Heavy Weather

Wouldn't it be great if you never got caught out on the water in bad weather? But more specifically, I am referring to "heavy weather" as opposed to "bad weather." To many of you the difference between the two is subjective. I think of "bad weather" as cloudy, misty or rainy. I think of "heavy weather" as dangerous, with high wind and high seas.

In bad weather, we worry about keeping dry. In heavy weather, we are more concerned about keeping safe and maintaining our course. Heavy weather cruising requires us to understand some defensive measures. We need to defend ourselves against the aggressive forces of wind and sea.

If you are on a sailing vessel, sustained heavy weather conditions may call for you to "heave-to." This practice is employed when the wind and sea state make it unsafe or uncomfortable to make headway. It provides relief from the pounding, thereby reducing the stress on both your vessel and her crew.

Both the Annapolis Book of Seamanship and Chapman's Piloting and Seamanship address procedures for "heaving-to." In the case of a sailboat, the headsail is backed (meaning trimmed to windward; pulled toward the windward side). The mainsail should be short and the rudder locked. The rudder should be adjusted for the most comfortable ride. 

When "hove-to," with proper coordination between the sails and rudder, the vessel should make little or no headway. The wind will be forward of the beam and there will be some sideslip (lateral movement). The pounding of the hull, shifting of gear below and screaming of landlubbers should all subside.

It is also possible to heave-to with a "sea anchor." A "sea anchor" is a device that is generally made of synthetic cloth, looks like a funnel and works like a parachute under water. It is usually deployed on a single line and creates "drag" since it is under the water. It slows your vessel's "wind induced" movement and keeps the vessel oriented in the desired direction.

In the case of using a sea anchor to heave-to, a bridle is used to deploy it in such a way that the boat ends up about 50 degrees off the wind. The mainsail should be deeply reefed and the rudder adjusted for the smoothest ride. This arrangement causes your vessel to drift to leeward, leaving a slick that smoothes the water to windward.

Power-driven vessels can also heave-to in heavy weather. Believe it or not, if the weather is severe enough, even Navy and merchant ships heave-to at times. The procedure is different, since there are no sails and such vessels have plenty of power.

A power-driven vessel will heave-to by heading into the sea and falling off by anywhere from a few degrees to as many as 30 degrees. They will then slow their speed to "bare steerageway." "Bare steerageway" is the slowest speed that a power-driven vessel can make while still maintaining a steady course.

The bottom line to all of this is that when you are "hove-to" your vessel, passengers and crew will experience the minimum stress that is possible under the prevailing wind and sea conditions. This might make a difference in the outcome of your trip!

Until next time, I wish you clear skies, fair winds, and calm seas!