xanderwess wrote:
And don't forget to kiss your ass goodbye, that is very important on a high speed, high wind gybe on a 14 (death machine)
Awesome! I'm going to use that name on my "new" '84...!%!Death Machine!%!
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| Gybing in high wind http://www.hobie.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=26061 |
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| Author: | soccerguy83 [ Mon Jun 07, 2010 9:52 am ] |
| Post subject: | Gybing in high wind |
Yesterday I was out on the Chesapeake Bay sailing my H14 solo. The winds as I found out today from the Stingray Point light were about 20ish gusting to 30. I was sailing in the lee of my island and had accidently gotten out of the lee into the main channel of wind on a tack taking me away from the island. It was blowing so hard I couldn’t make a tack with no jib, so I decided to carefully gybe. That was about one of the scariest experiences I have had on a sailboat to date. I came very close to pitching and didn’t know what I could have done to stop it. I’m still not quite sure how I saved it, I think I went through the wind to fast and steered back down further. So I was wondering what some tips for gybing in high wind are. Thanks all! |
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| Author: | MBounds [ Mon Jun 07, 2010 10:09 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Gybing in high wind |
Speed is your friend in a jibe. The faster you're going, the less the apparent wind and the smoother the jib will be. It's counterintuitive, but it works. Prepare for the jibe by sheeting in the main (traveller all the way out) until there's only a couple of feet between the blocks. Let the tiller extension trail behind the boat. Steer with the tiller crossbar directly. Bear away until you are almost dead downwind and hold that heading until you regain speed from the turn. Let's say you're jibing from stbd tack to port tack: Kneeling in the center of the boat (facing more-or-less forward), smoothly steer through the jibe with your left (aft) hand (DON'T oversteer and slow down!) As the stern starts to go through the wind, uncleat the mainsheet, grab the whole mainsheet purchase between the blocks with your right hand and throw it over to the new side, at the same time you let go of the tiller with your left hand and grab it again with your right hand (on the new windward side). Your body pivots so you face aft (when you throw the sheet over) and you continue to rotate until you come down with a thump on the new windward rear corner casting. If you time it right, the main slams on to the new jibe as your butt hits the opposite corner casting, keeping the leeward bow out. The unlceated main runs out, acting like a shock absorber to soften the blow. Whatever you do, don't oversteer on to a reach. |
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| Author: | soccerguy83 [ Mon Jun 07, 2010 10:20 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Gybing in high wind |
Matt, That is essentially what I did aside from gaining speed down wind prior to the gybe, makes a lot of sense though. That is what I do on all my gybes in smaller wind. I was curious though, should I have traveled in first therefore reduced my sail area exposed to the wind? I don't know if that would have worked or not. Thanks for taking the time to respond, I know you have tons of experience on Hobies! -Brian |
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| Author: | mmiller [ Mon Jun 07, 2010 10:24 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Gybing in high wind |
I'd add... Grab the mainsheet in a bundle (around all 5-6 lines) up near the upper block. Pull down hard as the boat gets to DDW, then ease out on the new side. This works like a shock absorber and helps to keep the sail from slamming across. |
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| Author: | xanderwess [ Mon Jun 07, 2010 1:06 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Gybing in high wind |
And saves on expensive traveler cars getting yanked. |
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| Author: | xnomad [ Wed Jun 09, 2010 11:35 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Gybing in high wind |
Something I do, (I think I learnt this from the forum) is tie a 'figure of eight' knot in the main sheet at a point that stops the traveller car from hitting the end of the track. The knot hits the traveller cleat and the car can't go any further. Probably saved the traveller system quite a few times in those hair raising gybes. |
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| Author: | hawk592 [ Thu Oct 21, 2010 10:47 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Gybing in high wind |
xnomad, Curious about your post. Where exactly do you tie this knot? |
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| Author: | J_Eaton [ Fri Oct 22, 2010 5:36 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Gybing in high wind |
The knot needs to be on the "trampoline side" of the Main sheet, stopping on the fairlead eye of the traveller swivel cleat. If the knot was between the cleat and the traveller car you'd be unable to sheet the car to the center. Make sense? |
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| Author: | xanderwess [ Fri Oct 22, 2010 9:10 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Gybing in high wind |
And don't forget to kiss your ass goodbye, that is very important on a high speed, high wind gybe on a 14 (death machine) |
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| Author: | J_Eaton [ Fri Oct 22, 2010 12:44 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Gybing in high wind |
xanderwess wrote: And don't forget to kiss your ass goodbye, that is very important on a high speed, high wind gybe on a 14 (death machine) Awesome! I'm going to use that name on my "new" '84...!%!Death Machine!%!
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| Author: | xanderwess [ Fri Oct 22, 2010 1:05 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Gybing in high wind |
(censored) YEA!! |
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| Author: | Greg Spring [ Sun Jan 02, 2011 10:25 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Gybing in high wind |
If you sheet in the main and also the traveler reasonably tight or all the way, before the sail jibes you should have no problem, since very little sail area will be filling with wind until you slowly sheet out the sail as you speed up. This process will have eliminate the sail flipping sides with great force. Depending on the wind speed, sheeting out may cause you to pitch pole or capsize forward. Be prepared to sheet out all the way and head up into the wind very quickly. This method will not work in very high winds since the Hobie 14 will capsize forward when going downwind in strong wind conditions. Another way to jibe is turn sharply while holding the boom all the way sheeted out as long as possible allowing the boat to turn around enough so that the sail gets back winded instead of pitch poling the boat and or destroying other parts and people. Possibly the safest way is to tack your Hobie in high wind conditions. Be sure to sheet in the sail before you tack, gaining boat speed and then turning sharply onto the new tack. Do not turn the rudders so sharply as to slow the boat. When the boat stops which will happen almost immediately turn the rudders quickly as the boat begins to back up and sheet the sail out at the same time. The boat will back around on to a broad reach and start moving forward. Steer off the wind and do not sheet in until you gain boat speed. It will be smart to practice in reasonable wind conditions before sailing in stupid high wind conditions. Another smart thing to do is tack in the lee side of land where the wind is lighter, such as Mosquito Point, Corrotoman River, or Locklies. I would advise against sailing eighteen miles across the Chesapeake Bay to find a leeward shore. Hope to see you on the Rappahannock next summer. Look for my blue Hobie 18 with magnun wings and Mylar square top main. |
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