Emergency Begin Sailing Without Engine Drills
Emergency Begin Sailing Drills
Your engine has died, and you must sail. For whatever reason; anchoring is not an option. So, it’s time to raise sails, but not in the manner you usually use. Here’s how to get them up and maintain control and steerage. This is a good exercise to perform sometime when it’s not an emergency. Practice will allow you to know how your boat reacts, and exactly what you need to do to accomplish getting under sail.
Maintain Control
While your main may have more size and sail the boat better by itself; your goal here is going to be to hold ground with any means possible as rapidly as possible.
Raising the main may not be your first move.
Unfurl Your Jib First
For this exercise; pulling your jib out rapidly might be your best option.
Pull the jib out and start sailing.
Be ready to run downwind a bit if you need to gather some room for the zig-zag you’ll perform to get the main up the mast.
Next, Raise Main in Stages
Once the boat is stabilized and at least holding ground and not being swept backward, plan how to raise the main.
You probably will not be able to raise the entire main in one “go.”
Instead, plan to sail along, turn up into the wind gently, and raise a section or two of main.
How to Maintain Steering
Your goal is to keep positive control on the helm at all times – turning into the wind just enough to raise the main and maintain steerage, then fall off to raise the next section.
The trick here is to turn back away from the wind while you still can – don’t get yourself caught in irons.
This sequence may have to be repeated several times to get the main all the way up the mast.
Once you raise a bit of main, you will need to fall off to regain speed, then repeat the procedure.
Plan Your Next Step Once Sailing
When both sails are fully functional, then you can plot your next direction with full advantage of all your sail area.
You’ve got the benefit of steering and control now and can determine your next steps.
Emergency Sail Checklist
- Look around for what is downwind and down current; plan accordingly
- Assign someone to announce situation on VHF and keep watch
- Have sound-producing device ready for emergency signals
- Whip out your jib
- Use jib to get enough momentum that you can swing into the wind briefly
- Start sailing close hauled or close reach
- Raise main in sections
- Fall off, rebuild speed
- Turn into wind, raise a couple feet, turn back off wind to gain steerage
- Repeat until main is fully raised
- Continue sailing
- Plan your next steps
