Heavy Weather Sailing

[kevwr400]

Thanks ozzie just trying to get my head around it.
If you round up don't you lose forward motion potentially allowing boat to stall and flounder? feathering the main sheet, till I see the leach, luff slightly, allows me to de-power the main enough to maintain maximum drive and keep rail above water line, and with my boat configuration and as a solo sailor, I need to move to the cabin top to release headsail sheet, and unstable boat in doing so. But this is in sudden gusts of wind not a squall. Also I do tend to find the headsail holds pressure on the bow in large seas and gives me something to push against with main to stop the bow getting knocked around as much.

I will try this to see if I can balance boat fast enough without pointing to high too quickly. As an emergency procedure, it makes alot of sense to get the bow up to the wind quickly.

If this is the best way to balance boat in changing conditions I will need to move the jib sheets down to the stern to allow fast and accurate adjustments.

Would be great to hear the other guys and gals thought’s

[Dr. Peter]

I tend to spill the main as the pressure on the jib sheet can be excessive if you are cleated on when you get a blast. If its blowy I tend not to cleat off the main sheet, but it can be hard to hold the jib in your hand. Our jib sheet on Pip has no winch and relies on a block for tension.

I am going to experiment with barber haulers next time out. Releasing these in a blast will release some of the tension along the foot of the jib, release a lot of tension from the leech which will twist off the top of the jib, thus releasing pressure on the sail. I hope there will be less load on the barber haulers than what we have experienced on the jib sheet. If you let the bow fall off a few degrees the boat should maintain drive while releasing the main (or traveller) should ensure the boat stays more upright.

EDITED
On tacking the plan is to tack the boat, release the jib sheet on one side and re-tension the jib sheet on the other side and then tune the barber hauler if required.

A rule of thumb about the slot is that leech on the jib should match the shape of the main. What you want is for all the telltales to be doing the same thing - thats why I am trying barber haulers. Its quicker than moving fairleads about. Pip does not have a lot of sophistication wrt sail control or a bendy mast so the sails have to do a lot just based upon how they are cut.

Another thought if you are going to pull down the jib then perhaps the centreplate should be lifted to match the new centre of effort.

Anyway, we are off to Gippsland Lake for a couple of weeks.

[kevwr400]

I understand what you are saying and it makes perfect sense balancing the boat using the headsail when winds are light and diffidently to round up in emergencies. But this thread was about heavy weather sailing, I think rounding up and potentially stalling the boat could cause boat to flounder, very uncomfortable.
In the heavy winds and stronger gust’s (not Squalls, which I have never experienced on the water, even when working as professional shark fisherman in bass straight) even with ¾ skeg keel the investigator turns very quickly. In normal winds the boat can be balanced easy and steered without rudder as you mentioned, but if you were to lose your rudder in strong winds say around 30+knots, could you still balance the boat on head sail? Where the investigator can heal to the point of being pushed sideways, with keel almost clear of the water and balance almost none existent.
In strong winds, do you leave your seat in the cockpit to reach for the jib sheets? Or do you sail with crew? As a single handed sailor I find reaching for the jib sheets dangerous as it can unstabilise an already unstable platform and the tension on the jib sheets can make it hard to release from the cleats (my setup is, jib sheets single pull through a block), whereas the main sheet is in my hand all the time and close to the block for easy release under load.
I am not saying my system is perfect in heavy weather, but I do trust my boat as being a safe vessel as long as movement around cockpit is minimised.
Should have started thread “Single handed Heavy weather sailing on the investigator 563”
Hope more people will get involved in this thread!

[kevwr400]

Sorry, missed a thread, was replying to Ozzie in my last tread. Thanks Peter, will look into new arrangement on my jib to sounds like you have the same release problems I do with your jib sheet under excessive load.

[Yara50]

I find that easing the mainsheet traveler in a serious gust is a quick and easy way to respond. Keeps the balance, and you dont have to move too far from the helming position if you are single handing, as the traveler cleat that needs to be eased is on the windward side. If you have already trimmed the set-up to suit the wind strength, so that the gunnels are not under water, and the boat is balanced, you can just use weather helm to keep her going in a gust.

[Ozzie]

I actually play the jib sheet and usually by letting it out I control heel quite well. Normally I can just play it from the standard ring fitting on the track but I have also experimented with a snatch block hooked to the pushpit in heavier breeze, which was actually quite a comfortable way to go single handed. I have only needed to completely dump it a few times (more out of cowardice) but was able to stop the boat rounding up far enough to stall. I think though in an emergency such as a big gust you were not prepared for and perhaps not battened down for you are probably better to stall and get sorted..

Try the jib sheet through the block on the pushpit trick..... you might like it.

[kevwr400]

Thanks Ozzie will try that, any technique to become a better heavy weather sailor is worth trying or adapting

[Yara50]

I actually play the jib sheet and usually by letting it out I control heel quite well. Normally I can just play it from the standard ring fitting on the track but I have also experimented with a snatch block hooked to the pushpit in heavier breeze, which was actually quite a comfortable way to go single handed. I have only needed to completely dump it a few times (more out of cowardice) but was able to stop the boat rounding up far enough to stall.

Cant quite follow the logic here. Letting go the jib will reduce heel, but increase the tendency to round up. Easing the main lets you hold course. Are we taking about a large genoa jib perhaps?

[Ozzie]

Just a personal preference Ian ....my original advice from sailing mates was hold the main in heavy weather if you feel you are overpowering. I found in my early days when excessive heel had me jumpy I would sometimes panic and if the boat was heeling too far I would lean further back in the cockpit , a leftover from my windsurfing days and take the tiller with me. End result steering to leeward and heeling worse . As for holding the main sheet I found it cumbersome for some reason .

Sitting well forward, feet braced against the downhill locker, jib sheet in forward hand and tiller extension in the other just seemed a more comfortable and natural way to sail, particularly after I rigged the pulley on the pushpit. As I say normally I'm just playing it for an optimal heel, remember too much heel and your dumping precious air but if you get in a pic as per the referenced post on TSP you just let go.

I would say up front my normal position for sailing is with my legs stretched out on the locker, my trimmed down boogie board back rest set at an appropriate angle against the pushpit and my beer in my forward hand and tiller in the other with everything nicely cleated off and that nice splash splash noise making the sound track. All that other nonsense I've just talked about upsets the ice in your esky and is hard work

[Dr. Peter]

G'day,
Just back from 9 days on Gippsland Lakes. Beautiful sailing but only one day that might be described as brisk windward work rather than heavy. I have some findings:

Barber haulers were excellent. We got more power out of our jib and pointing was excellent. The barber haulers were blocks, through which the port and starboard jib sheets were led. Each block were attached to separate lines which led through the fairlead on the cabin roof and back to the cleats on the back of the cabin (the old jib sheet cleats). They could be adjusted up and down instantly.

Jib sheets were singled up. These go to blocks attached through the deck with ss eyebolts. They are positioned at the front end of the lazarettes. The single sheeting, rather than blocked sheeting, lead to far less entanglements during tacking. I could reach the end of the jib sheets myself from my normal position and sheeting on was quick for the crew. I could envisage being able to tack the boat myself.

In the image the barber haulers are yellow line and you can see the jib sheets being led aft.

I also have some comments about the rudder which I will post elsewhere.