colhel
Well-Known Member
Thought I'd read somewhere that this is possible but never worked out how. Just curious 
How, or can you heave too on motor boat?
- Thread starter colhel
- Start date
U4
Well-Known Member
Thought I'd read somewhere that this is possible but never worked out how. Just curious
heaving to (to heave to and to be hove to) is a way of slowing a sail boat's forward progress, as well as fixing the helm and sail positions so that the boat does not actively have to be steered. It is commonly used for a "break"; this may be to wait for the tide before proceeding, to wait out a strong or contrary wind. For a solo or shorthanded sailor it can provide time to go below deck, to attend to issues elsewhere on the boat, or for example to take a lunch break.[1][2]
The term is also used in the context of vessels under power and refers to bringing the vessel to a complete stop.
So the answer is yes, you pull the throttles back and apply autohelm
D
Deleted User YDKXO
Guest
Surely if you heave to in a motorboat in a heavy sea, the boat will just turn beam on to the wind and capsize. I guess you need a very effective sea anchor or drogue to keep the bow head to the sea
rafiki_
Well-Known Member
I don't think you can "Heave to" on a Mobo as you can on a sailing boat, as you use the wind with a backing jib against the keel and rudder to hold station. On a Mobo idling in neutral is as close as you get. In order to hold station against the tide or current requires the oddm pop into gear with one or other of the engines. On IPS boats, with the right software, there is the equivalent of "hold station" on offer, but for me it is not the same as "heaving to" as you are applying power to the boat through the powertrain.
PCUK
Well-Known Member
Big sea anchor is the only option.
MapisM
Well-Known Member
+1.
Trouble is, an effective sea anchor good enough for a decent size mobo is a total PITA to store/handle/deploy.
I've seen a 60' steel trawler built to survive just about anything, and one of her features was a motorised drum in front of the portuguese bridge, with 150m of a very substantial nylon rope, and a dedicated bow roller.
According to the builder, it would be impossible to handle a sea anchor good enough for such boat size without that sort of equipment...
AndieMac
Well-Known Member
Agree MM, I've seen a huge custom made parachute sea anchor with this sort of substantial rope flaked along/around the Portuguese bridge of an ocean going Nordhaven.
Obviously the "trip" line arrangement to invert the big parachute upon retrieval is also very important.
A good/proper parachute sea anchor is a good addition to an offshore boats kit, especially during mechanical failure.
Nigelpickin
Well-Known Member
Skyhook?
Uricanejack
Well-Known Member
Heaving to under sail on a sailing vessel is different from heaving to on a power driven vessel.
To Heave to on a Ship. I suspect the term was just adopted from the days of sail.
Usually due to extreem bad weather
Reduce power to mininmum to keep steerage way and maintain the desired course.
The ship is then "underway" but "barely making Way" May even actualy be being blown backwards.
This would reduce the effective force of the sea on the vessel to much less than normal crusing speed reducing the possability of weather damage. Through pounding, panting, or shipping seas on deck.
EG If a ship was caught in the Unnavigable Semi Circle of a TRS. (N. Hemi). The traditionaly recommended course would be to heave to with the wind on 3or 4 points on the STRB Bow.
If a ship tried to run before the wind in the unavigable Semi circle she might be overtaken by the storm and end up closer to to eye.
The idea was the ship would slowly move away from the storm center as it passed.
You can find descriptions of heaving to in old seamanship books in 2'nd hand book stores. Along with other usfule ideas like using a hatch board and and a derick boom as a jury rudder. or how to replace a rivet
I doubt if its a technique used much today.
But I see no reason why it would n't work if you were caught out in Bad weather. And you found the seas to big to run into without taking water over the bow and causeing damage.
Just reduce speed to the minimum required to keep your course heading into the wind and sea. perhalps taking you away from a lee shore.
To Heave to on a Ship. I suspect the term was just adopted from the days of sail.
Usually due to extreem bad weather
Reduce power to mininmum to keep steerage way and maintain the desired course.
The ship is then "underway" but "barely making Way" May even actualy be being blown backwards.
This would reduce the effective force of the sea on the vessel to much less than normal crusing speed reducing the possability of weather damage. Through pounding, panting, or shipping seas on deck.
EG If a ship was caught in the Unnavigable Semi Circle of a TRS. (N. Hemi). The traditionaly recommended course would be to heave to with the wind on 3or 4 points on the STRB Bow.
If a ship tried to run before the wind in the unavigable Semi circle she might be overtaken by the storm and end up closer to to eye.
The idea was the ship would slowly move away from the storm center as it passed.
You can find descriptions of heaving to in old seamanship books in 2'nd hand book stores. Along with other usfule ideas like using a hatch board and and a derick boom as a jury rudder. or how to replace a rivet
I doubt if its a technique used much today.
But I see no reason why it would n't work if you were caught out in Bad weather. And you found the seas to big to run into without taking water over the bow and causeing damage.
Just reduce speed to the minimum required to keep your course heading into the wind and sea. perhalps taking you away from a lee shore.
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Hurricane
Well-Known Member
So the answer is yes, you pull the throttles back and apply autohelm
If you pull the throttles back, the autohelm is next to useless.
The OP didn't mention sea or weather conditions. Heaving to can be used for anything.
For general "heave to", I would turn the boat around - arse into any weather and "hang on the props" thus letting the bow fall away down wind - you can't control it anyway.
Then using one engine at a time "crab" left and right to maintain position.
This would be the case when waiting for a lock etc
U4
Well-Known Member
Yes true (and to be honest my answer was inteded as a bit tongue in cheek). That said, if you pulled the throttles back to pootle and had the autohelm on, in calm seas this would deliver the desired result as you would be 'slowing the forward progress and fixing the helm so that the boat doesnt actively have to be steered'?
The skipper could then go downstairs and make a cup of tea
jrudge
Well-Known Member
..... whilst someone else was keeping the prescribed look out of course!
Mariner69
Well-Known Member
By putting your stern to the heavy weather you are exposing your most vulnerable part to the risk of pooping and stove in hatches with large quantities of water introduced below. The bow is shaped to lift to oncoming seas; better that you go slowly towards the seas at and angle with the wind and seas on say the port bow and use the starboard propeller only (twin screw) or single screw to just allow you to ride over the waves. The angle of 'attack' effectively increases your time of encounter and reduces the vertical acceleration to a degree.
Then again, each to his own.
U4
Well-Known Member
Hurricane
Well-Known Member
In big seas, I agree.
However, this wouldn't be "heaving to" you would have to be "making way" in order to have enough water passing over the rudders to keep the bow into the weather.
It would be very difficult if static keeping the bow into the weather by just using an "engine in/out" technique.
And if you "loose the bow" by the wind catching it, you would end up moving a great deal further away from a static position.
As I say, turn the boat round (stern into the wind) and you can keep a much better/easier control of the situation.
Searush
Well-Known Member
Thought I'd read somewhere that this is possible but never worked out how. Just curious
Why? - Don't you have a kedge & long warp?
That's what angling boats & racing yachts use to hold a position without using the engine.
colhel
Well-Known Member
I asked because when we heave (or hove?) too in a sailing boat we don't need any more input from the helm or engine, we just sit there. Since reading the article when it said about heaving too in a motor boat I've been wondering how this is done but I was looking at it from a sailing boat perspective. I guess heaving too in a motor boat requires either some engine and steerage control or the use of a sea anchor.
Thanks for the responses, curiosity satisfied.
Thanks for the responses, curiosity satisfied.
