Boating and Sailing.pdf - Moja ladja

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Part 7: Sailing, Sailing …
mean there’s no chance you can run for the docks in time to avoid a storm once the black
clouds blot out the sun, as you sometimes can in a powerboat.
The best way to deal with bad weather is to watch it over a cup of hot tea from the clubhouse,
and that requires you to carefully check all sources of weather information before
you leave the docks. But even the most careful sailors sometimes find themselves in more
weather than they want.
The basic response to a serious blow is to reduce sail. But when the first blast hits, it may
be too late to inform your crew of your plans in time to avoid a capsize.
Any time the weather seems iffy, it’s a good idea to review the basic heavy-weather plan,
which should be followed in progressive order as the winds become more severe:
1. Before the storm arrives, make sure the sheets and halyards are clear and ready to
run free as needed.
2. If the crew are not already wearing PFDs, they should put them on. Foul-weather
gear is also a good idea, even in warm weather—the wind chill can be fierce with a
50-knot wind after you’re soaked by rain or spray.
3. If you have an engine, get it started. You’ll have more options than facing the storm
under sail alone.
4. If the wind lays the boat over on its side, ease the sheets immediately and turn up
into the wind.
5. If it’s a major storm, drop the mainsail. If the boat is still heeling excessively, drop
the jib as well. The idea is to get all that wind-catching sail area down on the deck
so that the boat isn’t pushed over on its side. (Lash the sails down to the boom or
deck hardware—the wind may catch and tear them otherwise.)
6. You may find that you can’t beat up into the wind, even under engine power,
because the wind and seas stop all forward motion. If this is the case, turn downwind
enough to take the seas on your stern quarter and head for the nearest protected
area.
7. In a worst-case scenario, all sails down and the boat blowing down on a shoal, put
the anchor over the bow, let the entire length of the rode run out, cleat it, and hope
it catches!
Riding the Waves
Sailboat handling is a bit different than powerboat handling in large waves because of the
minimal power available from the sail and/or auxiliary engine.