Heaving To

[Andrew Troup]

Originally Posted by nigel1

Andrew,

Maybe this is a dumb question, but if the goal is to flatten the main as much as possible, why set the traveller to windward, and then drop the boom well to leeward. In my limited experience, I thought that dropping the traveller to leeward, and easing the sheet less, would help flatten the main, the sheet helping the vang to keep the boom down.

Nigel

Nice to know someone's paying attention

I agree with what you say, if there were not the competing consideration of trying to immobilise the clew laterally, which is what my post was intending to emphasise.

I should perhaps have been more specific: I didn't mean the traveller had to be all the way to windward, but to windward of where it would normally be when beating into that strength of wind.

The object being to have the boom "triangulated" in a fixed position, with the windward downpull of the mainsheet balanced against the leeward downpull of the preventer, the lateral forces cancelling out but the downward forces adding together,

(plus some vang / kicker assistance)

so that the mainsail will be both flat and immovable

[nigel1]

Thanks Andrew, I'll be able to sleep soundly tonight, one less problem to ponder over.

Must try this next time out.

[Jammer Six]

You must be Aussie, then. I'm not sure who else sent their boys to die in Africa.

[Greenhand]

Originally Posted by Jammer Six

You must be Aussie, then. I'm not sure who else sent their boys to die in Africa.

Cubans?

[glenn.225]

"You must be Aussie, then. I'm not sure who else sent their boys to die in Africa."

Canadians in Boer war, but fought under British Command.

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by glenn.225

"You must be Aussie, then. I'm not sure who else sent their boys to die in Africa."

Canadians in Boer war, but fought under British Command.

Colonials have never fared so well under British command in distant wars!

Poor buggers...

Jim

[Jammer Six]

Okay, I'm bored now.

[Andrew Troup]

Originally Posted by Jammer Six

Okay, I'm bored now.

I thought war was god's way of teaching your compatriots geography and history?

Even keeping a tight focus on WW2, without resorting to Google I can think of at least six other candidates.

I'm reminded of something someone wise once told me

"Reasoning is a wonderful thing, laddie ... but if you don't line your facts up in a row first, it's just a way of passing time."

He didn't mention the boring bit. I've always found baseless reasoning quite enjoyable, myself.

Dangerous, but never boring.

[Jammer Six]

I always seem to need bail money about 20 hours after I get bored.

[SkiprJohn]

Originally Posted by Jammer Six

I'm pretty sure you're right. But it's a good place to start, and they give a pretty good description of the goal.

Thank you. I know the goal. I know how to heave to. I know that the Wharram will not. How will their book help me?

[SkiprJohn]

Originally Posted by boatman61

He's on the West Coast...

You think its a left coast thing? I've never heard of a welp so I don't know whether to consider it a compliment or an insult. Knowing Salty its probably an insult since that's his manner. He's an fn sbird.

[JazzyO]

Originally Posted by SkiprJohn

I've never heard of a welp

He may have meant whelp. Whelp - Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary

Related to Dutch and German (English is a Germanic language, for people who didn't know). In Dutch we have the word 'welp' which means cub.

But perhaps he meant the recent FB slang for "well".


Onno

[VirtualVagabond]

Originally Posted by Chrisc

I have seen 'heaving to' alluded to in a few posts on different subjects, and usually followed by something along the lines of that nobody bothers with it much these days or in fact knows how to get their boat to heave to.
Is this true?
Personally I regard the ability to heave to as one of the most useful attributes in my sailing repertoire, and do so quite frequently. Admittedly I have a long keeled boat which aids in the maneuver, but have also had success in fin keeled boats.
Does anyone else appreciate my enthusiasm for heaving to as a good skill to have?

Is your H28 a ketch? If so, what exactly is your technique for heaving to?

Vic

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by VirtualVagabond

Is your H28 a ketch? If so, what exactly is your technique for heaving to?

Vic

Hi Vic.. the BR 54 I took to Oz hove to quite nicely under mizzen and part furled genoa.. once I'd figured out how much genoa I needed..

[VirtualVagabond]

Originally Posted by boatman61

Hi Vic.. the BR 54 I took to Oz hove to quite nicely under mizzen and part furled genoa.. once I'd figured out how much genoa I needed..

Thanks Phil. I'll experiment with that.
I've used the Pardey suggestion for ketch rig with mizzen and rudder only, but the best I can get is still inching forward at around 1.3 kts and an imperfect slick. It let me grab a few hours sleep when the Auto pilot was out, but I'd like to get it perfect. Nobody on the CT54 owners group seems to have got it right either but it seems few had even tried.

Vic