Hove to.........

[simonbuk]

I understand what 'Hove to' is and what it achieves but I was reading a book recently about a guy who 'gave up evrything and sailed the world' bla bla.

A couple of times in it he mentions how he would ride out the storm (when it seemed like he was the only person on board) by 'hoveing to' and having a nap during the night.

Now to me (a relativley novice sailor) this is a short term measure, stopping for a break or lunch, etc. You're not going to stay in that position for a long time without being eventually turned around and could then drift for some time whilst asleep ?

Have I misundertsood somehting ?

Thanks.

 

[chinita]

I agree, we are more used to carrying out the manouevre to get a brew on but it is not unusual to hear stories of yachts hove to in Biscay for two days.

Important to heave to on the starboard tack to maintain right of way

 

[sighmoon]

If the boat turns round, it'll lean the other way, which would wake you up.

Singlehanded naps tend to be short anyway.

 

[Woodlouse]

If the boat hoves too properly then it should remain so indefinitely. I was hove to for 18 hours in the North Sea a few years back when riding out some rough weather.

My boat close reaches when hove too so I tend to choose the tack that will continue to take me closer to my destination however slowly. After all, there's no point in losing ground unnecessarily. If it was busy waters, and not for long though then starboard tack is preferable for reasons already stated.

 

[NormanS]

For the avoidance of doubt, as they say, when you heave-to, you become hove-to.

 

[awol]

If your boat lies hove to well, it will stay in that orientation to the wind, at least while it blows. One of the great benefits is the flattening of the waves to windward. As the boat moves slowly to leeward vortices curl off the keel and rudder and form a slick-like effect, very similar to the flattening of the water in the tidal swirls of places like the Sound of Luing. From experience, in F7/8 my boat lies happily hove to under storm jib and reefed main and makes about 2kt at about 60deg with a slick that flattens breaking waves - cooking, tea-making, fixing fiddly things, are all made possible

 

[simonbuk]

Thanks folks. I have refreshed my knowledge on hove to ( I had forgotten part of it !!) so it know makes sense, I just had this vision of drifting off whilst you're asleep which alarmed me somewhat !!
Of course if its done correctly the boat will try and fight itself a bit and not move too far.
Still, the thought of going below deck for sometime would put the frighteners on me - no single handed sailing for me yet !!

 

[Sybarite]

Thanks folks. I have refreshed my knowledge on hove to ( I had forgotten part of it !!) so it know makes sense, I just had this vision of drifting off whilst you're asleep which alarmed me somewhat !!
Of course if its done correctly the boat will try and fight itself a bit and not move too far.
Still, the thought of going below deck for sometime would put the frighteners on me - no single handed sailing for me yet !!

I invariably heave to reef or to recover fish on the hook.

 

[awol]

I invariably heave to reef or to recover fish on the hook.

I believe Stugeron is quite effective, taken about 4 hours in advance.

 

[laffinskip]

I invariably heave to reef or to recover fish on the hook.

How the hell do you get fish to bite i have never been able to.

 

[BelleSerene]

Important to heave to on the starboard tack to maintain right of way

Which is why you want your galley on the port side.

 

[Coaster]

Which is why you want your galley on the port side.

In recent months I've been spending less time reading these forums. The vast majority of posts seem to be of no interest. But once in a while there's a real gem.

It had never occurred to me that there is a good reason for our galley being on the port side.

Many thanks BelleSerene.

 

[prv]

It had never occurred to me that there is a good reason for our galley being on the port side.

Same reason the main halyard is traditionally to starboard of the mast - so you're working it from the uphill side while hove to for reefing (not that people usually do heave to to reef any more, but it was standard practice in big gaffers).

Pete

 

[Babylon]

Reasons to heave-to Number Five:

"Daddy! I need to poo!"

 

[BelleSerene]

Reasons to heave-to Number Five:

"Daddy! I need to poo!"

Reason to have the heads on the port side to, I suppose!

 

[Fantasie 19]

I'm just working my way (very enjoyably) through the Hornblower series, and in "The Happy Ship" Hornblower lies hove to for 3 days while rounding the Horn (west to east)... now I appreciate this is a work of fiction, but Foreseter knew his onions so I'm assuming they would have done, but here's the question - how does a square rigger heave to?

 

[chinita]

how does a square rigger heave to?

Not as difficult as you may imagine:

Lower fore topgallant staysail, sheet in lower topgallant, harden up on main royal staysail, let free jigger topmast staysail, raise lower spanker, release flying jib.

Then kiss your arse goodbye

 

[prv]

how does a square rigger heave to?

I've never done it, but I believe you'd box the yards (ie, brace one mast sharp up to port and one sharp up to starboard) and then lie with one mast drawing and the other aback. Bit worrying for the one that's aback, though, as square riggers have lots of backstays to take the load of a sail that's drawing, but relatively light fore staying.

(Talking about a brig as that's what I've mostly sailed in; with three masts in a ship I guess you'd put the mainmast one way and the fore and mizzen the other).

I would guess the only squares you'd have set would be lower topsails - or in Hornblower's day, fully-reefed topsails. Perhaps a lower staysail or two, but perhaps not, depending on the balance. Quite unlikely to set the spanker as it's a big sail for wind like that.

Pete

 

[sighmoon]

- how does a square rigger heave to?

Didn't they usually have a gaff rigged mizzen? So perhaps with that close hauled and a headsail aback, and all other sails furled.

 

[alant]

I understand what 'Hove to' is and what it achieves but I was reading a book recently about a guy who 'gave up evrything and sailed the world' bla bla.

A couple of times in it he mentions how he would ride out the storm (when it seemed like he was the only person on board) by 'hoveing to' and having a nap during the night.

Now to me (a relativley novice sailor) this is a short term measure, stopping for a break or lunch, etc. You're not going to stay in that position for a long time without being eventually turned around and could then drift for some time whilst asleep ?

Have I misundertsood somehting ?

Thanks.

I've done that om the Med, on route to Minorca on a HR45.

We were hove to all night & apart from stomach lurching , as huge white rollers came out of the dark, only to the slip underneath the hull, it proved reasonably comfortable. Leeway was about 25 Nm & later had to return to Port Grimaud, when we found the engine holding down bolts had loosened, causing problems with the propshaft. Could have been due to the recent boatyard refit, not tightening them properly.

Only the owner & his wife 'slept', whilst I remained on watch in the cockpit.