Multihull Handling in Emergencies

[sailor1026]

I'm new to multihulls and would like some advice on boat handling in emergencies.

The quick-stop maneuver is typically recommended for a man overboard situation. I'm interested in how it should be conducted in a multihull when going downwind, particularly at higher wind speeds.

Another maneuver is reefing. There was a recent article in MultiHull Worlds about reefing while going downwind, which seemed to work for us. What is the general feeling about reefing while going downwind vs turning head-to-wind?

Are there any other maneuvers in a multihull that warrant caution?

Thanks!

[cat man do]

I strongly advise buying this , reading it and learning it


https://www.oz-e.com.au/multihullbooks/seaman.html

[Mick C]

Originally Posted by sailor1026

I'm new to multihulls and would like some advice on boat handling in emergencies.

The quick-stop maneuver is typically recommended for a man overboard situation. I'm interested in how it should be conducted in a multihull when going downwind, particularly at higher wind speeds.

Another maneuver is reefing. There was a recent article in MultiHull Worlds about reefing while going downwind, which seemed to work for us. What is the general feeling about reefing while going downwind vs turning head-to-wind?

Are there any other maneuvers in a multihull that warrant caution?

Thanks!

and then get involved on a crewed boat and learn from experience before you do it on your own!

[impi]

Originally Posted by sailor1026

I'm new to multihulls and would like some advice on boat handling in emergencies.

The quick-stop maneuver is typically recommended for a man overboard situation. I'm interested in how it should be conducted in a multihull when going downwind, particularly at higher wind speeds.

Another maneuver is reefing. There was a recent article in MultiHull Worlds about reefing while going downwind, which seemed to work for us. What is the general feeling about reefing while going downwind vs turning head-to-wind?

Are there any other maneuvers in a multihull that warrant caution?

Thanks!

We've read the book recommended by cat man do (good recomendation) and other books, videos etc. etc.

I think one needs to practice and try out different techniques to see what best works for you and your boat.

Personally I reef while going downwind because I hate bouncing all over the show as the bow comes up into the wind. On our boat, we do this in 'step by step stages' (ie. Main halyard out a bit, reef in a bit, main halyard out some more, reef in some more etc. as we do not want too much of the main sail against the stays (risk of broken battens, wear on the cloth etc.).

[dirkdig]

Great book, met the author in Vanuatu and he was kind enough to show me over his boat a Catana 39 from memory,rely knows his stuff.
The one thing he fought me was the value of back up systems that when something fails you can just plug in the other and off you go.

[tolly]

Originally Posted by cat man do

I strongly advise buying this , reading it and learning it


https://www.oz-e.com.au/multihullbooks/seaman.html

Thanks for the tip, I just ordered it from Amazon.com. I'm looking forward to educate myself in the experiences of handling a cat in various situations.

[Maren]

Originally Posted by sailor1026

I'm new to multihulls and would like some advice on boat handling in emergencies.

The quick-stop maneuver is typically recommended for a man overboard situation. I'm interested in how it should be conducted in a multihull when going downwind, particularly at higher wind speeds.

Another maneuver is reefing. There was a recent article in MultiHull Worlds about reefing while going downwind, which seemed to work for us. What is the general feeling about reefing while going downwind vs turning head-to-wind?

Are there any other maneuvers in a multihull that warrant caution?

Thanks!

For trimarans, the book you want is the Case for the Cruising Trimaran, by Jim Brown. One of things it does well is address what happens when really bad stuff happens. In other words, it isn't just do this and everything will be fine, which it may be. But there are times where people do things massively wrong ... and you can learn from them too.

[Tropic Cat]

Originally Posted by sailor1026

...Another maneuver is reefing. There was a recent article in MultiHull Worlds about reefing while going downwind, which seemed to work for us. What is the general feeling about reefing while going downwind vs turning head-to-wind?

Are there any other maneuvers in a multihull that warrant caution?

Thanks!

I'm not real sure what you're asking here. The mantra with cruising catamarans is to REEF EARLY. I believe all cruising catamarans built in the last 25 years were equipped with furling headsails, however slab reefing on the main may have been an option on some boats.

[sailor1026]

The scenario is that we'll be traveling from Tortola to Florida, so we'll be reaching or running downwind. We plan to douse the spinnaker and reef before dark. One of our crew has only done reefing head-to-wind on monohulls. We did several evolutions of reefing downwind and started to work out the kinks in the process.

My concern with the MOB maneuver is running at good boat speed and needing to stop the boat quickly. I don't want her to trip over a bow or the leward hull. I've ordered the Multiull Seamanship book. Thanks for the tip.