Manoeuvering Flashcards
Describe the procedure for heaving to.
There are 4 steps to heaving to.
Start out from a CLOSE HAUL. That is, you should be sailing into the wind at a comfortable angle.
STEP 1: Make sure your jib is securely cleated as you sail close hauled.
STEP 2: Tack across the wind and allow your main sail to swing over. You don’t usually need to uncleat the main. Do not do anything with your Jib. The nose of the boat will cross the wind.
STEP 3: After the boat has tacked, with your jib still backed, bring the tiller over in the opposite direction. Since your boat will not have enough forward momentum to tack it will go upwind slightly and fall back. Every boat reacts differently at this step so you might have to adjust the angle of the tiller or the set of the sails. In my boats I don’t have to loosen or adjust the sails. Don’t let it tack again. If it looks like your boat will go across again use your tiller to keep it from going across and let it fall off wind a bit more.
STEP 4: Lash the tiller in this position.
At this point your boat should be hove to. You might have to adjust the sails to reach a stable position.
What is happening?
The tiller tries to swing the boat through the wind again. The jib or head sail is trying to swing the boat so it falls off the wind, fighting the tiller. The mainsail is tring to push the boat forward and trying to bring it across the wind. Essentially the 2 sails are pushing in different directions.
Getting Underway.
To start sailing again you simply have to release the jib and let it come across. Unlash the tiller and you are once again sailing.
Heaving to is a simple procedure. In practice you come about from a close haul and lash the tiller the opposite way that you used to tack.
What is the best point of sail to furl the jib?
The best point of sail to furl the jib is on a close reach or beam reach.
What are three ways to slow down a sailboat?
- Dump wind by releasing the main
- Let go of the halyards and wiggle the tiller
- Make a 360 degree turn.
Describe the steps in jibing.
A. Take in sail until mid ship first. Low wind: just throw it over. You won’t have any problem with the boom rising on a jibe if you simply control it by grabbing a handful of mainsheet tackle and pull the thing across, rather than letting the wind slam it over. You should never jibe the boat without controlling the boom, either by pulling it across by hand, or cranking in and letting out the mainsheet. Alternatively you can turn into the wind first, sheet in the main and then gibe. After you crossed the wind let out the main sheet when on the other side.
B. Sail at 135º, no running. Then: first pull in mainsheet, then change course slightly until the boom can come across. speed is essential, in combination with staying on course. Mariner: manhandle the mainsheet all in one, throw the boom across.
C. You can always do the chicken gibe; tack-tack all the way around. Although I have dedicated preventers, I prefer tack-tack when not racing.
Note: Personally I would not sail downwind without a preventer. Sailing “by the lee” which I don’t like because it is dangerous
What wind speeds are safe for the 19 foot Mariner?
For singlehanded sailing, it is prudent to keep wind speeds under 18 knots (21 mph) for safety. More experienced sailors might handle up to 24 knots (28 mph) in a well-prepared boat, but anything beyond this is generally considered unsafe for singlehanded sailing on a 19-foot keelboat.
What is the best way to reef, at the dock and under way?
- If starting with sail down, start at end of the boom.
- Reefing underway: in irons, and start at mast
What are remedies for excessive heeling?
- When you’re close hauled, you head up a little bit (it’s called pinching). In a small puff, gently heading up about 10 degrees is is a great way to point a little higher and keep the boat flat. That’s because the faster wind causes the wind on your boat to change direction a little (called apparent wind). Heading up a little actually keeps your sails at the same angle to the apparent wind. (you have to remember to head down a bit when the puff passes because the apparent wind will move forward again)
- When off the wind you bear off. Bearing off puts the force that is heeling the boat towards the bow.
- Release the main sheet a little to dump the wind from the mainsail.
- If you’re not having fun: Furl the jib, and/or
- Put in a reef.
Notes:
- don’t judge the boat by how much it’s heeling. judge by the amount of weather helm. Some boats are faster when they heel, and some boats are faster flat. But no boat is fast when the helm is being overpowered.
- if you heel on a beam or broad reach, you’re seriously overpowered and you need to address that immediately.
What is feathering?
Upwind, there is a powerful steering technique called “feathering” that makes all the difference. Feathering means sailing by angle of heel, instead of maintaining a constant angle to the wind as indicated by the headsail telltales.
If steering upwind when a puff hits, let the boat head up slowly to balance the helm and maintain a constant angle of heel. Headsail telltales will lift, or “feather,” indicating a slight luff. That’s okay; we don’t need the extra power. As the puff lets off, and the boat begins to get too upright, bear off slightly to maintain heel angle. The telltales will begin to stream aft in their normal upwind position.
What is the importance of weather helm?
Practically, there is a simpler way to know when the boat is tipping over too far. If you have to fight the helm (a rudder angle of more than five to seven degrees), you are heeling too far and need to adjust trim or technique. Heel equals helm. When the boat leans over, it attempts to turn itself back up into the wind; which is referred to as “weather helm.” To keep the boat going straight, we compensate with the rudder, which is fine up to a point. But the rudder is really a brake. Use too much, and it’s just like dragging a barn door through the water, which is not a particularly fast or efficient way to sail.
