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Old 31-05-2013, 13:49   #1
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I Haven't Been Able to Heave To

I absolutely have to learn how to heave to. Working with a ranger 23 with a 90,130,150 jibs. I usually sail with the 130. It is slightly bigger than the mai. The wind here is very light which I think is making hard for me to practice.

First off I should tell you that unlike my previous Catalina 22 this boat doesn't really round up into the wind. I sailed the cat in Hawaii and always had good wind, I'm adding that in case that's the culprit but I personally don't think that it. If I let go of the tiller in would round up into the wind and the sails would luff. I took it as a matter of course that's what boats did. If I'm sailing the ranger and let go o the tiller it starts doing what we it wants. Maybe just spinning in circles. 360. I've got to say I don't like it. But I don't know what to do about it. Also did I mention tere never any wind I practice in?

I understand the concept of heaving to in theory although not having done it I don't see how it would work. So I start a tack and right when the jib starts to flatten instead of releasing the line like I would to follow through the tack I keep it locked down tight and keep it flattened on the windward side and move the tiller to the leeward side. As if I were trying to change my mind about te tack and continue on my previous course but since the jib is flattened it tries to push me on a new tack and with old balance the rudder and jib fight each other and the boat points into the wind.

On my boat the second that jib becomes backwinded that boat is spinning. Now I have maybe four seconds before it continues its spin and I've got an accidental jibe happening.
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Old 31-05-2013, 14:00   #2
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That happened to me the other day also. Winds were very strong, though.
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Old 31-05-2013, 14:10   #3
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pirate Re: I haven't been able to heave to

Try with just your main sheeted in off centre and your tiller lashed halfway over... she should round up then fall off as the main feathers... how far before the wind kicks her forward again is another matter..
But if your trying it in anything less than a F3-4 forget it..
Heaving to is different for each configuration... and I aint got a clue as to a Ranger 23.
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Old 31-05-2013, 14:29   #4
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Re: I haven't been able to heave to

If it's a Ranger, it must be a Gary Mull design, which means it's probably very well balanced.
Here's a video from Alex from Portugal that may help:
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Old 31-05-2013, 14:40   #5
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Re: I haven't been able to heave to

Technically, one assumes heaving to requires strong wind. But, in my experience any breeze - or significant current enables one to establish a stable course. The course can be toward or away. So long as the boat is moving in the direction you desire - you can rest, cook a meal below or whatever.

I wittnessed a heavy, traditional, New England full keel boat actually heave to with jib alone in 18-20 knots off the coast of South Africa. Unbelievable.

Boatman61 is absolutely right. You need to strike the jib and heave to under the main. Also, whether the main is reefed or not will affect how well your boat lies into wind and waves. More main is usually better than less.

You can never predict how well boats will heave to with different sail configurations. Only practice will tell. A boat that will not heave to is in my view a dangerous boat.

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Old 31-05-2013, 16:30   #6
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Re: I haven't been able to heave to

I agree its dangerous if it won't. That's why I've got to get this working. So if I strike the jib and then heave to that is acceptable? It's possible my job is just too big to heave to with and it overpowers any effect the main has and just throws the boat over?
But if I can get this working with main alone that's ok as if I was ever in a situation where I needed to I could strike the jib and use the main.
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Old 31-05-2013, 16:51   #7
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Re: I Haven't Been Able to Heave To

Lin and Larry Pardeys Storm Tactics Video and Handbook show in detail the process of heaving to for various hull designs. They discuss how to properly deploy and retrieve a sea anchor (parachute) to assist in heaving to when back winded storm sail, reefed main or trysail, and rudder are not enough. See www.thesailingchannel.tv/pardey/storm_tactics/
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Old 31-05-2013, 16:56   #8
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Worth trying a smaller jib. Maybe the 90% would work better. Also another trick is to ease the jib sheet slightly, but not fully. This should let some wind into the top of the main. When you tack the boat do it very slowly. As soon as the head sail backs centre the helm and then put it to leeward when the bow starts moving. You dont want much rotational speed. You may need to ease the main somewhat to get her to sit nicely. Good luck.
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Old 31-05-2013, 16:59   #9
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pirate Re: I Haven't Been Able to Heave To

Experiment with different sizes.. 1.. 2 reefs etc..
If you want to use a head sail you'll need something about the size of your main fully reefed...
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Old 31-05-2013, 17:01   #10
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Re: I Haven't Been Able to Heave To

Hey Snort! That's an exceptionally well presented instructional video! I take a little variation with my ketch rig, but it's easy to drop the main and ride with a balance between my mizzen and a backed working jib.
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Old 31-05-2013, 18:11   #11
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Used to teach on a Ranger 23...including teaching heaving-to. Great little boat...well balanced...and will heave to under main and jib.

