Daniel covered everything I would have recommended. The 'feathering' by pointing a little high based on how the sails are set is a could 'trick' as you don't loosen the main sheet (remember, the main sheet tension is acting as the backstay on the M15's three stay rig). obviously this move doesn't work when going off the wind. was discussed about sheeting the jib tight. yes, this is a good high-wind move as it flattens the sail. my M15 has cabin top jib sheet blocks on tracks. this allowed me to adjust the sheet angle as appropriate to the wind and direction i was sailing to the wind. do the same with the main by using the outhaul to flatten the sail's foot. when you reef confirm that the reef hardware on the boom and mast set the shortened sail with a flat foot. if the hardware sets the reef for a 'baggy' foot you are catching wind and healing the boat. another important move is to keep the weight forward. use a tiller extender and when sailing alone sit right at the cabin/cockpit bulkhead. with a crew have her/him sit at the bulkhead and you sit right next to her/him. as stated in another's post the M15 will really scoot along in higher winds with two people on-board. i would be hesitant to sail the M15 in 'sporting conditions' with three adults in the boat ... especially in the cockpit. for casual light wind 'just for fun' three is crowded. remember ... three average US adults would weigh 540# ... this is almost 70% the M15's dry weight. get a couple of folks on the low side in a gust and 'watch the excitement'. if i was caught out in the M15 in a blow with three folks i'd make one go into the cabin and lay on the high side of the v-berth and head quickly for the marina. :: Dave Scobie --- On Mon, 4/1/13, Daniel Rich <danielgrich@gmail.com> wrote:
One last thing…
When beating to windward in big wind try to "feather" a little bit into the wind. You can luff just a hair, and fall off. That also helps with control.
Daniel On Apr 1, 2013, at 5:14 PM, David Gilroy <dbakergilroy@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
Thanks very much, Daniel.
David(the other David)
On Apr 1, 2013, at 5:27 PM, Daniel Rich wrote:
Hey, I'll bite. I'm not David, who has more experience, but I do sail to windward all the time in fairly high winds, and got some very good advice from international expert Howard Rice.
The M15 gets its drive from the main. So, reef the main early. If you don't know how to heave to, it is easy to learn that maneuver, and you can easily reef under way. I have 2 reef points. Put the first reef in around 12-14 knots. Put the second in around 15-17 knots. Make sure to have at least one board in the companionway in case you get wet.
The M15 gets a fair amount of weather helm. It is really reduced with the reefing. Now, when the wind gets up, absolutely sheet the jib down hard. It seems counter intuitive that doing that helps. After all, a filled jib reduces weather helm. But it turns out that doing that helps depower, and it also makes the slot so that you backwind the main a touch, which also helps depower. Trust me on this. Cleat the jib down hard. This was great advice from Howard, and I have tested it. It helps.
Wear gloves. Stay warm. Another thing that can help believe it or not is ear plugs. When it gets nutty, some of the intensity factor is the noise. It is amazing how things calm down if you reduce the sound!
Don't forget that you can heave to and take a break.
Finally, you can drop the jib. Do that last. The boat just can't go to windward well without it. I do not have a storm jib. And, I would not want to go forward to change it anyway in a blow.
Hope this helps.
Daniel M15 #208 Kestrel
On 4/1/2013 10:19 AM, David Gilroy wrote:
Dear David,
Being as how I am new to owning a M-15, I find your experience highly instructive. Would you please expand on your opinion of how to sail to weather in high winds.
Best regards, David Gilroy, new owner of Connie's m-15