{"id":43909,"date":"2020-12-02T18:24:09","date_gmt":"2020-12-02T23:24:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/?p=43909"},"modified":"2023-05-06T17:42:55","modified_gmt":"2023-05-06T21:42:55","slug":"on-watch-advice-for-heavy-weather-sailing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/story\/how-to\/on-watch-advice-for-heavy-weather-sailing\/","title":{"rendered":"On Watch: Advice for Heavy Weather Sailing"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\"windvane\" <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n
\n A dependable windvane that can handle big wind and waves is more than a convenience, it\u2019s a key piece of safety gear because it helps the crew remain rested.<\/span>\n Courtesy Gary M. Goodlander<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t <\/figcaption>\n <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n\n

As a clumsy Chicago teenager, I worked at Blatt\u2019s restaurant on Michigan Avenue\u2014the cheese blintzes were to die for. One day Nat, the manager, asked me to replace a fluorescent bulb. I broke the first one attempting to withdraw it from its skinny carton, and I broke the second one while attempting to insert it while standing on the counter. Not good. This gave me a lifelong respect for the fragility of fluorescent tubes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

A few years later, while still a teenager and sailing with my wife-to-be, Carolyn, I came across another fluorescent tube, this one in the Cozumel Channel between Yucatan and Cuba<\/a>. It was dancing on the face of a giant breaking wave during a full gale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

The unexpected sight of it in such a bizarre, storm-tossed circumstance blew my mind. It seemed impossible that something that fragile could survive such monstrous forces. Thus began my lifelong education in heavy-weather sailing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s stick with \u00adfluorescent tubes for a moment. If you toss one into the sea, it immediately lays sideways to the wind and waves, and rolls. But let\u2019s say you attach a short piece of iron rebar lengthwise to the tube with some rubber bands; now it won\u2019t roll if the waves aren\u2019t too big.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

Fine. Most well-designed sailboats with keels will fend for themselves for years if they break loose from their mooring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

However, if the seas build, eventually our fluorescent-tube-with-a-keel will tumble; the weight of its keel alone isn\u2019t sufficient to prevent it from rolling over while beam to the waves. However, if you hold the tube in line with the waves so that the waves aren\u2019t striking on the beam but rather on the bow or stern, immediately the keel can work and the fluorescent tube is in a very stable position, even if the wind and seas increase dramatically. And best of all, the tube doesn\u2019t have to be directly into the wind or away from it; 45 degrees to either side is fine. Only lying \u00adbroadside to the seas is bad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

\n\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\"Tucking <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n
\n Tucking in a reef before things get sporty is prudent seamanship.<\/span>\n Courtesy Gary M. Goodlander <\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t <\/figcaption>\n <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s it. That\u2019s 90 percent of what we need to know about storm management. The rest is just details.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

When Less Is More<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n

If you daysail your boat, chances are you drive an automobile to the marina. If you\u2019re a prudent driver, you won\u2019t do this if the car has no brakes or, say, another malfunction like a stuck gas pedal. It should be the same with sailing: If you can\u2019t reef your boat\u2019s sails\u2014akin to taking your foot off a car\u2019s gas pedal\u2014do not take it offshore or head out when the wind is forecast to blow hard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

Of course, the breeze usually doesn\u2019t go from flat calm to hurricane force in an instant; the wind and seas gradually build. Which brings us to the question of when you should reduce sail. The answer is simple: 10 minutes before it enters your head. That\u2019s right, when you think, Should I reef?<\/i> you\u2019re already a tad late. Believe me, there is no downside to reefing too early\u2014and plenty of downside in neglecting to do so. Remember: The ability to always have the correct amount of canvas up is what separates the lubber from the experienced seaman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

Reefing early and well is important because when the wind doubles, the force on your boat\u2019s rig quadruples, aka a geometric progression. Let\u2019s say you have a boat that is extremely good in light airs and can move forward in 2 knots of breeze. Let\u2019s call that force on your boat X. In a full gale, the force on your vessel can be over 1,000 times that X. Wow!<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

A well-found cruising vessel should have no problem surviving offshore if properly reefed\u2014up to gale force. But often, our goal as pleasure boaters isn\u2019t merely to survive, we want to have fun as well. So Carolyn and I usually start thinking about heaving to before the wind reaches gale force, especially if the forecast is poor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

Many sailors come to me and say, \u201cTeach me how to heave to,\u201d and I say, \u201cYou already know, you just forgot.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

They look at me like I\u2019m nuts, which is the subject of a whole other article, perhaps for Psychology Today<\/i>. While learning to sail in moderate conditions, many of us have tacked without uncleating the headsail\u2014yippee! That\u2019s it. That\u2019s heaving to. Your sails sort of cancel each other out, with the mainsail wanting to round the boat up, and the backwinded headsail attempting to force the bow to fall off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

