DQOTD (Sailing - get out of trouble)

[Guest]

Tacking up a narrow channel. I've just tacked onto s'tbd. Pulling in the genoa sheet, the braided cover on the (rather worn) sheet breaks as the sail is almost in.

There is only one block on the toerail with a now damaged sheet running thro' it and I have to tack back to port or run aground. So I tack, and the braided cover concertina's and jams in the now windward block. Can't haul in the sail properly.

What would you do?

 

[Guest]

Actually, I\'d probably say a rather improper word. *NM*

 

[Guest]

Take out your knife and cut the jammed line

You do carry one, don't you? Complete the tack and replace the line. If your sheets are long enough, you could actually use the bitter end of a single sheet. While that isn't the best idea, it should get you through a few tacks to the dock. You could also perhaps flip the damaged sheet.

 

[Guest]

No problem

So you were on port tack, you've gone about and are now on starboard tack except that the foresail sheet has not released. This is the classic method of getting into the position called 'Hove-to'. With the rudder trying to push the boat into the wind, and the foresail trying to push the boat away from the wind, you'll end up slowly forereaching across the channel. When (or just before) you reach the other side, you come out of the hove-to position on to port tack again, where you are again close-hauled and can make your way up the channel. "But how?" I hear you cry; simple, by gybing, the classic way out of the heave-to. And you proceed in this way, close-hauled on port tack - go about - forereach hove-to on starboard tack - gybe - close-hauled on port tack - and so on until you can deal with the snarl-up. Problem? What problem?

Oh, in case you're wondering, yes, it's happened to me, and yes, it worked. Until we came to a stop by deliberately ramming a patch of soft mud, which held the boat while we dealt with it.

 

[Guest]

Ah! The mud trick

Yes, the great dodge of heading for a patch of soft mud and sitting on it until you get sorted.

I tried that with great success one night when we got a bit lost in fog just south of Ramsgate. We sat on the Brake (I think it was) for a couple of hours while we had a watch's worth of sleep (keeping anchor watch, of course)by which time the fog had lifted, dawn had dawned, fast had been broken and all was right with the world

 

[Guest]

Assuming you have a spare sheet

Cut the starboard one, get going on port, then heave to on starboard (i.e. go about again but leave the port sheet hardened in). Now you should have just enough time to remove the old starboard sheet and reave a replacement.

 

[Guest]

knife is it? I don\'t cut valuable cordage as soon

as that.

What actually happened? I let the block run for'd up the track until I was able to sheet in the sail well enough, then untied and removed the jammed sheet.

Cheers, Andy