Heave to with 135 Genoa

[scottmc59]

We never had occasion to heave to in our current boat, Morgan 44. I have done this in many other boats but we tried the other day and the large Genoa when backwinded wrapped around the radar and shrouds and it just didn't look right. I have always done this with regular jibs. Should it be furled in to 100%? That's the easiest thing to do but I would like to hear some other ideas from anyone with this experience.

thanks.

[RaymondR]

The reason for having the back-winded genoa is to stop the boat from sailing through the eye of the wind onto the other tack and then maybe around in a circle. You need just enough genoa back winded to prevent this.

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by scottmc59

We never had occasion to heave to in our current boat, Morgan 44. I have done this in many other boats but we tried the other day and the large Genoa when backwinded wrapped around the radar and shrouds and it just didn't look right. I have always done this with regular jibs. Should it be furled in to 100%? That's the easiest thing to do but I would like to hear some other ideas from anyone with this experience.

thanks.

Heaving to with an overlapping sail, with load on the sail, and with hardware like radar that sticks out, is an excellent way to damage a sail, either tearing or just stretching the leach. Been there, done that, have the damaged sail (prior boat). Heaving to makes sense with non-overlapping sails, but in a blow it is asking for trouble.



Yes, I would furl to non-overlapping first. The only time I might skip that is picking up an MOB.

[AnsleyS]

Prior to heaving to wrap your head sail into a handkerchief size and then tack, slow the boat with the head sail backed. Once the boat starts to stabilize on the wind you can adjust the helm and the head sail to reduce the hunting of the boat to almost nothing. It is easy to let out a furler than it is to take it in.

[EmeraldCoastSailor]

I furl my genoa heavily when hoveto. Far less than 100% is out. Maybe 50%. Also heavily reefed main.

[waterman46]

Originally Posted by RaymondR

The reason for having the back-winded genoa is to stop the boat from sailing through the eye of the wind onto the other tack and then maybe around in a circle. You need just enough genoa back winded to prevent this.

Uh, OK, but the OP's question is about damage to the sail or sheet. Whether you furl or use the whole sail, either the sheet or the sail will be run hard against the weather shrouds. I tried it but couldn't stand the look and feel of it ($$$) so just furled the jib and jogged along with a reefed main. Our boat will hold any heading closer then 90deg to the wind, without using an autopilot, and is very slow (what you want if you intend to heave-to) with only the main.

I had just replaced our 110' of genoa sheets. I need to add PVC tubing up the first few feet of the shroud to allow the sheet to rest there hopefully w/o damage.

[EmeraldCoastSailor]

The only thing that touches anything when I do it is the jib sheet against the shroud. That is easily guarded against chafe.

[Clivevon]

i often heave to with the overlapping genoa without problems but my radar is on the mizzen mast & i have tubing around my forward lower shrouds. You can play the sheet to ease or tighten the backwinded sail to adjust the wind pressure to balance the rudder. I like being able to heave to without needing to adjust the sails first.

[Tetepare]

Originally Posted by RaymondR

The reason for having the back-winded genoa is to stop the boat from sailing through the eye of the wind onto the other tack and then maybe around in a circle. You need just enough genoa back winded to prevent this.

This. KISS.

[RaymondR]

The aim of the exercise is to use the minimum of sail, both main and genoa, required to maintain the boat reaching to windward on one tack as slow as possible.

[EmeraldCoastSailor]

Originally Posted by RaymondR

The aim of the exercise is to use the minimum of sail, both main and genoa, required to maintain the boat reaching to windward on one tack as slow as possible.

Exactly

[Don C L]

Originally Posted by scottmc59

We never had occasion to heave to in our current boat, Morgan 44. I have done this in many other boats but we tried the other day and the large Genoa when backwinded wrapped around the radar and shrouds and it just didn't look right. I have always done this with regular jibs. Should it be furled in to 100%? That's the easiest thing to do but I would like to hear some other ideas from anyone with this experience.

thanks.

Yes. Furl it.