Heaving to

[Graham W]

I came across this post by Tom Colville on the Drascombe Forum on how to heave to:
'The helm is tied to lee, and the jib is backed onto the other tack. The main can either be scandalised to reduce its power or sheeted in a bit. The mizzen left sheeted as it was before heaving to . The centreboard should be a little over half down. The boat will gently fore reach, across the wind, with any forward movement tending to turn the boat up into the wind, but the backed jib stopping progress again, and turning the bow away from the wind again'

I followed these instructions to the letter but still drifted downwind at up to 2 knots in an F4.  Keeping the centreboard fully down seemed to slow things down a bit but the aim of keeping relatively motionless in the water seems as far away as ever.  The part that is missing is Tom's description of the self-adjusting motion described in his final sentence.  I just generate substantial leeway at a constant 60 degrees relative to the wind.

Has anyone found a better technique?

[Julian Swindell]

How do you back the jib on a self tacking Bayraider? I can heave to quite effectively with my conventional jib by either tacking and leaving the jib backed on the wrong side, or hauling the jib across to the windward side to back it. There is always some drift to leeward and I would have my board down to minimise it. Forward motion is minimal. I would try playing with your main and mizzen. If both are driving they may overpower the backed jib and lashed rudder. I usually leave my main fairly far out if I just want a breather for lunch, and then we just drift slowly sideways. If I want to reef, I will pull it in enough to reach the reefing lines easily, but there may be a bit more forward motion while doing that. But it is easier than pointing straight into the wind and having everything flogging about.

[Graham W]

How do you back the jib on a self tacking Bayraider? I can heave to quite effectively with my conventional jib by either tacking and leaving the jib backed on the wrong side, or hauling the jib across to the windward side to back it. There is always some drift to leeward and I would have my board down to minimise it. Forward motion is minimal. I would try playing with your main and mizzen. If both are driving they may overpower the backed jib and lashed rudder. I usually leave my main fairly far out if I just want a breather for lunch, and then we just drift slowly sideways. If I want to reef, I will pull it in enough to reach the reefing lines easily, but there may be a bit more forward motion while doing that. But it is easier than pointing straight into the wind and having everything flogging about.

If I have my conventional jib sheets installed (in addition to the self tacking ones), then it's a simple matter of hooking into the clew and hauling it across.  Without them, it's not so easy -  someone suggested tying a knot in the self tacking sheets to lock the jib boom into position. I think the small self tacking jib and its weak backing effect are part of the issue.

I use my double topping lift to scandalise the main, in addition to letting go the mainsheet if I want to depower it some more.

At least the boat sits quietly when hove to, even if it is drifting downwind.

[Matthew P]

I am interested in finding the safest sail/centreboard/rudder configuration while reefing my Bayraider 20, particuarly single-handed. 
I understand the objective to be getting the boat stable,  head-to-wind and with minimum way on.  The problem is that when head-to-wind the boat ends up being pushed backwards and consequently the rudder acting in reverse.  One option I cautiously tried, in a F4 with moderate swell, was to pull the mizzen tight, furl the jib, ensure the centre board is fully down and raise the rudder out of the water.  The boat then weather-vaned into wind so I could drop the main. The boat ended moving slowly backwards but seemed stable enough (with water ballast). Raising the rudder vertically (possible in Bayraiders but not Drascombes) is a bit scary because it commits the boat to looking after itself but it seemed to work and dropping the rudder to regain control takes no longer than un-hitching from being secured to-lee.
I would like other more experienced opinion before recommending this practice!
Matthew

[Julian Swindell]

I have a line under my tiller which I use to hold it in any position. When reefing, I either have it lashed to leeward, with the jib backed (hove to) or if I do want to point straight into the wind (sometimes necessary if it is strong) I lash the tiller in the centre and pull in the mizzen tight. That usually works, but in very strong wind I think I would agree with furling the jib just to make certain you stay pointing into the wind. I have never raised the rudder blade out of the water to reef. I don't think I would like to risk being so out of control.

[Graham W]

More by luck than design, I was hove to in an F4 this afternoon with the jib furled rather than backed.  The rate of drift was less than one knot and the boat seemed stable at an angle of 60° to the wind, more or less.

I haven't had time to experiment further and am about to take the boat out of the water for the long haul back to the UK but someone else might want to give it a try.

I agree with Julian that some sort of tiller tamer is essential for most of these manouevres.  Secured amidships if weathercocking or hard over leewards if hove to.

I have successfully reefed my BR in an F4 when hove to.  As long as the mainsheet is let out, the mainsail should be head to wind wind even when the boat isn't.  The yard is then perfectly amenable to being raised and lowered, although a double topping lift is essential if you are not to tip the whole lot over the side.  The RYA teach a similar technique - either hove to or making way under genoa alone. I have done that on a Bavaria 36 in an F7, which was, er, exciting.

[Llafurio]

I am interested in finding the safest sail/centreboard/rudder configuration while reefing my Bayraider 20, particuarly single-handed. 
I understand the objective to be getting the boat stable,  head-to-wind and with minimum way on.  The problem is that when head-to-wind the boat ends up being pushed backwards and consequently the rudder acting in reverse.  One option I cautiously tried, in a F4 with moderate swell, was to pull the mizzen tight, furl the jib, ensure the centre board is fully down and raise the rudder out of the water.  The boat then weather-vaned into wind so I could drop the main. The boat ended moving slowly backwards but seemed stable enough (with water ballast). Raising the rudder vertically (possible in Bayraiders but not Drascombes) is a bit scary because it commits the boat to looking after itself but it seemed to work and dropping the rudder to regain control takes no longer than un-hitching from being secured to-lee.
I would like other more experienced opinion before recommending this practice!
Matthew

Hi Matthew.
There is no single best recipe for heaving to. And Drascombe Coasters (as Tom C. sails) and BRs behave very differently. There are too many variables, strength of wind, tank empty or full, size of main at the time, mast rake, and of course chop. Even if the boat lies well adjusted and balanced, a bad chop, and moments of strong gusts or sudden calm can still move the bow through the wind, and off you go.
But still there are general rules, and the most general is, yes, for any given condition you can stabilise the BR so it looks after itself with great reliability.
All these general rules include a slackish main, and a somewhat raised c'board. Tiller tamer is essential, but rudder does not always have to be full alee. A full tank calms the boat from too sudden acceleration, but also makes the boat run out longer, so is not always helpful. Rudderblade up often helps as gives a longer lever. I myself never furl the jib, and I never back it if the wind is really strong. The mizzen never overly tight. If the wind is really strong, I take the main down.
You can trim the boat to drift to lee, or to tack up at modest speed and angle, and anything in between. However what is not possible is to keep the boat still in one place, it must always move a bit.
I myself am used to fishing singlehandedly under sails, mackerel and cod just love the feathers go up to windward at some angle. As there is no single recipy to "the right" heaving to, you must try out often in different conditions and gain your own experience, until you know fairly well what to do, and in what order, when you need to let the boat look after itself. There is always a way, but it's not always the same way.   

[Graham W]

I have added an article on 'Heaving to' to the library.