Get the boat balanced first. If she continuously rounds up into the wind in gusty conditions, you need to reduce sail to reduce heeling and weather helm. This will lighten the helm and make steering easier. Steering an exact compass course on a small sailboat can cause a lot of eye strain and fatigue. This "averaging" steering technique relieves both of those problems.
Sure, equal and opposite course variations will average out, but how does this tie in with the tendency of the yacht to round up in the gusts? Is his message simply that the course changes towards the wind, due to the gusts, have to be balanced out by bearing away by an equal and opposite amount for the same time?
It's quite difficult to steer an exact compass course when sailing. So, you can use this method to steer an "average of courses" on each side of your plotted course. By using a set interval of time and degrees, you will average a course that's close to the plotted course. This will also cause less fatigue for the person steering the boat.
I don't understand this video. Is the technique based on a belief that a five-degree variation either slightly close reaching or slightly broad reaching makes a big difference in course stability in gusty winds?
Hi Tony,
Get the boat balanced first. If she continuously rounds up into the wind in gusty conditions, you need to reduce sail to reduce heeling and weather helm. This will lighten the helm and make steering easier. Steering an exact compass course on a small sailboat can cause a lot of eye strain and fatigue. This "averaging" steering technique relieves both of those problems.
Best - Captain John
seasensical 1 year ago
Sure, equal and opposite course variations will average out, but how does this tie in with the tendency of the yacht to round up in the gusts? Is his message simply that the course changes towards the wind, due to the gusts, have to be balanced out by bearing away by an equal and opposite amount for the same time?
tonyhr342 1 year ago
Hi,
It's quite difficult to steer an exact compass course when sailing. So, you can use this method to steer an "average of courses" on each side of your plotted course. By using a set interval of time and degrees, you will average a course that's close to the plotted course. This will also cause less fatigue for the person steering the boat.
Captain John
seasensical 1 year ago
I don't understand this video. Is the technique based on a belief that a five-degree variation either slightly close reaching or slightly broad reaching makes a big difference in course stability in gusty winds?
sushimoustache 1 year ago