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Actually, i have not tried the X heave when taking down the main. Indeed, when the main is coming down, the sail/underwater foils relationship would change and I expect the X heave to would end.
Short of putting out an anchor (sea or bottom biting), how does a singlehander reliably hold an X head to the wind to drop and particularly to raise the main?
I usually motor slowly into the wind, lock the helm,run forward, and try to raise the main ASAP, before the bow swings too far off the wind and a main batten jambs against a spreader or shroud ....not a very satisfactory method.
Ron

A hove-to is the time tested correct way to "brake" a sailboat. It's a maneuver that everyone who sails should learn to do. It's especially useful for stopping suddenly in a man overboard situation.

The simple method:

When sailing, Tack SLOWLY without resheeting the jib, allowing it to backwind. You're using the irons to depower the sails here. Once the tack is complete and the jib is backwinded, turn the rudders to be parallel with the now back-winded jib against the steering stop, and lash it off (bungee, dock line, wheel lock, whatever you use). You don't touch the jib lines. Tightening up the mainsail will help.

Viola. You will stop just about immediately and are hove-to. You should be drifting about 1..2 knots. In heavy air a Mac will slip windward depending on your CB/DB depth, but should remain both pointed and stopped in the water within a reasonable distance. Both the wind and seas should seem considerably calmer, and you're now in a position to easily reef, take a break, drop sail, or whatever you want to do.

If you're sailing in circles, it's because the rudders are perpendicular to the jib (because you haven't prevented the steering from moving, it will go to the point of least resistance. Depending on whether you have the outboard attached and how heavy it is, you'll get different "automatic" results). Turn the rudders to full stop the other direction and lash it off to prevent circling.

To restart, hard over the helm. The boat should do a 360 and will come around to the original head. You don't even need to re-sheet the jib.

Easy peasy lemon breezy. It's my go-to maneuver any time there's a "situation" and I don't know immediately what I should do, presuming I'm not in tight quarters.

ronacarme wrote:Short of putting out an anchor (sea or bottom biting), how does a singlehander reliably hold an X head to the wind to drop and particularly to raise the main?

My main halyard comes back to the cockpit with a rope clutch on the cabin roof. Without an autohelm to hold it into the wind, hoisting from the cockpit is the next best thing, at least for me. Without lazy jacks, there's nothing to get caught.

Best of all is a helmsman, but I like to sail alone a lot, so that's not always an option.

mastreb wrote:A hove-to is the time tested correct way to "brake" a sailboat. It's a maneuver that everyone who sails should learn to do. It's especially useful for stopping suddenly in a man overboard situation.

Yikes, a heave to would be a poor choice to start with in a man overboard. I'd recommend starting the engine and get turned around as quickly as possible. You will drift much faster than they can swim and will have to go to them.

Jim

I just had a great 2 week trip up the Ottawa river, down the Rideau Canal and back to Montreal via the seaway. Gananoque to Brockville we got hit with a storm (our bad for being on too tight a schedule and going out despite the forcast). I had a very good lesson in sail management. We were running with the mail only, no reef and did not feel the wind come up so much as we were also going with the substantial current. When the sh~t hit the fan we could not move to shore ans the 1-2meter waves would knock us all over the place - even on engine only. We all know the Mac is light but I think I could handle it better now with a bit of foresail rolled out only and the engine. Experience is everything.

Sure, it would be better with a heavy keeled boat like an Island Packet but that would be a terrible boat for the shallow waters and light winds that are usually the case in Lake St-Louis where I usually sail and it would not likely get the canal. That said, we met a crazy german fellow in a 20ft sailboat that came over from...HAMBURG!!! He did say he practiced a lot in heavy weather before. He had 2 autopilots burn out prior to the crossing and used a windvane instead which got him through. His keel was almost the length of his boat - not the light little dagger we have.

Rob

I can go from sailing with 2 sails up to hove 2 in seconds

It would take me far longer to drop the sails and reconnect the motor steering control

Besides, having a motor running when trying to bring a MOB back onboard is not my 1st choice.