Each boat will heave to differently, so I can\u2019t give you specific advice on what exactly will apply to your vessel. And every skipper will develop a favorite way of doing things. Lin and Larry Pardey, for instance, preferred to heave to with a backwinded jib. I\u2019d rather use the mainsail alone because it\u2019s worked well on all of my other boats. On our present vessel, Ganesh<\/i>, we have a solent rig, so both headsails are far forward, and both have foam in their luffs (it helps them hold their shape when partially reefed), so they provide plenty of windage, even when completely rolled up in winds over 26 knots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

When we decide it\u2019s time to heave to, I sail into the wind with only a deep-reefed mainsail or storm trysail up, and no headsail. I point closer and closer into the wind while trimming my mainsheet until the boat loses almost all forward motion; she\u2019s just sitting there, hobbyhorsing about 30 degrees into the wind. I secure the mainsheet and tie off the helm, and then I watch. This watching is the key. I simply allow the boat to show me what she wants. As my father used to tell me as I was growing up aboard the 52-foot schooner Elizabeth<\/i>: \u201cListen to the boat, son. She\u2019s smarter than you\u2019ll ever be.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s what happens with the boat\u2019s nose stuck in the wind: She hunts. Her bow falls off, and her small main fills and forces her bow back up again, but not with enough force to make her come about. Hard on the wind, the main luffs, the bow falls off, and the cycle repeats itself. This might work for your boat too, or maybe you\u2019ll benefit from rolling out a little \u201cjib tongue\u201d to help blow the bow down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

Once I get the boat hunting, I play with my four primary mainsail controls: helm, mainsheet, traveler and topping lift. A word about the latter: During a prolonged gale, the topping lift should always be set up to take most of the load, otherwise you can pull the headboard out of your triple-reefed main or bend your mast track if you\u2019re using a storm trysail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

\n\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\"paratech <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n
\n Before setting off on an open ocean passage, it pays to check over safety gear, such as a Paratech sea anchor, \u00adbefore it needs to be deployed in tough conditions.<\/span>\n Courtesy Gary M. Goodlander <\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t <\/figcaption>\n <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n\n

Anyway, I usually tie down the helm\u2014meaning my rudder is attempting to turn the vessel into the wind\u2014and use the traveler to hoist my boom toward the centerline of the boat, and occasionally even over the centerline. The idea is to eliminate all forward motion, to reduce my vessel\u2019s speed to zero.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

Then I have Carolyn flush some toilet paper down our Jabsco head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

Huh?<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

The toilet paper just beneath the surface of the water is easy to see, even with a flashlight at night. If it is moving aft, the boat is forereaching. If it appears that the toilet paper is being magically sucked directly to windward, the sailboat\u2019s perfect. We\u2019re hove to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

If we have a guest aboard, they invariably say at this point, \u201cThe wind seems to be abating, right?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

Wrong. We\u2019re merely in our own slick. Our vessel is moving sideways, and its semifull keel is roiling the water and causing the seas to break fore and aft of us but not upon us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s the closest thing to a magic trick I know.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

Even in a major blow, Carolyn makes bread and I write; I won\u2019t even mention renewing our marriage vows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

Of course, we still maintain a watch at 10- to 15-minute \u00adintervals; the boat is well-lit, our AIS transponder is on, and we watch our radar screen as well. However, we\u2019re often good without further adjustments for many days, and in winds up to 50 knots or so, which is extremely rare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

Have a Plan B<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n

At this point, we\u2019re perfectly safe unless something breaks, which, of course, can happen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

It is possible\u2014but not probable\u2014that our halyard, mainsheet, topping lift or traveler might fail. If it does and the seas are in the 25- to 30-foot range, we have to act quickly. This is why, in storms, the Pardeys often decided not only to heave to, but they deployed a sea anchor as well. We don\u2019t do this because 1) our boat is far bigger and heavier than theirs; and 2) because retrieving our Paratech sea anchor is the most dangerous thing I\u2019ve ever intentionally done in my life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

Twice while hove to something has broken: one time a gooseneck and the other time a tang that held the mainsheet. Both times I had to deal with it immediately; I could not allow the boat to ride sideways to the seas. And so I dashed on deck, clawed down the tiny sail and steered dead downwind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

Remember when I \u00admentioned that keeping the boat from going broadside to the waves is 90 percent of storm management? Well, the other 10 percent is keeping your speed low.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

\n\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\"rigging <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n
\n On long passages, such as a Pacific crossing, your boat\u2014and peace of mind\u2014will benefit from regular inspection of the running rigging, sails and other gear.<\/span>\n Courtesy Gary M. Goodlander <\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t <\/figcaption>\n <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n\n

The problem with running off before the wind in truly massive seas isn\u2019t merely being repeatedly pooped by the breaking waves; it\u2019s also the speed to which your vessel accelerates as it slides down the face of each wave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

In heavy seas off Madagascar, our speedo recorded 14 to 16 knots as we slid down the mountainous faces of the large waves caused by wind opposing the current. Yikes!<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

