How to Heave To on a Sailboat

Whether you're caught in a violent squall and want to take a restful break or you're sailing through clear water in light wind, the heave to maneuver is one of the most effective ways to passively control a sailboat. By putting the boat into an intentionally awkward attitude, heaving to kills speed and creates enough drift and turbulence to cancel out some wave action. Follow these steps to heave to.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

1. Bring the boat close to the wind. Especially if you're in heavy winds and water, getting the boat to a close reach or even a close haul reduces work in the long run and allows you to spill off speed, if you need to, by nosing into the wind.

2. Sheet in the mainsail. If you are already sailing close to the wind then you probably need to give the main a few pulls (or turns on the winch) to sheet it in. If not, sheet in all the way and cleat the line off so the sail is as close to midships as it's going to be.

3. Tack the boat. To heave to you need to tack the boat without changing the head sail (the jib or genoa). Simply tack the boat as you normally would, though slightly underpowered. Leave the head sail unchanged and let the mainsail change over to the new tack.

4. Turn the steering wheel to windward. After you've completed your tack turn the steering wheel all the way to windward (so if you're on a starboard tack, for instance, turn the wheel to starboard) and lock it in place. If you steer by tiller, push the tiller towards the mainsail and lash it in place. Wait a few seconds without making any adjustments for the boat to find its groove. Once you heave to you will feel a gentle swaying movement as the backwinded jib and the sheeted mainsail pass the wind back and forward.

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