Kattu hove to in a gale

Comment by Kenneth Gorman on June 23, 2014 at 7:27am

She looks comfortable like that, the waves are around 3.5 meters?

Comment by Alf Bangert on June 23, 2014 at 12:42pm

That seems about right.  It's hard to judge accurately.  The camera always seems to make them look smaller than they looked at the time!   We had been running a broad reach under bare poles with those seas on the beam,  when I fell asleep in the deckpod.  I was awakened by a terrific crash like a ship hitting us, and Kattu heeled 45 degrees throwing me to the opposite side of the pod,  then heeled 45 degrees the other way....throwing me back to where I started.  When she righted a large volume of green water poured off the bimini roof;  this is about 3 meters above the water line.  That must have been some rogue wave and I think a pretty close call.  That made me realize heaving to properly was necessary and it was great to discover that the Tiki 38 heaves to very nicely.  It was so much more comfortable than before.   I will never again tempt fate with large seas on the beam!

-Alf

Comment by Ganz Daniel on June 24, 2014 at 5:51am

Hi Alf! Did you hove to with double reefed foremain only? Or was the main up to?Did you lashed the wheel? I once tried to hove with the jib up (like on monos where you hold the jib back) and this did not work. Wonderful boat!! daniel

Comment by paul anderson on June 24, 2014 at 2:33pm

Thnx for sharing Alf.

Comment by Alf Bangert on June 25, 2014 at 1:31am

The "foremain" was triple reefed,  and the mainsail also triple reefed.  The "foremain" was sheeted in very tightly,  and the mainsail a little freer to prevent weathercocking the boat into the wind.  I did not use the jib at all.  The wheel was lashed hard to port,  with the boat on port tack.  She drifted sideways and sternwise at about 1 1/2 knots,  and as far as I could tell there was not much strain on the rudders at that rate.  There was a nice slick on the windward side from the square drift she was making,  and that seemed to do wonders to calm the approaching breakers.  

-Alf

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