Luckily, all boats carry numerous slowing devices\u2014even yours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo,\u201d you say?<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes,\u201d I say. Almost all boats have fenders, for example. And extra sails. And spare anchor rodes. And spare dock lines. All of which can be towed as drogues to slow down your vessel and prevent a pitchpole.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

A pitchpole occurs when your vessel gets going so fast down the face of a large wave that she digs her bow into the trough; then the wave tosses her stern upside down over the bow. This is not good. This is bowel-loosening bad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

Luckily, pitchpoling isn\u2019t common. While I know seven sailors who have rolled their vessel, only two think they might have pitchpoled, and both admit they\u2019re not sure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

You Have Options<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n

Heaving to allows the crew to control a sailboat\u2019s angle to the waves and its speed, and, as I\u2019ve said, it is our go-to option. We seldom use any other heavy-weather tool. In fact, we once sailed halfway around the world relying only on this simple and effective tactic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

However, every boat is different. We seldom towed slowing drogues on Wild Card<\/i>, our Sparkman and Stephens-designed sloop, while we often tow drogues aboard Ganesh<\/i>, which tends to get squirrelly in large following seas. What\u2019s the difference? I\u2019m really not sure and don\u2019t feel technically qualified to answer that question, save to say Wild Card<\/i>\u2019s transom was the size of a handkerchief and Ganesh<\/i>\u2019s stern is so large that I wish it had reef points.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

The whole idea here is to have lots of arrows in your quiver. Not only do we have a storm trysail (with its own halyard and dedicated track) and a triple-stitched storm staysail, we also carry a Paratech sea anchor and a Jordan Series Drogue (JSD).<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

We personally feel that an inexpensive Westsail 32 with the proper gear is much, much safer than a multimillion-\u00addollar yacht that lacks proper storm kit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

Do we think all offshore vessels have to carry storm sails, drogues, Paratechs and JSDs? We do not. I\u2019ve often delivered boats without them. But we personally do have them, and when it comes to safety, actions speak louder than words.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

Why carry both a Paratech and JSD? Because they do different things. Our Paratech is almost like anchoring; it keeps our boat\u2019s head to the wind and our drift to a minimum. This is perfect if the storm is fast-moving and there\u2019s a lee shore to avoid. But there are times where a lee shore isn\u2019t a consideration and moving with the storm is a good thing; then our JSD is perfect\u2014and much easier to retrieve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s the good news\u2014heavy weather is rare. In the 60 years I\u2019ve lived aboard and ocean sailed, I\u2019ve been scared only three times: twice in a major gale with a strong opposing current and once with a headsail I couldn\u2019t get down. Call me a chicken, but going aloft during a mature gale in a bosun\u2019s chair with a knife in my teeth doesn\u2019t appeal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s the trick? Basically all you have to do offshore is control your boat\u2019s angle to the waves and its speed\u2014and have a bit of luck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

Luck?<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s right, luck. That\u2019s what seasoned sailors pray for as they endlessly prepare to go to sea. And remember, if your vessel is well-managed, it has to be only as strong and watertight as a fluorescent tube to survive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

Among his other published titles, Cap\u2019n Fatty Goodlander is the author of<\/i> Storm Proofing Your Boat, Gear, and Crew, available online<\/i><\/a>.<\/i><\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

With several circumnavigations under his belt, Cap\u2019n Fatty shares his simple advice for sailing in big winds and seas.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":32376,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"BS_author_type":"BS_author_is_guest","BS_guest_author_name":"Cap'n Fatty Goodlander","BS_guest_author_url":"","hydra_display_date":"20201202","hydra_display_updated":false,"_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":"164","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Circumnavigator Cap'n Fatty Goodlander shares some advice for sailing in heavy weather.","_yoast_wpseo_title":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","arc_story_id":"2DTYROFSLVCXJGPDMR6DJ6QTKY","arc_website_url":"story\/how-to\/on-watch-advice-for-heavy-weather-sailing\/","custom_permalink":"story\/how-to\/on-watch-advice-for-heavy-weather-sailing\/","arc_subtype":"right-sidebar","arc_exclude_from_feeds":false,"sponsored":false,"sponsored_label":"Sponsored Content","sponsored_display_label":false,"sponsored_image":0,"post_right_rail":true,"post_right_rail_ad_1":true,"post_right_rail_ad_2":true,"post_right_rail_ad_3":false,"post_right_rail_ad_4":false,"post_right_rail_recirc":true,"fixed_anchor_ad":true,"post_top_ad":true,"post_off_ramp":true,"post_taboola":false,"labels":false,"apple_news_api_created_at":"","apple_news_api_id":"","apple_news_api_modified_at":"","apple_news_api_revision":"","apple_news_api_share_url":"","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":false,"apple_news_is_preview":false,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":"\"\"","apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[164],"tags":[183,199,1232,181,454],"acf":[],"apple_news_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43909"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=43909"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43909\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/32376"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=43909"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=43909"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=43909"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}