
>> this
>>
>>> the case?
>>>
>>>
>>>> Is the R-22 a boat that should only go out in 10-12 knot winds in
>>>> order to best enjoy it?
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> 2) What should I have done differently when the half unfurled main
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> immediately got out of my control? Should I have steered the boat
>>>>
>>>>
>>> DOWNwind?
>>>
>>>
>>>> Would it have been easier to furl the main if I had done that? Or is
>>>> steering the boat INTO the wind and the chop the right thing to do?
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> 3) Is there something I should be doing differently so that the clew
>>>>> of
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> the mainsail doesn't get pulled so far away from the boom in windy
>>>>
>>>>
>>> weather?
>>>
>>>
>>>> It seemed very loose and uncontrollable. This was one of the two
>>>> most disconcerting parts of the experience (the other being the
>>>> inability to furl the main).
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> 4) In a worst case scenario where I can't furl the main (especially
>>>>> if
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> it's fully unfurled) in strong winds, should I just try to motor to
>>>> shore with the main flapping away and catching wind? I didn't know in
>>>> the situation I was in if the imperative is to a) try and furl the
>>>> main first or
>>>> b) to just get myself out of the windy area of the river even if it
>>>> means motoring with the main unfurled. I was afraid that if I tried
>>>> to do option b, that the boat could tip over if I was going in a
>>>> direction that was putting the main into a position to be able to tip
>>>> the boat. In retrospect, I'm now thinking that it's possible to motor
>>>> with the main unfurled, as long as the main sheet is fully out and
>>>> allowing the main to go wherever it wants to go.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> 5) Has anyone else with the tiller/engine linkage had a similar
>>>>> problem
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> in strong wind situations? The cowling only has the one latch on the
>>>> back of the engine (furthest astern) and this one latch was clearly a
>>>> weak point in situations of stress on the linkage. If I'm going to be
>>>> relying on this linkage in bad weather conditions, do any of you have
>>>> any advice on where and how I can get more latches put on my cowling?
>>>> OR should I not attempt to use the linkage in stronger winds?
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> 6) What should be the role of the motor in these situations? Is it
>>>>> the
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> first thing to engage to get the boat pointed in a particular
>>>> direction? Or is it the last thing to resort to? Should I be able to
>>>> furl the main without using the engine?
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> I have to tell you, it was very disconcerting to have trouble
>>>>> furling
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> the mainsail. I have loved the innermast furling main up until this
>>>> point … but pulling with all my might on the line was doing nothing.
>>>> It just refused to budge. I still don't know quite how I was able to
>>>> get it finally furled. It must have had something to do with engaging
>>>> the motor in the process, but I don't know for sure.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> For anyone out there who is reading this and considering purchasing
>>>>> the
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> R-22, please know that I think this is a marvelous boat. The
>>>> inner-furling mast is something that I've been very happy with up
>>>> until today and perhaps it's all a function of this being too much
>>>> wind for the boat. Or too much wind for me, a relatively inexperienced
>>>>
>>>>
>>> sailor.
>>>
>>>
>>>>> I don't know for sure the best way to learn how to sail in weather
>>>>> like
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> this … especially if I feel I have to go back to the dock as soon as
>>>> there are white caps. Maybe there is someone out there who is
>>>> experienced in this sort of weather AND knows the R-22 who can tutor
>>>> me on-board in just this sort of weather, but finding that person
>>>> would not be easy. But I am ready for any and all suggestions.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> Thanks for reading this very long email and I look forward to any
>>>>> and
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> all advice … including "stay the hell out of 20 knot wind weather."
>>>> Maybe that's the root of the problem, but it seems easy to imagine
>>>> that going out in a 10 knot day could easily turn into a 20 knot day
>>>> with gusts in no time at all.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> Thanks everyone,
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> - Mark P.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> ____________________________________________________________________
>>>>> ____ More new features than ever. Check out the new AOL Mail ! -
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> http://webmail.aol.com
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> __________________________________________________
>>>>> Use Rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org, Help? www.rhodes22.org/list
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> David Bradley
>>>> +1.206.234.3977
>>>> dwbrad at gmail.com
>>>> __________________________________________________
>>>> Use Rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org, Help? www.rhodes22.org/list
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>> __________________________________________________
>>> Use Rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org, Help? www.rhodes22.org/list
>>>
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>> 2/16/2008
>>
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>> 2/19/2008
>>
>>> 10:55 AM
>>>
>>>
>>> __________________________________________________
>>> Use Rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org, Help? www.rhodes22.org/list
>>> __________________________________________________
>>> Use Rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org, Help? www.rhodes22.org/list
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>> --
>> Herb Parsons
>> S/V O'Jure - O'Day 25
>> S/V Reve de Pappa - Coronado 35
>>
>> __________________________________________________
>> Use Rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org, Help? www.rhodes22.org/list
>>
>>
> __________________________________________________
> Use Rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org, Help? www.rhodes22.org/list
>
>
>
>
--
Herb Parsons
S/V O'Jure - O'Day 25
S/V Reve de Pappa - Coronado 35
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