Heavibg to

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angelsson

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Heaving to....

This came to mind when reading 'Coming about' previous post.

Would be obliged to read others input on the correct or most effective way to heave to. Some I have discussed it with have a different opinion on which way the wheel should be lashed once your in a heave to situation.

The method I use is as follows...

I am close hauled on a starboard tack and wish to heave to, I tack the bow through the wind leaving the genoa or foresail backed ie sheets left in same position prior to tacking.
Is the wheel (helm) lashed where it now is to leeward or is it turned and lashed to windward so that if she does start to sail she will come head up to the wind and stop.
 
Typically tiller or wheel is lashed to turn the prow into the wind, balancing the force of the headsail pushing you off the wind.

Every boat balances differently, though. Some can be balanced just with the sails.
 
Re: HeaviNg to

Um, not quite like that.

The point is to slow down, make life easier, have a leak, make a brew, check your position, whatever, correct?

Traditionally you heave to on starboard tack, thus giving you right of way ('cos you don't actually stop completely) over everything else. So cookers were built on the left as it's easier to cope in the galley if the oven is swinging away from you.

To achieve this point of sailing you start on PORT tack, then go about leaving the headsail untouched. The boat slows down and you play with sheets and tiller to achieve a comfortable balance. For example, a big genoa will probably be too large a sail to have aback without severely pressing over and you'll have to ease it (and how about chafe on the rigging?). The tiller can be left swinging free IF the boat stays quiet, but some need it lashing down to make the boat round up.

The keel profile makes a lot of difference: some vessels just lie there quietly, others are impatient to get going, luffing up, then bearing away, then up again, non-stop.

I wish you hadn't asked tho. I'll now have nightmares about jilling along hove to on st'bd tack only to be T-boned by someone doing the same on port. Both of us down below on the bog of course. Aaaagh!!
 
Re: HeaviNg to

I wasn't suggesting that you just lash the tiller. I was just answering the question:

[ QUOTE ]
Is the wheel (helm) lashed where it now is to leeward or is it turned and lashed to windward so that if she does start to sail she will come head up to the wind and stop.

[/ QUOTE ]

My boat heaves to happily with the tiller lashed to leeward, but not all the way over. It'd be different under the Genoa, though.
 
Exactly like that. The tiller is lashed hard over as if it was trying to turn the boat into the wind.

The positioning of the main is the big variable between boats.
 
Some modern boats simply will not heave to and lie quietly; this is due to the underwater configuration.

Assuming a reasonably-balanced boat, and considering why you want to heave-to ( a pee break, a look at the chart, making a meal, riding out some bad weather, simply waiting for the tide..... ) then one wants a snugged-down sail plan with the headsail smaller ( a bit less drive ) than the main.

From closehauled, tack onto the safe or convenient tack. Leave the tiller swinging free, for now. Ease the main out, on the traveller, until it is stalled. Ease the jib a little, from the closehauled setting, so that it is bellied. It will try to force a 'bear away'.

Now, harden in the main in stages, progressively, using the traveller - aiming to have the mainsail only just luffing and losing drive as the jib is beginning to drive. As the boat picks up way, the drive in the main will cause her to round up a bit - slowly - then stall.

Then the jib should cause her to bear away again, repeating the cycle.

Once you have the nearest setting to balanced, for the wind and sea state, then 'lash' the tiller a little to LEEWARD. This assists the round-up and recovery to main stalled at the 'on-the-wind' situation, and is particularly helpful when a gust and an awkward sea combine to push the bows hard downwind, causing you to bear away and accelerate too much.

The boat behaviour to aim for is a series of shallow 'S' shapes at slow speed.

These days, using rope to lash down the tiller is inappropriate, causing wear on the tiller arm. Use instead a 'triple loop' of 10mm bungee cord - as wide as the cockpit - looped round one horn cleat - or stanchion base - abeam the tiller. Twist this triple loop half a dozen times, then loop the free end(s) over a horn cleat ( or stanchion base ) on the other side of the cockpit.

Insert the tiller arm into the second or third 'twist' to leeward. Watch and consider whether more - or less - helm to lee is wanted, then adjust accordingly.

In lumpy, gusty conditions, you will probably need to 'lash the helm down' rather more than in light.

Go do what you need to, but keep a watch..... you are still 'under command' and must still comply with the Col Regs.



/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
Re: Heaving to

I have sailed modern hulls and traditional hulls and have always found the same successful - lash the helm hard over so that the bows are turning into the wind, with the headsail aback (as you say, tacking is the easiest way of doing this). Use the main sheet to control aspect to the wind. With a roller furling headsail you can reduce headsail if neccesary

If you leave the helm alone the boat will make headway using the main. You are really trying to induce leeway rather than headway.
 
