Blue Water & Heavy Weather Sailing

Fun and Adventure

Blue Water Sailing vs. Coastal Cruising

• Standardized routines – simple and understood• Night Sailing – prepare to enjoy, dress accordingly• Demands on boat and equipment – stress and chaff• Time and distance – keep things in perspective • Navigation – far from the “hard stuff”• Self-sufficiency – “no house calls”• Lifestyle – keep it simple• Hazards – keep things in perspective• Fatigue - anticipate

June Pilot Chart

640 nm@1150 T

50 Squares

Feathers - average force of wind onBeaufort scale

110 W to 15.300 W Variation

Great Circle shipping routes

Weather - What Can You Expect

• June Pilot Chart: majority of winds W, SW, S// toward Bermuda W, SW, S, SE: 8- 15 knots & some calm days – Winds over 20 knots 15%, winds under 10 knots 15%

• Water Temp: West of Gulf stream (May) 55 – 650, in the Gulf Stream - 810, East – 68-720

• Gulf Stream: 2-4 knots NE direction– Eddies: Cold (E) – counter clockwise

Warm (N & W) – clockwise• Rain: have a plan to deal with “wet stuff”

Getting into Position to Start the ACR

Next stop – the Azores

Heavy Weather• What is it?

– Lightning, rain, wind, waves

• Crew experience – Expanding your range of “comfort”– Practice routine tasks

• Prep: – Safety harness and jacklines– Boat: strip/tie it down, charge the batteries, chaff

protection– Empty and clean bilge– Crew duties: clarify and check– Rest and food: get ready; conserve energy – minimize

exposure– Seasickness: anticipate

• Dealing with the “After”

What Is Heavy Weather?

Heavy Weather• What is it?

– Lightning, rain, wind, waves

• Crew experience – Expanding your range of “comfort”– Practice routine tasks

• Prep: – Safety harness and jacklines– Boat: strip/tie it down, charge the batteries, chaff

protection– Empty and clean bilge– Crew duties: clarify and check– Rest and food: get ready; conserve energy – minimize

exposure– Seasickness: anticipate

• Dealing with the “After”

Coping with Heavy Weather

• Preventing surprise– An alert watch– Monitor and be able to analyze wx forecasts – Monitor local wx conditions (barometer, eyes) – ID

trends

• “Take-n-Shake” sailing: – Reduce sail quickly, efficiently and with a plan– When to reef: (when you first think about it)

• extreme heel & wx helm• discomfort • high speed

Advanced Bluewater Cruising: Hal Sutphen

Advanced Bluewater Cruising: Hal Sutphen

Coping with Heavy Weather• “Take-n-Shake” sailing:

– Roller furling headsails:

• use of winch

• “challenges”: draft, center of effort: forward,

high

• “Take a turn”

• Mark reef “points”

• Adjust lead forward (rolling hitch)

Coping with Heavy Weather• “Take-n-Shake” sailing:

– Roller furling headsails:

• Use of winch

• “challenges”: draft, center of effort: forward,

high

• “Take a turn”

• Mark reef “points”

• Adjust lead forward (rolling hitch)

Coping with Heavy Weather• “Take-n-Shake” sailing: Mains

– Manage wx helm, keep boat moving

• Roller furling: Lots of Options – keep tension on outhaul– Line “slippage”– Minimize “flogging”

• Traditional mains: – mark reef positions on halyard and clew lines – adjust topping lift, ease boom vang– adjust halyard and out haul – draft (flat)– reef points – under foot of sail, not boom

– “Clean up” & prepare to “take” or “shake”

– “Play” the traveler

Storm Sails reduce sail area, lower and center CE over CLR*

• Trysail: – Low cut jib-like sail (1/4 mainsail area)– Separate track– Trimmed on deck**– Boom lowered/secured

• Storm jib:– Tiny jib: smaller than a number 4– Set (hanked) on an inner stay (furl roller furling)– Separate sheets– Low cut / pennant– Gale Sail / used jib for smaller boat

• Practice setting• Staysail – increased flexibility

CLR – center of lateral resistance

Coping with Heavy Weather• Steering

– Sail Trim– Hand steering: “feel for boat”– Autopilots: head sails

• Windward– A “lazy-S” – heading up and falling off– Very demanding on boat and crew

• Reaching in high seas (breaking) – Knock down, broaching– Yawing, accidental jibe

• Running – Jibing or broaching– Headsails only– Control speed

Tactics• Boat design and condition of crew • Active: Continuous crew effort to keep boat going in a

chosen directionStorm sailing: sail a “course” to get out of highest

winds and dangerous seas• Demanding on boat and crew• Frequent shifts of helm

Running Off• Sea room needed• Active steering to avoid broaches and jibes• Reduces apparent wind • Easier on off-watch crew• Strong preventer required• Companionway closed, cockpit drains clear• Control speed

– Warps and drogues: well aft of boat 300+ ft of three- strand nylon line

Tactics• Passive: Relying on the boat’s ability to take care of itself in a

seaway Heaving to: most basic - boat design important

• When:– Prevent giving up significant ground to leeward– Delay entry to new port– Rest crew– Reef or other maintenance tasks

• How: • back the jib, lock the helm to windward• adjust jib and main sheet tension and rudder angle – lie

40-600 off wind (not 900)• combinations change based on wind and wave

conditions• Will “fore-reach”, drift to leeward w/slick to windward

Significantly improves quality of life – an essential technique for any sailor to master

Tactics• Passive: Relying on the boat’s ability to take care of

itself in a seaway

Riding to a sea anchor (hold bow into wind and waves)- Steamed from bow- Large enough for boat – line “12 times” the length of boat- Care in setting - Chaff

Lying a hull: last recourse / not good in breaking sea • Sails down, helm secured, hatches dogged• Boat design effects attitude boat will assume – generally

abeam to seas• Chance of knockdown or capsize maximized• Secure crew

Tactics

Engine use: used in coastal sailing but …- Good for light to moderate winds for motor sailing- Not good in heavy wx:

- Engine size- Load on engine and transmission high- Angle of heel – engine oil- Fuel filters- Fouled prop – lots of lines that can go

overboard

Summary• Offshore sailing is different • Majority of sailing will be in good wx with winds 8-15

knots• Be prepared for less, know how to deal with more –

monitor the wx:– Ensure you can reduce sail quickly and effectively– Active or passive tactics: be prepared to exercise both– Know how to heave to

• A well-prepared boat and trained crew can handle almost any condition– May be undesirable, uncomfortable, unpleasant but a

great source of sea stories• Remember this is an adventure

Can guarantee: wind & calm, sun & rain