Almost as dangerous as sailing in a beam sea is running before wind and sea or “scudding” among waves, and many a good craft and many a valuable life has been sacrificed to carelessness or ignorance when scudding in a seaway.
The two greatest perils are getting brought by the lee and broaching-to. The former occurs when the boat’s bow falls off to leeward by her stern being thrown to windward as a wave runs under her, while the latter is brought about by the head swinging into the wind and her stern off, thus causing her sail to “spill” with the result that she loses headway, swings broadside to the waves and upsets. Only the quickest and most expert handling can save a boat under these conditions and frequently she will refuse to come about or to answer her helm as she is raced along on the crest of a wave. If it is absolutely necessary to run before a sea, reduce sail, top the boom up well by the topping-lift or the peak halyards and stand ready to haul in the sheet and to swing her into the wind or to ease her off instantly.
Keep the centerboard up, or halfway up is better, and devote every energy, every attention and every sense to handling your boat and pay heed to nothing else.
Even then there are many dangers to be guarded against. If sail is too greatly reduced your boat may lag between seas and a following wave may run over her stern and poop her; if there is a trifle too much sail or even if the sail is of the right area, she may scud off a wave and bury her bow in a preceding sea and be swamped, or her boom may catch in a sea as she yaws and thus capsize her.
If she shows signs of running too fast a drag, such as an oar, a thwart, a floorboard or even a cushion may be attached to a fairly long line over the stern and this will not only hold the boat back, but it will keep her steadier and will serve to prevent seas from breaking as well.
Oil thrown or dropped over the stern will also aid greatly in preventing a following sea from breaking over a boat’s stern. Oil should always be on hand. It doesn’t make much difference what kind of oil is used, but the heavier it is the better and only a very little is necessary; a wad of oil-soaked rag or cotton waste, or even oil squeezed from a sponge will often produce really marvelous results.
But the best and safest method is to avoid running before wind and sea by heading into the wind and running fairly free and then wearing ship and sailing with a quartering wind and thus zigzagging over the course to be covered.
When sailing to windward against a sea there is comparatively little danger, if the boat is luffed up to meet the seas and is not allowed to lose headway. Then when ready to go about, if tacking, wait for an opportunity when there is a long, smooth-topped sea and swing the boat on the other tack quickly and stand ready to bring her about with an oar if she misses stays, for if she does this serious results may follow and she may be caught without headway, swung about and upset before you can get her under way again.
It is far less dangerous to handle a boat in a gale than in a seaway, but of course if the gale continues for any length of time the seas will rise. It is often far safer to ride out a gale than to attempt sailing in it, for few boats will fail to weather even a hard and prolonged gale and heavy seas if properly handled. If you have a sea-anchor or drogue aboard cast this over, lower or snug down sails, keep low down in the boat and if you have oil aboard allow it to drip over the bows. Under such conditions the drogue will break the force of the seas and keep the craft head to the wind and seas and the oil will prevent the crests from breaking over the boat. While she may rise and fall and pitch about tremendously there will be little real danger.
If the wind is blowing in a different direction from the seas or across them, lower and stow the sails, but if the wind is in the same direction as the seas a bit of canvas will often keep her steady and make her ride more easily. With a boom-and-gaff sail the sail may be lowered until a very small portion remains and the rest of the sail should then be secured about the boom and the sheets trimmed flat. Sometimes a small triangular sail, such as a spare jib, may be set aft above the furled sail, while with a yawl or ketch rig the mizzen may be set and trimmed flat.