Alfredo Contaldovideo
SAILING COURSE ⛵ HEAVING TO - stopping the boat by heaving to or lying ahull on a sailboat
May 23, 2023 · 13 min · 46K views
What this video covers
To heave-to, a sailor steers the boat into the wind as if tacking but keeps the headsail sheeted to the windward side, causing the sail to back.1:27 The mainsail is luffed completely, and the helm is locked hard to leeward.0:59 This configuration creates a balance between the headsail’s tendency to push the bow away from the wind and the rudder’s tendency to turn the bow back into the wind.2:42 The boat maintains a slow, zigzagging motion, drifting to leeward while creating a slick of calm water on the windward side that helps dampen incoming waves.3:12 This maneuver allows a crew to stop the vessel for rest, meals, or navigation tasks.0:42 While heaving-to uses standard sails, the storm-weather equivalent—heaving-to under storm sails—uses a storm jib and a trysail or deeply reefed mainsail to survive heavy weather.5:14 In extreme conditions, a boat may go bare-poled with a sea anchor.7:08 To resume sailing, the crew releases the headsail sheet, centers the mainsail, and steers off the wind.11:53
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