Lin Pardey - Storm Tactics Handbook: Modern Methods of Heaving-To for Survival in Extreme Conditions

Storm Tactics Handbook

THIRD EDITION

BY LIN AND LARRY PARDEY

Cruising in Seraffyn

Seraffyns European Adventure

Seraffyns Mediterranean Adventure

Seraffyns Oriental Adventure

The Self-Sufficient Sailor

Care and Feeding of Sailing Crew

The Capable Cruiser

The Cost-Conscious Cruiser

BY LARRY PARDEY

Details of Classic Boat Construction: The Hull

DVDS

Storm Tactics: Companion to Storm Tactics Handbook

Get Ready to Cruise: Offshore Sailing, Part One

Get Ready to Cross Oceans: Offshore Sailing, Part Two

Lin and Larrys Newsletter and Cruising Tips: www.landlpardey.com

Modern Methods of Heaving-to for Survival in Extreme Conditions

THIRD EDITION REVISED AND EXPANDED

Lin and Larry Pardey

Pardey Books
Arcata, California

1995, 1996, 2008 by Mary Lin Pardey and Lawrence F. Pardey

Printing History

Storm Tactics: Sail magazine 1995

Storm Tactics Handbook, second edition: Pardey Books 1996 (eight printings)

UK Edition: Waterline Books 1996 (three printings)

Storm Tactics Handbook, third edition: Pardey Books 2008

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including scanning, photocopying, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Publishers Cataloging-in-Publication

(Provided by Quality Books, Inc.)

Pardey, Lin.

Storm tactics handbook : modern methods of heaving-to for survival in extreme conditions / Lin and Larry Pardey. -- 3rd ed., rev. and expanded.
p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN-13: 978-1-92921-447-1

ISBN-10: 1-92921-447-2

Heave-to

To lay a sailing ship on the wind with her
helm a-lee and her sails shortened and so trimmed
that as she comes up to the wind, she will fall off again
on the same tack and thus make no headway.
The whole idea in heaving-to is to bring the wind on to
the weather bow and hold the ship in that position where
she rides most safely and easily.

From The Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea, edited by Peter Kemp

Each vessel varies in terms of the best method
for heaving-to, and it is difficult to set down hard and fast
guidelines. Nevertheless, it is essential that before going offshore,
yacht skippers are aware of the best way of heaving-to their
particular vessel so that it lies better to the weather.

Sea anchors/drogues

Consideration should be given to amending the
requirements of Category 1 survey to provide for appropriately
sized drogues or sea anchors to be carried on yachts.
At present there is no such provision.

From the report issued by the New Zealand Maritime Safety Authority after a thorough investigation of the loss of lives and yachts in the Queens Birthday storm between Tonga and New Zealand in the first week of June 1994

Photo opposite: Taken by Larry on board Taleisin at latitude 4950S, 140 miles west of Chilean Patagonia.

Rather than clutter the text in with both imperial and metric measurements, we have chosen to place this table of equivalents where it is easy to use as a reference.

Wind-Speed Chart

Drogueany device that slows a boats progress through the water to improve steering control and give it directional stability. Can be tires, various kinds of warps, a Galerider, or a series drogue. Sometimes a small cone-type sea anchor is used as a drogue.