OP Hard to tell whats not working for you w out being on the water w you but a few suggestions to try.

1 Use less head sail than you would for the sailing conditions. Otherwise all that headsail will tend to pull the bow downwind.

2 Allow the boat to stall before lashing the tiller down to leeward. Or it may come back thru the tack.

3 Give it some time to settle into a rythm....when hove-to the bow will head up and fall off in a cycle but should always stay above a beam reach.

4 Use the main like a big trim tab to limit how far off the bow falls. As soon as you have backwinded the jib...ease the main until it luffs fully. if the boat starts to fall off too much then sheet it in a bit...continue to adjust until angle stays above a beam reach (close reach)

Also, yes light wind can make heaving to a bit more challenging but still possible.
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Old 31-05-2013, 18:44   #12
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Re: I Haven't Been Able to Heave To

With a 130% genoa in light air you're going to have to get it super flat and then power up the main. From the symptoms you describe having in the OP, the main is not drawing full after the tack. So the only sail that's working is the backed genoa, and it's giving you a spin.

Focus on the main, keeping track of wind direction when you tack. The initial tack should not be more than 90 degrees, just like you'd do a regular tack when close-hauled.

It's not the boat having this trouble--it's the technique.
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Old 31-05-2013, 19:33   #13
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Re: I Haven't Been Able to Heave To

Quote:
Originally Posted by CaptForce View Post
Hey Snort! That's an exceptionally well presented instructional video! I take a little variation with my ketch rig, but it's easy to drop the main and ride with a balance between my mizzen and a backed working jib.
Very calm voice too.
I know I couldn't do it in Portuguese, so more power to him.

The ketch is under-appreciated!
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Old 31-05-2013, 20:47   #14
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Re: I Haven't Been Able to Heave To

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Originally Posted by belizesailor View Post
Used to teach on a Ranger 23...including teaching heaving-to. Great little boat...well balanced...and will heave to under main and jib.

OP Hard to tell whats not working for you w out being on the water w you but a few suggestions to try.

1 Use less head sail than you would for the sailing conditions. Otherwise all that headsail will tend to pull the bow downwind.

2 Allow the boat to stall before lashing the tiller down to leeward. Or it may come back thru the tack.

3 Give it some time to settle into a rythm....when hove-to the bow will head up and fall off in a cycle but should always stay above a beam reach.

4 Use the main like a big trim tab to limit how far off the bow falls. As soon as you have backwinded the jib...ease the main until it luffs fully. if the boat starts to fall off too much then sheet it in a bit...continue to adjust until angle stays above a beam reach (close reach)

Also, yes light wind can make heaving to a bit more challenging but still possible.
The OP didn't describe what he's doing with his main but this sounds like the way to solve the problem
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Old 01-06-2013, 00:45   #15
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Re: I Haven't Been Able to Heave To

Honesty I thought that heaving to was just an easy thing to do! I thought you started to tack, backwinded the jib and brought the tiller over and it should automatically do it. I'm not trying to be funny but you know when I learned to tack at the very beginning. The boat just tacks. I know sometimes you might not have enough speed and you fail and have to try again, but basic tacking is easy. I thought heaving to would be like that. I didn't know I had to adjust things and play with this or that i am certainly willing to. I thought it was not only a skill used for safety in uncontrollable heavy weather, or to wait for daylight offshore to arrive to a new port, but also a simple "I'm singlehanded, I need to run below and get a snack or take a leak, I'll heave I right quick"

So I should start with a smaller jib for practice purposes and then focus on the main. Try to trim it right to get the boat moving forward and starting the motion until it falls off? Or would you recommend starting to lean to heave to with main alone?
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