When the wind picks up, use a pre-planned succession of storm tactics. Then, as the force of wind rises, which it does as the square of the wind speed, one tactic must yield to another. It is important to keep ahead of the wind and prepare early—very early—before the force of a gale makes your change of tactics both difficult and dangerous. There comes a point, however, when you do not want to leave the cockpit except to go below. The best preparation for a storm is practice of tactics in heavy air.
Abandoning
shipTactics will range from reefing through heaving to, lying ahull, and deploying storm gear of various types. At the extreme, abandoning ship is always an option. Never abandon ship until you must step UP into the lifeboat. Often boats are salvaged, repaired, and restored to service long after their crews have abandoned the ship. In many cases, the boat survived but the crews did not. You are generally far safer in a wet hull than in a dry life raft. And there is no such thing as a dry life raft.
ReefingReefing means taking in sail to reduce the surface exposed to the wind. Always reef early. When running, reef as though beating. By the time you think that you might need a reef, it is almost too late and it will surely be difficult. A stiffening wind tends to keep on rising.
On most boats it is best to reef the mainsail first. After taking one or perhaps two reefs in the main, a roller furled jib can be reefed by furling it down to a smaller size. As the wind rises more, either the jib or the main must be dropped. In a lengthy storm, where the waves have had time to build, drop the jib because it attaches to the mast—and places all of the shock load—at only one point. The main, in contrast, spreads the shock over however much luff is still raised. In a sudden squall where there are no big waves, drop instead the main unless the boat has a shallow bow and will not sail well under jib alone.
Heaving to is the oldest and (according Heaving to the USCG) most reliable way to ride to out a storm. Unfortunately, most modern boats do not heave to very well, if at all, this owing to design tradeoffs that influence upwind performance and ease of sail handling, together with elements of modern keel design. Some boats will never heave to, while others will plunge and yaw. A little practice in a fresh breeze can show whether heaving to is an option.
The method varies from boat to boat, but basically involves heading up close to the wind, easing or dropping the main, tacking without changing the jib sheet—so that the jib is then backwinded—and next, as the boat loses headway, slowly steering back up into the wind, to prevent falling off. The jib is now aback and the helm can be lashed to counteract this. A boat that heaves to nicely for lunch or a nap on the bay will also heave to in a blow if the skipper has practiced it. Some boats heave to better under the main than under the jib.
Lying
ahullLying ahull means that you drop all or almost all canvas, lash the helm at its companionway hatch. For many modern boats, this is the best option. The boat will turn broadside to the wind and drift to leeward. Your only risk, in lying ahull (well off a lee shore, of course), is that the boat might broach and perhaps roll over on a breaking wave. You can survive this if there is no loose gear flying about. The companionway hatch must be strong enough to sustain the force of water coming aboard and the cockpit must be capable of draining it. The basic assumption behind lying ahull is that you are safest when battened down below. If your cockpit cannot sustain the inrush of water, or you are about to broach and roll, you would not want to be out there regardless.
Running
before
the windRunning before the wind is similar to lying ahull except that you keep some canvas up, typically a storm trysail, storm jib, or both. Lashing the tiller or wheel to leeward, instead of centered, can keep the boat from turning broadside to the wind, thereby reducing the chance of a broach.
chance of a broach. Running before the wind Sailing through waves Although the force of the wind is always your main concern,
through
wavesAlthough the force of the wind is Sailing always your main concern, waves do more damage than wind does. When you sail upwind through waves, the boat slides down the back of each wave, gaining speed, until it crashes into the trough of the wave and slows abruptly or stops. This can easily break the mast. The trick is to head up slightly as the boat slows and the apparent wind therefore shifts aft, while climbing the face of a wave, and then fall off slightly as the boat picks up speed and the wind shifts forward, while falling down the back of the possible. Do not head up so much that you lose steerage way.
When the wind is too strong to beat into, so that you cannot keep the bow pointed at the waves, the stern must face the waves instead. As each wave approaches from behind, it will lift the stern and try to heel the boat, placing it sideways to the waves. This can result in a broach, or knockdown, where the boat trips over its own keel. Now the trick is to keep the stern always pointed directly into the waves.
Whether beating into waves or running before them, fly only enough sail to maintain steerage way. Any excess sail will only contribute to weather helm and increase the risk of broaching.
Sea
anchorSea anchors of various kinds can be deployed to maintain heading in a storm. Parachute types are set from the bow and hold the boat facing into the waves. Drogue types are set from the stern to keep the boat facing downwind. A series drogue consists of many small drogues, up to a hundred perhaps, rigged every few feet along a stretchy line. The series drogue is claimed to be the best defense against breaking waves. When choosing a sea anchor, consider how it will be deployed and, especially, how to retrieve it; whether it needs a bridle; and whether the boat has strong enough attachment points. Docking cleats are probably not sufficient. The base of the mast might do if the bridle can be led overboard without chaffing. As a reasonable alternative to an expensive parachute sea anchor that might be difficult to deploy and retrieve, consider merely from the bow on your longest rope rode.
Storm
gearA squall or gale can strike at almost any time and with it can come cold winds, icy rain, and hail, even in the Everglades. It is foolish to embark on any cruise without foul weather gear: a rain jacket, rain pants, gloves, boots, and a hat. The offshore foulies made especially for sailors are expensive and worth every cent. It is money wasted, however, if you leave them ashore. Have also a harness and a tether so that you can clip onto jacklines that run from bow to stern along either side of the deck. Many skippers require that a harness be worn always when in the cockpit and that no one leaves the cockpit without first clipping onto the jacklines, especially after dark.