Lying ahull

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1705 drawing by Willem van de Velde the Younger of two ships lying ahull in a heavy sea Two ships lying ahull in a heavy sea RMG PV5281.tiff
1705 drawing by Willem van de Velde the Younger of two ships lying ahull in a heavy sea

In sailing, lying ahull is a controversial method of weathering a storm, executed by downing all sails, battening the hatches and locking the tiller to leeward.

Operation

Diagram showing a sail boat lying ahull Lying ahull.pdf
Diagram showing a sail boat lying ahull

The boat tries to point to windward but this is balanced by the force of wind and waves. A sea anchor is not used, allowing the boat to drift freely, completely at the mercy of the storm. Ideally the boat should rest with the wind just forward of the beam so the boat is not broadside onto the waves. Modern boats with fin keels may have too much windage at the bows for this technique and come to rest broadside on or may not be stable at all.

Sources