Catamaran Steering Technique: Sailing in Bad Weather

Catamaran Steering Technique: Sailing in Bad Weather

When we talk about how to withstand bad weather on a catamaran, we have to take it for granted that all catamarans are different, there are no standard decisions on what to do, the strategy of dealing with the elements on a standard cruise catamaran is different from what can be done on a catamaran created for high speeds.

Racing catamarans that have access to weather forecasts should strive to simply get away from a dangerous place. Advanced cruising catamarans, with narrow floats, are able to surf the waves, reaching speeds of up to twenty knots in short periods of 10 to 15 seconds.

But under the same conditions, heavier cruise catamarans begin to behave worse, especially if the crew is trying to squeeze their maximum speed out of them.

It goes without saying that reducing the sail area is the very first thing that should occur to you in such a situation, but in the previous chapters we have already said that in a strong tailwind it is extremely difficult to remove the mainsail or take reefs on it without being led to the wind. In a situation where the wind and excitement intensify, it is possible that the moment to make such a maneuver is safe, has already been missed.

In this situation, an experienced crew is able to anticipate an increase in wind and reduce the area of the mainsail or remove it altogether a few hours before a danger arises. Reducing the area of the head sails is not particularly difficult, at least the staysail can always be twisted or removed. Working with a spinnaker is a little more difficult, but it is also not fraught with much danger.

Finding yourself in a situation where you have set too many sails, and you know that the moment to reduce the sail area has already been missed is not a pleasant feeling.

You have inadvertently fallen into this situation, and you still have to think about how to get out of it.

How to take reefs on a grotto

Brutal strength is the solution that will save you from prison in a situation where you need to reduce the area of the mainsail with a tailwind. But not everything is so simple, since the sail may not go down due to the fact that the wind force presses it against the mast shoulder even if you let go of the halyard. The luff of the sail will also be subject to a load that was not originally anticipated when the sail was sewn.

The best way - it is not to touch the main halyard and try to lower the mainsail, trying to bring the wind a little to the first reef, so that the luff of the sail would not be pressed so strongly against the mast.

Additional force is required on the boom because, when working with the sheets, the sail will still tend to, turn outward and will still be pressed against the mast.

Then you will need to heavily load the leech end and the clew end, they should already be ready for the next reef. When the ends for the corrugation are taut, you can slightly etch the mainsail halyard. If the sail has moved, this is good news, but the mainsail may drop slightly before being pushed again by the leech against the mast and the standing rigging.

You may need to do this many times before the sail is reduced to the size you need. It can be very hard work, but who cares in a situation where you need to solve a problem like this.

Bringing to the wind to take the reefs on the grotto

In case you can't get the mainsail down, the only thing you can do is try to bring yourself to the wind. Given that the conditions have gotten worse, this idea does not seem attractive, but careful preparation for the maneuver will help minimize stress.

First you need to make sure that the main halyard is ready to kick in. You need one person who will follow the halyard and one more on the rudder, who will make sure that the catamaran does not cross the wind line with its bow and start tackling again on another tack.

You also need to check that the grotto grotto ends are ready to attach the sail, but the situation is likely to get so bad and it is expected to get worse that the best solution would be to remove the mainsail completely and get back on course as quickly as possible.

If you have a spare pair of hands, make sure someone is prepared to secure the mainsail so that the sail does not flutter in the wind as it pleases.

Then you need a man, near the mast, who will pull the sail down by the luff. The battens on the mainsail cause the mainsail to fold in large folds, which can be blown up by the headwind and prevent the sail from descending under its own weight. You may need the help of another person in order to quickly lower the sail and secure it to the boom. Check that you have everything ready for tying the folded mainsail on the boom and the staysail sheets are ready in order to return to the same course again.

If your engine on a leeward float runs in neutral this is just fine, it is needed to keep the catamaran upwind and then quickly turn back on course when the mainsail is finished.

The most important thing is correct communication. Before doing this work, make sure everyone knows exactly what you are doing and everyone understands their task. The sooner you manage to remove the mainsail, the better, keep in mind that when you turn the boat forward to the wind, the noise level will increase dramatically and it will be difficult for you to command the actions of the crew.

• Test drive of the Outremer 4X catamaran

Planning your actions depending on the weather

It is possible that your actions to reduce the sail area are just a reaction to a short-term increase in wind, after which you can again increase the sail area, but if this is only the beginning of a stronger storm, then you need a plan of what to do if conditions become more worse.

