Problem: too much heel when moored in high winds

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Sailfast?
Posts: 13
Joined: Tue 23 Jan 07, 14:50
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Problem: too much heel when moored in high winds

Post by Sailfast? »

My DF800SW is moored folded in a regular marina. The boat is lying with the bow to the dock and mooring lines to aft poles. The prevailing winds are across the mooring and in high winds the boat heels so much that my mast hits the mast of the boat lying next to mine. Obviously neither my neighbour nor I are very happy about this.

It's not a regular situation, but has happened at least twice over the last 18 months.

I have tried to heel the mast in the opposite direction, moving the traveller car to the extreme end of the traveller, and lowering the boom to reduce windage and center of gravity, but it appears to be insufficient. Tying a halyard to a fixed point on land is not possible.

Does anybody have any advice on how to improve on the situation?
Double Horizon
Posts: 440
Joined: Wed 09 May 07, 0:18
Your Country: USA

High winds

Post by Double Horizon »

I know you don't want to hear this, but unless you can limit heel by tying off halyards you will need to find another mooring situation. Perhaps you could go stern-to the dock and tie off at the posts? ... or tie spinnaker halyard to the dock on one side and main halyard to the post on the other?

Folded trimarans (from any maker) are not stable in high cross-winds or large waves. If your boat is folded and heels too much in a storm, it could blow over. If they are kept open you will have full stability.

You should look for a double-wide slip or out-water mooring where your boat can be kept open all the time.
Larry - Former Owner DF-1200
tpaliwoda
Posts: 215
Joined: Fri 03 Nov 06, 3:05
Your Country: USA, Raritan YC, Perth Amboy, New Jersey

Post by tpaliwoda »

Do you have spring lines attached to the center of the hull?
Ted Paliwoda
D'Fly 1000 ; HN #1
Nice Tri
Raritan YC, Perth Amboy, NJ, USA
Sailfast?
Posts: 13
Joined: Tue 23 Jan 07, 14:50
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Post by Sailfast? »

tpaliwoda wrote:Do you have spring lines attached to the center of the hull?
No.

As I understand spring lines, they are used to limit forward and backwards movement, typically alongside a dock or another boat.

How would adding spring lines limit the issue of heeling?
tpaliwoda
Posts: 215
Joined: Fri 03 Nov 06, 3:05
Your Country: USA, Raritan YC, Perth Amboy, New Jersey

Post by tpaliwoda »

I am on a mooring and the only time the boat ever gets to a dock is when we launch and take the boat out of the water once a year.
I would think that the spring lines would also limit the amount of roll you would have. As where if you were just tied off on the bow and stern cleats the boat would have a tendency to roll more.
Just a thought.
Keep us posted.
Ted
Ted Paliwoda
D'Fly 1000 ; HN #1
Nice Tri
Raritan YC, Perth Amboy, NJ, USA
Double Horizon
Posts: 440
Joined: Wed 09 May 07, 0:18
Your Country: USA

Re: High winds

Post by Double Horizon »

Double Horizon wrote:I know you don't want to hear this, but unless you can limit heel by tying off halyards you will need to find another mooring situation. Perhaps you could go stern-to the dock and tie off at the posts? ... or tie spinnaker halyard to the dock on one side and main halyard to the post on the other?

Folded trimarans (from any maker) are not stable in high cross-winds or large waves. If your boat is folded and heels too much in a storm, it could blow over. If they are kept open you will have full stability.

You should look for a double-wide slip or out-water mooring where your boat can be kept open all the time.
One thought to add to my prior post: If you can get a slip wide enough to leave even one side open -- it will provide enough stability except perhaps in the most extreme hurricane-force winds blowing toward the folded side. (Essentially you'd have the stability of a proa).
Larry - Former Owner DF-1200
buckle.roger
Posts: 73
Joined: Sat 07 Jun 08, 15:43
Your Country: spain,benissa/alicante

Post by buckle.roger »

Hi

If your mooring alows try not fully folding your 800 so that you have as much bean as possible when folded, I have drilled new holes for the saftey bar pin to hold my 920 out by abour 30cms to help in high winds
Oscar
Posts: 148
Joined: Tue 26 Aug 08, 23:10
Your Country: USA, North East

Post by Oscar »

Maybe put a water tank in the windward ama to give it some opposing pre-heel? I know it would be a pain to do every time, but if the conditions are somewhat predictable you could do it when necessary. A hose to fill it, and a pump to empty it overboard.

The only other thing I can think of is to stretch a heavy bungy (elastic) between the fore and aft attachments on land, and then clip a halyard to it. Should help a little.....
1990 Dragonfly 25 USA-54
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