ONE GNARLY EVENING
Tuesday October 14,
2014
I started this Tuesday morning like I usually do with a
cursory look at Sailflow to see what kind of wind we would have. It was a dismal forecast of 8-10 knot breeze
and I was wondering if we would even be able to race in these conditions. I was quite surprised when someone commented
on how windy it was outside. On the way
to the harbor, I was wondering if we would have the time to swap out the 155 for
the 135. Sure enough as I pulled up to
the boat, my crew was already in the process of changing the headsail.
As we motored out of the harbor, there was 15 knots of
breeze in the harbor and it looked like victory at sea out in the ocean. There
were already two boats out so we ventured on out. The waves at the harbor entrance did not look
too bad, but as we sailed further out toward the start buoy, the waves got
bigger and steeper with a very short period.
It took tremendous concentration to keep the boat going straight up the
faces of the waves and angling down the backs.
The slightest distraction would douse the whole crew with buckets of water. Four boats ventured out: Free Spirit,
Aeolian, Pair A Dice and Kicks. Free
Spirit was heading for the harbor as we were leaving the harbor. As if to lend credence to the conditions we
were fighting, a 32 foot sailboat lay grounded on seabright beach next to the
harbor entrance. Aeolian went over toward the pier and lowered
all sails to motor into the harbor.
Kicks was just coming out when we decided to head back in to the
harbor. There was no way I wanted to
negotiate the entrance in diminished light.
Suffice it to say, the boats that did not come out did not miss much, except
a little learning experience.
Back at the Crow’s Nest we discussed the various techniques
we all used to get into the harbor.
Someone asked me why we sailed into the harbor with both main (reefed)
and the jib (partially furled). There
were several decisions that came into play.
Someone thought it would be good to decrease sail area by furling the
jib and someone else pointed out the danger: the boat would be out of balance
and if a wave caused us to broach, we could get rounded right up into the
rocks! We could have lowered all sails,
but doing so would leave us with no control if something should happen to my
small, 11 horsepower engine. Another
problem that occurs in rough seas is dirt getting stirred up in the fuel tank
and clogging filters. Engines seem to
have perfect timing to go out just when you really need them, so it is usually
best, in gnarly conditions, to at least have some sails up. Of course a boat
without a folding prop and a strong engine could feel safer motoring in with no
sails up.
A proper tack:
One of the maneuvers that sailors must complete that can
lead to big gains or losses is tacking.
Done correctly, you lose little, done poorly and competitors will leave
you behind. While the helmsman plays a
crucial role, the crew’s actions can improve or destroy a tack.
The following are my observations of what constitutes a perfect tack. The proper tack begins with a helmsman
announcing their intentions, waiting for the “Ready” signal from each crew
member. The loaded sheet should be
uncleated or taken out of the self tailing jaws in preparation. As the helmsperson begins the tack, he
announces either “tacking” or “helms to lee”. The mainsheet trimmer can travel up on the
main to help turn the boat. The helmsperson begins the tack by turning the
wheel quickly until the boat is head to wind. One exception is in very light wind, this turn
of the wheel should be much more gradual so there is not much drag from the
rudder. As soon as the boat is head to
wind, the loaded jib sheet is released.
The crew member releasing this sheet should make certain the line is
free to go (not tangled or lines being stood on.) Stalling momentarily with the boat head to wind,
accomplishes two goals: coasting directly upwind and it gives the crew time to
get most of the sheets in while the sails are not full. The helmsperson after
the momentary stall, continues on with the tack until the boat is between 3 to 10 degrees beyond hard on the wind. Less in more wind and up to 10 degrees in
very light wind. This allows the boat to
accelerate. As the boat accelerates and
the helmperson comes up to hard on the wind again, the crew cranks in the sail
until it is almost touching the spreader, while someone goes forward to skirt
the jib. What is fun is to practice
tacks to see who can tack the boat with the least drop in speed in the process. I encourage comments from readers on ways to improve this maneuver.
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| WEDNESDAY NIGHT: WHAT A DIFFERENCE 24 HOURS MAKES! |
Midwinter series:
This winter, SCYC will be putting on the midwinter series. It is time for all of us to show off what we
have learned this year on our Tuesday night sails. These races are very fun and often run in
very light conditions and a perfect way to get introduced to fleet racing.
See you out there next Tuesday,
Barry L. Keeler
Sailing Pair A Dice
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