CTS when the wind's against you

[Guest]

CTS when the wind\'s against you

You're planning a cross-Channel trip. You've drawn out 14 hours worth of tide on the chart. You do a nice CTS as per your RYA theory course but when you get out on the water the wind's against you. How do you plan your tacking to ensure you are on course for your destination??

 

[andrewhopkins]

Don\'t go

it will take ages, go along the coast instead and find a french restaurant in England.

 

[Bergman]

Re: CTS when the wind\'s against you

Andrew's advice is probably the best, 12 to 18 hours hard on the wind is a complete pain.

However if you must go you have a classic tide on the lee bow situation. Tack at the turn of the tide.

Even this may be overridden if you have good evidence to believe there may be a significant wind shift, but such evidence is often shaky in my experience.

 

[jamesjermain]

Re: CTS when the wind\'s against you

Set off with the tide on your lee bow so that it is lifting you to windward. When the tide turns tack.
As you close your destinatation you need to reduce the length of your tacks so you are not caught out by windshifts. Always aim to finish up slightly up tide of your target to avoid the possibility of a long had beat against the tide just when you thought you would be safely rucked up in front of a plate of fruit de mer.

There is some dispute about the effectiveness of the 'lee-bow' theory, but even if it is not as effective as people like to think, there is a morale boosting effect of thinking the tide is working for you.

If the wind is somewhat off set from dead on the nose, it will pay you to do the long tack first, drifting off and back with the tide, before reassessing the position as you close the coast. By doing this you will be able to take full advantage of any windshifts in your favour by, maybe, making it in one tack. If the wind shifts against you, you always have the option of tacking on the wind shift to your advantage again or, if it blows directly from your derstination, reverting to lee-bow theory

JJ

 

[ianwright]

Get a good forcast,,,,

,,,,,,,, and avoid windward passages. Only racers, school boats and charter parties that "must" be back on time to pick up the next crowd need do otherwise.

IanW.

 

[Twister_Ken]

Re: CTS when the wind\'s against you

Wind is rarely constant for the duration of x-channel trip. It will be forecast to back or veer. Make your initial tack towards the direction of the new wind, then you'll be freed when it comes. If no change is forecast, expect it to veer if a cyclonic system, or back if anticyclonic. Unless you're dead certain of your facts, don't go come off the beat to go looking for new wind. Some races have been won doing this, but more have been lost said the guilty party!

If, weatherwise, nothing is very obvious, then lee bow the tide (as above). Start with long tacks, then make them shorter as you close your destination. This used to be for the very good reason that pre-electronic posn fixing, you could never be entirely sure where you were going to hit the other side, and also so you didn't get caught too far away from the destination in the event of a big wind shift. In GPS days it's still good policy, but even if you don't do it, at least you know exactly where you are. I'm still old fashioned enough to want to aim a mile or two uptide of my destination. Nothing is more dispiriting for a crew than to be able to smell the Kronenbourg, but be faced with a long uptide leg to get to the bar.

 

[tony_brighton]

Re: CTS when the wind\'s against you

Had this problem last weekend coming back from Cherbourg - got up at 4am to discover the predicted NW wind actually N - and I was off to Portsmouth. Had to get back for the England match plus the Sunday fcast looked worse. Tried lee-bowing to start but the direction was right into a lumpy sea. Went onto the other tack but was making at best 060 over the ground (strong tide) and didn't fancy Dover.

End result - motor-sailed until mid-channel/lunchtime when the predicted W wind kicked in and had a storming sail for the last half.

 

[Guest]

Re: Don\'t go

Well put

 

[gus]

Re: CTS when the wind\'s against you

As tony_brighton says - Motor sail. Only a masocistic purist is going to try and sail when your 'passage' course is to windward. Motor sailing will allow you to point much higher and make sensible progress to your destination with the added ability of being able to better avoid all the big ships.

 

[Twister_Ken]

Rollocks!

Going to windward in a good boat and a moderate breeze is a far more enjoyable (and mentally stimulating) experience than reaching on a soldier's wind. And I've lost count of the number of channel crossings that have started as a beat and ended as a spinny reach.

 

[charles_reed]

Not for long tho\' Ken nm

nm