Practical Boat Owner – June 2019

If you want a break, try heaving-to says Dick Everitt

A. All boats behave differently

• so experiment. The
  traditional way of slowing
  down is to heave-to. Just
  tack her through the wind
  and leave the headsail
  backed. Then adjust
  the main and helm to
  balance the turning
  force of the backed
  headsail.

B. For heavy weather try balancing a backed storm

jib against a trysail. The boat should fore-reach

and make a lot of leeway, creating a slick that

might (with a bit of luck) break the waves.

D. Some people prefer to drift,

and by unrolling a bit of headsail

she should bear away a bit more.

E. Modern fi n-keelers might not heave-to,

so try fi xing the main and helm amidships.

She should stop head to wind, and then

might pay off and luff up according to

the wave motion. Sheeting the boom

slightly to weather, and balancing it

with the helm a-lee, might work on

some boats.

F. In big seas, some skippers manage to rig a storm jib

high on the backstay. The theory is to keep it above the

wave height and let her lay with her bows towards the

weather. But you would need a very strong rig and rudder

fi ttings to cope with the loads involved.

C. On a ketch or yawl, a

self-tacking staysail will have

to be lashed aback to work

against the mizzen.

B

C

D

E

A

F