CHAPTER 10
The theory of heaving to A boat is hove to by arranging her sails so that one fights the other. The rudder takes up the slack and a state of equilibrium is reached. In theory, this is how it happens: • Back the jib — this forces the bow off the wind. • Sheet the main well in — this pushes the bow back upwind again by shoving the stern to leeward as the boat swivels around her pivot point.
• The net effect is that the boat tends to fall away beam- on and gather way.
• Lashing the helm to steer upwind (tiller hard to leeward) take cares of this. A well-balanced boat ends up lying between 35° and 55° from the wind.
• A hove-to boat does not in fact stop; she drifts under control. A late nineteenth century pilot cutter of around 50ft drifted square across the wind in force 8, making no leeway at all. A modern yacht will drift anything up to 45° to leeward of square.
• Drift can be checked with GPS, but if this is unavailable, sight along the slick you are leaving with the handbearing compass. A typical drift speed for a 40-footer in a whole gale would be around 2.5 knots. Armed with this information, you can at least make a stab at maintaining the navigation plot.
Heaving to in practice While it is perfectly possible to heave a yacht to by hauling the jib across to weather and waiting for her to slow down, less energy will be consumed by simply tacking and leaving the old working headsail sheet made up ‘closehauled’ instead of letting it fly. The boat will lurch nastily as she comes about onto the backed headsail, but she’ll soon settle down. Steer high to help her lose way, then when she finally stops answering the helm, lash it ‘down’ and put the kettle on. If you’ve contrived to lay-to on the starboard tack, the whole world will be obliged to give way to you into the bargain.
The easiest way to heave to is to tack, leaving the headsail sheet made fast so that it falls aback as the boat comes through the wind. Now carefully steer to windward on the new tack until the boat loses way.
MANUAL OF SEAMANSHIP | 107
Storm Survival
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