Heaving-to myths.

[Howard888]

We hove to a couple of times on our FD12 A 50ft cutter rigged sloop. We practiced a few times in pleasant weather so that when the fan hit we would know what to do.
Most times you are already with reduced sail. We would usually be double reefed with just the staysail fwd.
The effect you are looking for is a gentle sideslip. The boat is being pushed sideways so the water flows from the lee of your boat, under the keel. This tends to quiet the wave coming toward you.
It is way better than trying to make landfall at night in a storm.
I would suggest getting to know how your boat handles it. What configuration is best.
Try heaving to and having lunch. Not only will this give you confidence it will also allow everyone to enjoy a meal together.
https://www.cruisersforum.com/images/icons/icon3.gif

[hpeer]

Just to add something, once when I wanted to hove to on my 33’er I was having difficulty with the bow falling off too much. It set a riding sail on my back stay. Problem solved.

Kind of unorthodox but it worked. I was probably doing something wrong, I was pretty green back then.

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by hpeer

Just to add something, once when I wanted to hove to on my 33’er I was having difficulty with the bow falling off too much. It set a riding sail on my back stay. Problem solved.

Kind of unorthodox but it worked. I was probably doing something wrong, I was pretty green back then.

Another similar technique is that the mainsail can be used like a big trim tab. When initially heaving to on a head sail, ease the main out until it luffs. If the bow falls off too far then sheet the main in some. When the main fills this will shift the CE aft and bring the bow up, then the main will luff again and the cycle repeats. With some experimentation you will find what works on a specific boat.

[philiosophy]

I have a Southern Cross 39. Definately not a Full Keeled boat. It seems to me there are a lot of people/cruiser's whom are big believers in fancy Apps like Predict Wind and love the idea of Para Anchor systems they might only need if they are somehow unable to out smart Mother Nature with all her foibles etc. This way they do not need to actually learn how to practice good seamanship and Storm Tactics. Probably fine as long as they stay Coastal Cruisers with their Coastal Cruiser Production Boats. If you are foolish enough to think at the last minute in crazy rough seas you can just deploy your Fancy Para system like a spare tire you might well find your self wrapped up in said system. As someone previously to this so aptly said. Watch Skips and Larry's well proven Storm Tactics. By the time way. Hove/To is a Storm tactic developed by the English Navy hundreds of years ago. There are few boats that couldn't utilize the most important tactic. I have utilized it many times in winds up to 60 knots with three reefs in the Main by and a Storm jib. Had the weather increased I could still have went to my Storm Try Sail before So would have needed to consider adding to this my Para Anchor . I believe that would be full on Hurricane/Cyclone conditions that would be very unlikely to be encountered while crossing during the normal suggested cruising season. Do your self a favor. Respect Mother Nature and learn and practice these time proven tactics. Cheers

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[Michael Cobbe]

Heaving to is only done in heavy weather so you have to reef the sails before doing that.

[NevilleCat]

Ok to get this straight in my head (having never had to do it in serious conditions) and summarise from the OP's post; his problem is the jib sheet laying against the rigging, not the sail...presumably by this time he will have it reefed down to a smaller size jib, but the sheet will still lay against the rig yes?
From the experienced here it doesn't seem that the weight of a reefed backwinded jib will be too much for the rig?
And it might end up that it only needs a tiny bit of jib out, or maybe none to hove to successfully.
And if chafe is a worry then once the boat is settled we can go forward and re-run a sheet inside the rigging if necessary without too much drama.
Does that sound a fair summarisation?

[NevilleCat]

I also don't get the comment about falling backward whilst laying to a parachute anchor.
My understanding was that the anchor is sized so that this could not happen?
In fact there are stories of boats stopped so effectively they end up drifting with the current, sometimes to windward against the waves.

[seatime]

This depends on your boat. Sail plan and keel design and conditions. If you are dealing with high winds I do wonder if any boat would heave too well with a sloop rig with a 110 up. Say 35 or 40 knots or more. Too large a headsail I would think.
In my earlier boat sailing offshore we needed to get some sleep fighting winds and current trying to make a course without success. Forecast called for wind shift the following day. So my boat then was a westsail 32. Oversized rudder with full keel. It was capable in 35 knots to heave too with just a back winded staysail alone. If it did not work I would have tripled reefed the main. But it was not needed. We did so for 12 hours. Crew got much needed sleep after beating to windward for three days. The staysail was rigged inboard of the standing rigging. So I don’t think it is a myth. Just depends on the boat and conditions.

[TeddyDiver]

Originally Posted by Michael Cobbe

Heaving to is only done in heavy weather so you have to reef the sails before doing that.

Not, you can heave to in allmost any kind of weather starting from gentle breeze. Then you obviously don't need to reef..

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by NevilleCat

I also don't get the comment about falling backward whilst laying to a parachute anchor.
My understanding was that the anchor is sized so that this could not happen?
In fact there are stories of boats stopped so effectively they end up drifting with the current, sometimes to windward against the waves.

Yes, if the chute is undersized this is a risk factor. Some rudders are inherently weak, or the teller gets loose and the rudder swings. Underbody design matters; some boats love to get sideways.

Also, the rode is quite long; the boat will move backwards a measurable distance when struck by a wave due to stretch.

My suggestion is reading through Shane's database. Lots of case studies.

https://dragdevicedb.com/. Also Don Jordan's study on drogues and Fiorentino's web site.

Not all of the information will agree, which shouldn't be a surprise. Testing in survival storms is anecdotal, every storm is different, and every boat is different. In this thread, some people think heaving to is only for storms, others would never heave to in a storm, but might heave to to recover an MOB or just to stop and take a break in fair weather.

[NevilleCat]

Originally Posted by thinwater

Yes, if the chute is undersized this is a risk factor. Some rudders are inherently weak, or the teller gets loose and the rudder swings. Underbody design matters; some boats love to get sideways.

Also, the rode is quite long; the boat will move backwards a measurable distance when struck by a wave due to stretch.

Ah yes I can see, I guess the idea of using long lengths of stretchy nylon will ease shock loading on the boat.
I imagine that this stretching distance shouldn't really have too many consequences for the rudder normally as it would be happening when the wave water flow is in the same direction and as fast or faster than any backwards motion of the boat.

[Don C L]

Unless the wave is breaking, the wave moves but the water doesn't. If you're falling backwards on a wave, you're falling through standing water.

[Don C L]

Originally Posted by hpeer

Just to add something, once when I wanted to hove to on my 33’er I was having difficulty with the bow falling off too much. It set a riding sail on my back stay. Problem solved.

Kind of unorthodox but it worked. I was probably doing something wrong, I was pretty green back then.

Larry Pardey mentions that some folks hank the storm jib on the backstay: "Some fin and skeg boats heave-to with a storm jib on the backstay: others are happy with a storm trysail set..."

[capnorv]

My preference is to find an anchorage and hide out. The couple times that hasn't been an option on our last two boats, the mizzen held tight has been our friend. Due to the extra windage of Alice B., I also hoist a twice shortened mizzen to keep her true. Back when I had fin keel sloops, I made a storm trysail, which followed me between boats, but fortunately never needed it. Fortunately these days time is not a factor, so I'll just hide out if it's going to be snotty.

[capnorv]

Originally Posted by Don C L

Larry Pardey mentions that some folks hank the storm jib on the backstay: "Some fin and skeg boats heave-to with a storm jib on the backstay: others are happy with a storm trysail set..."

Just heard he passed at the end of July. May he rest in peace. I'll never forget the couple hours I spent with him on his boat about fifteen years ago, a great guy, and a beautiful boat.