On our last passage we had an uncomfortable quartering sea and more bridge-deck impact than expected. Besides slowing down, what sail combinations, headings or weight-distribution changes have worked for you? I am especially interested in practical adjustments you can make underway.
Often the best move is bearing away a little and reducing speed before the boat starts launching off the back of each wave. On our boat, moving loose gear aft and keeping the bows light helped. There is no universal angle—the wave period and your hull shape matter—so make one change at a time and watch the motion.
We have had better results with a smaller, balanced sail plan than simply reefing the main and leaving too much headsail. Hand steering for twenty minutes can reveal a more comfortable groove that the autopilot misses, then you can tune the pilot around it. Safety and avoiding fatigue matter more than maintaining the original ETA.
Join with your Catamaran World account to ask questions and share answers.
