Have you experienced the aggravation of slewing from side to side when sailing downwind? Learn to sail downwind with more control when you master the secrets that the pros use.
All vessels will move to the right or left around a vertical axis--also called a "yaw" axis.
But excessive yawing causes crew fatigue at the helm, which could lead to broken gear or damaged sailing rigging.
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Imagine for a moment that you are able to hover over your small cruising boat and look straight down at her. Remove the sailboat mast, boom, and sails.
Cure the yawing blues with these easy-to-use sailing tips:
1. Shift heavy weights aft
Excess weight in the bow, like heavy ground tackle, anchors, food stores, and tankage create an idea yaw platform. If you sail down by the bow with the stern up in the air, you will yaw like the drunken sailor. Create your own anti-yaw wind vane. Add weight to your stern to raise the bow. This single act cures yawing woes 90% of the time!
2. Run downwind with twin headsails
The mainsail acts like a wind vane to pivot the boat into the wind. In gusty conditions, reef the mainsail and sheet it hard into the centerline to act as a roll-damper. If you have the sea room, drop the mainsail and run under small, twin headsails. As taught in the sailing school Caribbean, use small headsails with short luffs to lower the sailplan's center of effort.
3. Tow a steadying warp
Drag a large loop of line behind your boat. Use this method if you were unable to reduce yawing through the first two techniques. Attach each end of the line to strong quarter cleats. Adjust the length of the bight so that the boat stays under control.