.02

G

jschrade wrote:

mastreb wrote:A hove-to is the time tested correct way to "brake" a sailboat. It's a maneuver that everyone who sails should learn to do. It's especially useful for stopping suddenly in a man overboard situation.

Yikes, a heave to would be a poor choice to start with in a man overboard. I'd recommend starting the engine and get turned around as quickly as possible. You will drift much faster than they can swim and will have to go to them.

Jim

It's easy to turn out from heaving-to, and what you need to do immediately in a MOB situation is stop the boat's forward momentum. Once you're hove-to, you assess the situation and decide what to do next. Dropping the engine takes a lot longer than heaving-to to stop the boat, as does getting turned around.

My first actions would be to heave-to, find the swimmer, throw a lifeline if possible, and then make a determination about whether or not to put the engine in the water and start it up. The swimmer will be climbing on the transom, so you can't use the engine once you're within about 20' anyway.

I agree with beene and Mastreb. Has anyone tried gong into reverse while under "hove to" to get close to the MOB?

Bob

Heave to is a very good strategy for POB. Assess before deciding course of action. Most of us here don't sail enough to make the correct snap decisions.

Things to consider for POB

Condition o f POB....swimming, alert, able to move, recovery ?

Traffic in area

Tides

Wind

Waves

Number of people on board to recover?

When it comes to MOB (the politically incorrect term) I was taught and practice the system found on the following couple of websites.
More importantly, the Admiral practices this at least a couple of times a year. We have an old May West faded red life jacket , nicknamed "Bob" that we throw over when practicing this manouver.
Its actually fun to do with guests and in a couple of cases the confidence of some youngsters (10-12 yrs old) went up greatly especially when they handled the helm and sheets for a succesful recovery.

I highly recommned practicing this method until it can be done amost without thinking.

http://www.abc-of-sailing.com/info/man- ... covery.asp

http://www.sailingusa.info/man_over_board.htm

Ron asked

how does a singlehander reliably hold an X head to the wind to drop and particularly to raise the main?

My answer.
Start engine, turn into the wind, ENGAGE AUTOPILOT

Ken

The Mac, being a sailboat that can be overpowered by the engine, offers several other alternatives to POB recovery that wont be in the 'bibles'

In medium air or lighter (15 knots?) we can do things that keelboats cant.

Belive it or not could be your mast rake.. I just rejoined the site after being away for some years.. Had this Mac26X for 11 years now.. The balance between the mast rake and how much you bring up the keel will have a great effect on how she comes through the wind. B/c the weight of the motor make the boat seem to have the mast raked back too far most have the mast way too far forward. When you sail the stern lifts and you have too much forward lean to the mast. Classic symptom is she will stall when coming through the wind on a tack. To test bring your keel up about 1/2 way on the blue line. Cross the wind and if it has vastly improved then your rake is definately off. B/c the weight on different motors is vastly different the instruction on mast rake are approximations only. For example the 4 stroke is at least 100 or more LBS over a 2 stroke. Add anything stored in the rear birth and guess what. Your rake will appear too far back. It really isn't.. Unfortuantely you have to do some trial and error to get it right for your MacX.. But once you do then she will perform much better. (Well umm as well as a girl with a flat big bottom can).

Hope that Helps
Tim Stone WindDancer RFSC Way Past Commodor 07'

TimStone wrote: (Well umm as well as a girl with a flat big bottom can).

Hope that Helps
Tim Stone WindDancer RFSC Way Past Commodor 07'

Hence that is why I am a breast man and have a 26X. I like the big-ins .

ROAD Soldier wrote:

TimStone wrote: (Well umm as well as a girl with a flat big bottom can).

Hope that Helps
Tim Stone WindDancer RFSC Way Past Commodor 07'

Hence that is why I am a breast man and have a 26X. I like the big-ins .

You can never have too much flotation--"whale on "

Bob