Perhaps you will try to go without sails at all with a bare spar, but in this case the catamaran becomes too clumsy, you will be able to surf down the wave, but you will practically lose speed and controllability when the catamaran rests its bow on the wave, a small sail in front will significantly improve controllability catamaran. This should not surprise you, because when you have the force to pull the catamaran by the bow, the handling of the catamaran is much better than when the wind presses on the transoms and the aft bulkhead of the cabin.

It may happen that the weather gets worse and you lose the desire to move in a given direction. You can only try to keep the catamaran in a safe position, and your crew will avoid unnecessary stress and anxiety by sitting comfortably below.

It is possible that you remove all the sails and go further under the motors.

In order to safely storm at sea without running and sails, it is best to put a floating anchor, which is designed and designed specifically for such conditions. The topic of using a storm anchor is the most controversial of all, and it is difficult to give advice on how best to use a floating anchor. There are too many different opinions on this issue.

Floating anchor or parachute

The term floating anchor is usually applied to a device large enough to hold the boat practically in place with the bow to the wave, while a parachute is a device whose main purpose is to reduce the speed of the boat drifting downwind. Usually, everyone who goes on catamarans prefers to set a parachute from the stern, it works better than a floating anchor, which is set from the bow. The floating anchor tends to submerge the stern of the catamaran, increasing the risk of taking tons of sea water into the cockpit.

Nowadays, parachutes have already been developed and are mass-produced, which represent a very durable end to which many tiny parachutes are tied. In this case, you have the ability to adjust the braking force by increasing or decreasing the number of parachutes attached to the end, you can experiment until the result is satisfactory.

By developing confidence in such a device through trial and error, you prepare yourself for worsening weather. The feeling that you have coped with the situation will add calmness to you.

• Test drive of the sailing cruise catamaran Fountaine Pajot Ipanema 58

Catamaran Steering Technique: Sailing in Bad Weather

If you go against the wind, you are safe

Walking head-to-head in a storm makes it much easier to stay safe. For starters, if the weather turns bad and you find yourself on a regular cruising catamaran, always try to turn the catamaran head-on against the wind, in this case the risk of capsizing is much less.

The deck equipment is probably not designed for too strong winds, which is an obvious way to keep the cost of the catamaran down, but it is also a good way to get you to carry fewer sails so that you can stay on the water at all - right side up. In any case, it will soon become quite obvious to you that there are too many sails on a cruising catamaran, when the wind increases, it is too unjustified a risk. So grab the reefs ahead of time and feel free to start the motors when needed.

When the wind increases, remember to take the reefs, before doing this, reduce the staysail area for better control

It is not difficult to take reefs if you move with the bow against the wind, but at the same time it is important to maintain the forward speed in order for the catamaran to maintain controllability. If the catamaran stops, it can reverse, due to its large windage, the stern can spontaneously plunge under the water, in the worst case, you can roll over over the stern up keel.

When your catamaran spontaneously backed up, most likely you need to think about not breaking the rudders, which in itself is also a big problem. Starting the leeward motor before taking on the reefs or even leading the bow to the wind is always a very useful thing, just to be on the safe side and always be able to drive forward and maintain control of the catamaran. Despite the fact that in a strong wind you need to reduce your speed, stop completely and then go back even more dangerous.

Do's and Don'ts

• It is necessary to reduce the area of the mainsail to a minimum when walking with a tailwind in unstable weather.

• It is necessary to take reefs with a favorable wind, even if the weather is good and the reefs are not needed. At least you will practice, one day this skill will be very useful to you in real life.

• It is necessary to take reefs, moving against the wind in advance. It is likely that your average speed will increase, and most importantly, you will reduce the level of anxiety to the crew on board when the wind increases.

• Do not be too confident in a short and heavy catamaran with huge floats, with the slightest excitement, it can turn over if you try to squeeze its maximum speed out of it. Better not to tempt fate - especially when the weather worsens.

• If you are traveling on a sandwich cruise catamaran that looks more like a feudal lord's floating castle, Do not expect fantastic upwind performance from it. Good maritime practice always involves driving under the engines in such a situation.

• Do not forget that you, as a skipper, must first of all care about the well-being of the team so do not let your imagination run wild as if you are racing in the Route du Rhum race. Your catamaran is not designed for racing.

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13.12.2016