Re: Heaving to

Exactly. I have never encountered a boat that will not heave-to after exactly that simple process. Boats range from Fireball dinghy to 60 ton gaffer with lots in between. I am sure that somewhere out there, there must be boats that won't behave, but I think they must be pretty unusual.
 
Re: Heaving to

Out of interest, have they all been sloops? I've never owned anything other than a sloop but I seem to remember that there are different methods available for ketches, yawls and schooners, and as for square riggers.... /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Incidently, what about junk rigs and cat rigs? Can these be hove to?
 
So far, responses have been all about helm and sails, but nothing about the keel!
Apart from stability, its function is to maximise resistance to sideways motion (by smooth water-flow across its curved surfaces generating 'lift' to windward) and allow sails to drive the boat forward instead of sideways. We see the sails, and attend to their condition and setting, but the keel is the other half of the force-equation. Out of sight, out of mind: to work well it has to be the best shape, smooth and clean, and the water flow has to be smooth; as near 'laminar' as possible. Understanding this, and helming to maintain it, is one of the skills of a good helmsman.
It follows that to stop the boat, and to ensure it stays stopped, we should first destroy laminar flow and foster the turbulence we try to avoid when helming. So the first part of heaving-to is to come head-to-wind and hold the boat there untill almost all speed is gone; then use the last of it to complete the tack. Now the aim is to prevent any forward drive from the sails which might re-establish laminar flow past the keel: twist in the sail will allow the top part to generate forward drive, so both main and headsail should be sheeted flat, with clews to windward (main traveller hauled up to windward!) In this attitude the sail forces have little or no forward component, the keel is is completely stalled, and the turbulent wake is out to windward, calming the sea: ideal for a visit to the heads, galley duty or rest for a weary off-watch crew!
Obviously the headsail leech must be forward of the spreaders to avoid damage, and a full-size main is probably too much, so reduce the headsail and drop reefs in before heaving-to. When fully hove-to the rudder has no steering function: it is just part of the underwater area, and can only be used to fine-tune the centre of lateral resistence, so its best angle will depend entirely of the underwater shape and condition of the particular boat.
From here (or straight after the initial tack) if either sail is allowed some forward-driving curve (easing a sheet, traveller down a bit,) the boat will start sailing: inefficiently and slowly as long as the keel remains stalled (turbulent). A little drive from the backed but twisted jib, and a litttle more from the eased main allows the helm to be lashed in whatever position is best for the particular boat, and forward progress can be maintained.
But this is 'fore-reaching', not 'hove-to'.
 
Re: Heaving to

OK, good point, I was thinking mostly of sloops. However I have sailed ketches that heave-to very nicely with a staysail/mizzen combination. I have never tried in a yawl or schooner or anything more exotic.

I confess that I am slightly obsessed with heaving-to as a technique. It is an incredibly valuable way of simply making life easier, whether its to put in a reef, have a cup of tea, or work-out where you are. Suddenly everything calms down and you have time to do the job properly.
 
Re: Heaving to

Fully agree with all of that. I found another use last month. I was beating up the Sound of Islay in a N 4/5 with a spring tide under me. This wind-against-tide made for a very rough sea, and the boat was falling off waves and crashing horribly, making windward progress slow and making me worried that something might break. I hove to (or, to be strictly accurate, fore-reached slowly) to get a bit of a break and, while by no means producing perfect steadiness, things calmed down dramatically. The tide was still carrying me in my desired direction, and I realised that my SOG was about 80% of that before heaving to, but without the dramatics. So I stayed hove to until exiting the Sound, and felt that the few extra minutes added to the passage were well rewarded.
 
Thank you all for your learned and valuable contributions, my boat (traditional long keel) heaves to easily and behaves well with helm lashed to windward, the main can be 'tuned' so it is stalled, and any drive counteracted by the backed genoa.
Lots of food for thought from the thread though, will do some experiments to see if what I do can be improve conditions when heaved-to.
Many thanks
 
[ QUOTE ]
Some modern boats simply will not heave to and lie quietly; this is due to the underwater configuration.


[/ QUOTE ]

Reminds me. I was sailing a bilge keel Leisure 27, not the handiest or most traditional boat. We had some engine trouble which we wanted to sort out before going into harbour. Dark night, lumpy, breezy.

'Right, let's heave-to', says I. 'Ho ho ho', says owner, 'this is not one of your proper boats, this will not heave-to'. Of course it sat beautifuly hove-to, it was just a question of giving it time to settle and fiddling with the sails. The owner had sailed it for many years and all that time had been quite convined that it would not heave-to.
 
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