FreedomYachts.org

New on this forum and to the Freedom CK. When heaving to on a CK one run a jib off the mizzen and perhaps a storm try sale. What experience do CK sailors have with storm sailing? I'm in the Chesapeake Bay currently but my dreams extend to blue water. F35 CK

I have never been hove to in a storm on my CK35 LK but have done so on a nice day to await the turn of the tide by double reefing the frontsail and pulling it well to the windward rail - you might take a line from the leech reef cringles. Then ease the backsail a little and put the helm down.

In very bad weather, I would be anxious for the rudder which is huge for the size of boat and would want some forward motion to ease the stresses on it - maybe with the wheel held central or a little to lee by shockcord. On my LK boat, I think just the double-reefed backsail would be best - as built it did not have a second reef, but I can set it very effectively with a complex system of my own invention after the sailmaker had put in the cringles. The windage from a lowered frontsail would blow the head well off the wind, to maybe 60 degrees and then you go down below to have a cup of tea and a prayer.

I have been through a 50k squall with just double-reefed backsail and the boat was quite 'alive' but under control.

Heaving-to is just as Mike has said, though, on a night with Force 7 – 8 winds and rough seas, we dropped the main except for the foot beneath the wishbone. Sheeting that to the windward side of the coachroof gave the effect of a backed jib on a sloop, and a reefed mizzen sheeted a little to leeward kept her head up. Some experimentation showed that a thick loop of shock cord was the best way to hold the helm to weather; lashing the emergency tiller bent it after half an hour. We forereached about 5 miles in 8 hours, though there was probably half a knot of current against us, too.

If you are out on the ocean, either lying to a substantial sea anchor (awkward to set and hand), or running before under bare poles trailing lines or a drogue are perhaps better alternatives. The PO of Castaway did the latter in the Atlantic when returning from the Azores. The F35 Cat Ketch is very capable of offshore sailing in all weathers.

If you search this board, you can find more comments on heaving–to, and also a copy of the PO's article "Castaway's Knockdown" from Yachting Monthly.

Good sailing!

Gerald

Hi Gerald,

I was at the Tall Ships in Shetland (great, esp for loads of local trad music and pop-up bars) but we didn't meet. You've still to see my wee rescue Sky-Dog who is seaworthy but requires that we do the shortest hops, taking in Fairisle and N Ron at the very least. She has an 'endearing' habit of lying across the engine panel in the morning so we can't go to sea - teeth come out if I try to move her.

Just one Q re your description - how much c/b did you have down? I think either keel type would be making a good deal of leeway which (according to learned sources) would tend to lessen the effect of incoming seas. Oops, and did you manage to have a cup of tea? BW Mike.

Hi, Mike. That was a quick reply!

We had the centreboard half raised, which was not optimal, but the PO had recommended that, in heavy weather, as a precaution in case of a knockdown. The seas were very violent that night; wind over current crossing the Norwegian trench, and it was that, rather than wind strength, that made us decide to heave-to, since the motion defeated the self-steering, and we couldn't see to hand steer around the lumps of sea. It was too tiring to manage it for more than half an hour each, anyway. As it was, we spent and uncomfortable night held in by lee cloths, but always felt the boat (and thus ourselves) was safe. We put into Utsire as soon as it got light enough to navigate the rocky entrance.

We were not at home for the Tall Ships, since it was smack in the middle of our planned sailing season (Sweden to Finland and back), and the weather can be so unpredictable. Their last visit was terribly cold and windy, though the one before that was OK. Sorry to have missed you, though. Should you be back again, just call along the house, near the Library; anyone will tell you where we live, and if we're in, you're welcome.
Regards,
Gerald

Thank you for the advice, I appreciate your experience and willingness to share.

Carsten