Heavy weather sailing

Noah · December 29, 2022, 06:35:01 PM

Curious: has anyone successfully hove to in our fin keel boats?

waughoo · December 29, 2022, 09:16:35 PM

Not in heavy weather, but every time I take down the main sail, I hove to to flatten the boat and make the process calm vs crashing through waves at the bow and having the wind blow over the deck accelerated by the boat's speed.

Jim Hardesty · December 30, 2022, 05:32:39 AM

QuoteCurious: has anyone successfully hove to in our fin keel boats?

Short answer, yes. But only for short times, longest maybe hour or so. I don't do it often, so won't offer any tips except to try it when you don't need it. Try it during different conditions. For me it's way down on my list for storm tactics.
Hope that answers your question.
Jim

PaulJacobs · December 30, 2022, 10:06:33 AM

Yes and often. Nancy and I have heaved-to on Pleiades many times. Sometimes, just to take a break if one of us is physically tired (I am now 84 and Nancy is 73 so we do not have the agility or stamina we did 20 years ago), but more often to be able to eat lunch without being bounced around. We have heaved-to in Narragansett Bay with as little as 6" waves, and also in the open Atlantic on a particularly nasty passage to Maine in 5-6 ft seas.

It is always a bit surprising how effective heaving-to is. The C-34 is well balanced so the process is pretty straightforward. Basically, tack the boat but do NOT release the sheet. Depending if the mainsail is full, or reefed, and the size of your headsail the final location of the wheel or tiller may vary, but usually you will find the "sweet spot" within a minute. Then, secure the wheel / tiller and have a civilized lunch even in 6 foot seas.

We have never heaved-to in 10-15 ft seas, and I would be concerned about heaving-to in breaking seas. Otherwise, try it, I think you too will be amazed at how smoothly the C-34 rides even in pretty nasty conditions.

Dr. Paul Jacobs
Pleiades, TR-FK
1990 C-34 Mk 1.5
Wickford, RI

Ron Hill · December 30, 2022, 03:41:12 PM

Noah : Yes, but the main has to be shortened and you have to shorten (to find that head sail sweet spot - 100%?) -- if you have roller furling head sail !!!!

A thought

Noah · December 30, 2022, 04:43:50 PM

Interesting. I was asking about Fin keel not wing.

Ron Hill · December 30, 2022, 04:54:17 PM

Noah : I have no experience with a fin keel, but I'd guess that a fin keel would be more stable and easier to ride than a wing keel - lower center of gravity!??!

my thought

waughoo · December 30, 2022, 11:17:11 PM

Ron,

The main doesn't have to be down to heave to. Perhaps I am misunderstanding what you are saying regarding the main and heaving to.

KeelsonGraham · January 01, 2023, 01:55:24 AM

We have a wing keel and have heaved-to successfully with the main up. However, in all but light winds you have to reef in the foresail a bit, otherwise she'll bear away. In our experience.

Noah · January 01, 2023, 11:18:51 AM

If I was 30 yrs. younger I might have gone out to test everyone's suggestions on heaving to, but....not today...

Stu Jackson · January 03, 2023, 06:10:05 PM

My experience has been that my C34 fin keel heaves to remarkably well. The ONLY caveat is that the headsail needs to be not much more than a 110. You can't "heave to" in the classical definition with no main sail up.

I've heaved to in many, many places and conditions, from inside SF Bay in light winds, inside The Bay in 25 knot afternoon winds, and out in the ocean in 30-35 knots afternoon howlers.

The C34 is a superb boat to heave to with. All my Catalinas were: C22, C25 & C34.

Holger Dieske · January 03, 2023, 11:39:47 PM

... to I understand that correct: reduced jib and mainsail in the 2nd or 3rd reef?

Holger

Stu Jackson · January 11, 2023, 09:35:34 AM

Quote from: Holger Dieske on January 03, 2023, 11:39:47 PM
... to I understand that correct: reduced jib and mainsail in the 2nd or 3rd reef?

Holger

On all my boats the max. jib I've had is 110. Larger jibs than that tend the keep the bow coming around, so reef to that. I've had the 2nd reef in the main twice, once for practice once for real.

senorquill · January 17, 2023, 10:46:51 AM

Yes, 2 weeks ago north of the Dry Tortugas for 5 hours to make a daylight approach. I've done this many times. Biggest seas were 4-5' 20 knots of winds with no issues.

senorquill · March 01, 2023, 10:59:17 AM

two short videos of Heave to and Fore Reaching.

Heave to: Like 10 knot winds, 20 miles offshore for an hour. Swipe to the last video.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CUkbIRbLwKH/?igshid=NzAzN2Q1NTE=

Fore Reaching: In this video A huge squall came up on me, I had the 3rd reef in the main and didn't have time to drop it, so I lashed the helm over and rode it out for like 20 minutes in very high winds; 30 gusting up to 40.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CpDMlKYLcL6/?igshid=NzAzN2Q1NTE=

1987 Catalina 34