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
