westernman
Well-known member
Not something to try if short handed on this kind of boat......
Leaving anchorage under sail
- Thread starter westernman
- Start date
Bajansailor
Well-known member
Royal Clipper has been visiting us every winter for many years now -
Ship ROYAL CLIPPER (Passenger Ship) Registered in Malta - Vessel details, Current position and Voyage information - IMO 8712178, MMSI 215813000, Call Sign 9HA2796
They usually 'turn around' here on Saturdays, and I have occasionally seen them leaving the harbour in the evening - they always took pride in their ability to get all the sails set and drawing by the time they reached the end of the harbour breakwater - they would usually be berthed on the crossberth, by Shed 2 in the link below -
MarineTraffic: Global Ship Tracking Intelligence | AIS Marine Traffic
Ok, most of the sails are on hydraulic furlers, but some of the square sails are furled by hand (to show the passengers how it is done), and the four headsails are all hanked on rather than furling.
My parents have been on a couple of cruises on Royal Clipper, and were very impressed - they noted that the crew invariably did the same tactic in the various other ports of call, wherever possible.
Ship ROYAL CLIPPER (Passenger Ship) Registered in Malta - Vessel details, Current position and Voyage information - IMO 8712178, MMSI 215813000, Call Sign 9HA2796
They usually 'turn around' here on Saturdays, and I have occasionally seen them leaving the harbour in the evening - they always took pride in their ability to get all the sails set and drawing by the time they reached the end of the harbour breakwater - they would usually be berthed on the crossberth, by Shed 2 in the link below -
MarineTraffic: Global Ship Tracking Intelligence | AIS Marine Traffic
Ok, most of the sails are on hydraulic furlers, but some of the square sails are furled by hand (to show the passengers how it is done), and the four headsails are all hanked on rather than furling.
My parents have been on a couple of cruises on Royal Clipper, and were very impressed - they noted that the crew invariably did the same tactic in the various other ports of call, wherever possible.
westernman
Well-known member
It surprised me that they hoisted almost all the sails before raising the anchor.
In anything other than a dead calm, that must be very hard work.
I would have raised the anchor first, or at most had the fore and main lower topsails set.
In anything other than a dead calm, that must be very hard work.
I would have raised the anchor first, or at most had the fore and main lower topsails set.
Thistle
Well-known member
If you lift the anchor before raising the sails you will be adrift and out of control. You will also need to assume that the sails will unfurl/set at the first time of asking with no unexpected problems. Neither of these seems like good seamanship (though I'd expect in a case like this that they would have tested the engine which would still be running and available to help if necessary.)
Spirit (of Glenans)
Well-known member
Vessel must be "under command", i.e. have a useable means of propulsion before casting off or weighing anchor. To do otherwise would be very poor seamanship.
When I used to instruct at the now-defunct Glenans base at Baltimore, we always raised both sails before sailing the 5.70s off the moorings. In addition, if we were limited in our choice of direction of departure when leaving the mooring we used to carry the mooring strop back to the shrouds to swing the boat in the required direction.
Additionally we taught how to raise the anchor under sail. Needless to say, the boats were engineless.
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BabaYaga
Well-known member
Any tips you would care to share on how to always get the bow in the desired direction?
MisterBaxter
Well-known member
I used to just haul in the anchor then once it was hanging, back the jib to turn the bow and finish hauling in as we started to make way. That was on a 23' boat though so not a massive anchor, and too lively to sit still while I got the anchor in... On a bigger boat you might have to for a moment on the tack you want to sail off on.
capnsensible
Well-known member
Use the mainsail sheeted hard in and tack.....inefficiently.....up to the anchor. Haul chain when it's slack as you sail past. Snub, tack, repeat. Surprisingly effective.
BabaYaga
Well-known member
Thanks, I can see that might work, if two-handed.
Although, I also suspect there is a risk that the boat tacks inadvertently when the anchor is broken out – which would put you on the undesired tack.
