How it’s done: navigate with the rough sea coming from the beam

Sailing in rough sea coming from the beam is a complex situation to manage. Much more than when navigating with rough sea in the bow. First of all because of the state of extreme discomfort that can cause the accentuated roll that the waves generate. In any case, when you find yourself with the sea crosswise, both in the mascone and in the garden, you can use the trim tabs to decrease the effect of the roll. In some cases, the trim tabs are also useful to correct any skidding that leads you off course. Lowering the trim tab on the side opposite to the side from which the wave originates, you can tilt the boat and reduce skidding.

The rudder becomes essential to compensate for the skidding caused by the waves If you are the owner of a boat with a low center of gravity (like an open, of course), you should not have any particular problems to tolerate the waves to the side. The opposite is true if you are aboard a flying bridge. In this case you will have to intervene on the trim tabs to counteract the lateral thrust of the waves and wind and thus straighten the hull: more precisely, lower the trim tabs on the walls opposite to those from which the waves come.

To escape further difficulties with the sea moved across

To avoid cavitation of the propellers during rolling the best solution is to keep the Trim trabs or trims low. You will then have to use the rudder a lot to keep the boat on course, correcting both the sudden changes in direction caused by the waves and the inevitable effects of drift and drift. When you are sailing with the sea crosswise, it is mainly the technical characteristics and layout of the boat that determine the comfort on board: always sit your passengers, the risk of falling due to the roll and sudden skidding is really high! Our advice, if the weather conditions do not allow you an acceptable navigation, is to review your route, for example by breaking it in two directions that allow you to face the waves to the mascone or the garden, as we have described in the previous pages.

All in their own places

Even the best of the boats, when the sea swells, will take a beating. How should the crew be set up to sail safely? Apart from the most obvious tricks, such as firmly grabbing the hand rail, our main advice is not to sit down, especially when the sea is in the bow. The reason is simple: if you stand and look ahead, you can cushion the blows with your legs, thus increasing your balance. A similar speech should be made for the pilot, who only standing (even better if the seat can be used as a backrest) can perfectly steer the boat. It is essential, when it is foreseen on board, to always connect the motor take-off to the pilot’s body or clothing: if a sea strike made him fall, in fact, the motors would stop immediately.

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