However, I was wondering more about how to avoid going in the wrong direction when single handed, that is when there is no one at the tiller.
capnsensible
Well-known member
Got you. Gonna be difficult single handed without a remote control winch. Would be worth a try with a small amount of backed headsail rolled out and a scandalised main. Bit like the op video scaled down!
Ado
New member
I have found that backing the rudders (it's a cat) and holding them using the self steering ram with the tillers pointing to the chosen tack is pretty reliable. Once the anchor comes free the boat drifts astern and the stalled rudder turn the boat, jib out and trimmed then hoist the main. To hoist my fully battened square top main at anchor would end in tears.
Poignard
Well-known member
jdc
Well-known member
I don't think that a modern boat is N.U.C. if it doesn't have sail set but isn't anchored or moored. I frequently do this: wind behind and facing the tide when picking up a mooring is a typical situation (it's amazing how fast a tide you can stem under spray hood alone).
And when raising anchor I almost always do it. Plenty of time, even to wash the anchor, then stroll back to the cockpit and let out the staysail. Then the yankee (if light winds), go onto a close reach and only then raise the main.
Of course it's sometimes a hairy situation, sudden lee shore etc, and then we motor (assuming it works). But normal cruising I see no problem with having no sails set but under-way. That doesn't make it NUC if it's deliberate: I'm still in command, it's not 'very poor seamanship'.
And when raising anchor I almost always do it. Plenty of time, even to wash the anchor, then stroll back to the cockpit and let out the staysail. Then the yankee (if light winds), go onto a close reach and only then raise the main.
Of course it's sometimes a hairy situation, sudden lee shore etc, and then we motor (assuming it works). But normal cruising I see no problem with having no sails set but under-way. That doesn't make it NUC if it's deliberate: I'm still in command, it's not 'very poor seamanship'.
geem
Well-known member
We leave the anchor regularly under sail when space allows. We hoist the main with the mainsheet free so the boom can swing around. Once the anchor is up I put the wheel over so the boat goes backward and turns in the desired direction. Once we are side on to the wind haul in the main and let out the jib or genoa and sheet in. No preference for which one first. Our boat will sail on just the main but not all boats will
NormanS
Well-known member
I find some difficulty in a narrow anchorage if I have to turn downwind 180° to get out. For that, I don't hoist the mizzen, and she who does the anchor handling, doesn't like the genoa flapping about her, so I'm stuck with just the main, until the foredeck is clear. Under mainsail only, the boat won't turn downwind. Apart from that, unless it's a busy place, it's usually manageable.
jdc
Well-known member
One more reason to have a cutter! The staysail can be unrolled to give steerage way yet still leave the anchor area clear.
geem
Well-known member
Prefer the Solent rig to a cutter
Supertramp
Well-known member
One of the most rewarding things to do, so long as nothing goes radically wrong with all the assumptions about wind tide and timing. Having a large foredeck let's me leave everything when singlehanded to sort later. My preference is using the mizzen, then unrolling the jib once the anchor is up. I would love to be able to do as geem with the mainsail but there is no certainty that my desired direction and reality will align.
On previous smaller boats pushing the boom out to back the mainsail would usually give some control over direction.
I wish I could have seen the East Coast fishing fleets entering and leaving harbours all under sail. A lot of skills built up over decades.
On previous smaller boats pushing the boom out to back the mainsail would usually give some control over direction.
I wish I could have seen the East Coast fishing fleets entering and leaving harbours all under sail. A lot of skills built up over decades.
BabaYaga
Well-known member
This is also what I do. My boat is only 3.6 t, so I haul the rode by hand. The difficulty lies in matching the natural yawing of the boat with the speed of the retrieval, so that when the anchor breaks out, the bow is on the preferred side of the wind. I have found it a bit of a gamble.
Roberto
Well-known member
If you can do it by hand, pull it laterally, say 1/4 fwd on one side, tension will be higher but the boat will remain on the same "tack".
