What to Do in Rough Seas
Actionable storm and high-wave guidance for monohulls and catamarans — immediate actions, the heading to sail, sea anchor use, and whether sails stay up or come down.
PREPARE · REEF · HEAD RIGHT · HOLD ON
Rough seas escalate fast. The boat that survives is the one that reefed early, kept steerage, pointed the right way relative to the seas, and kept its crew clipped on. Act before you are forced to.
Immediate Actions — Do These First
Get Everyone On Deck & Into Gear
Call all crew on deck immediately. Everyone into lifejackets and harnesses, clipped on with tethers before leaving the cockpit. No one goes forward without being clipped on.
Close & Secure All Hatches
Dog down every hatch, portlight, and companionway board. A breaking wave filling the cabin can down-flood and swamp the boat in seconds. Check cockpit drain scuppers are clear.
Stow & Lash Everything Loose
Loose gear below becomes missiles in a knockdown. Secure jerry cans, tools, pots, electronics. On deck, lash or remove anything that can break free — dinghy, fuel cans, fenders.
Reduce Sail Immediately
Reef early — before you are forced to. In rough seas, too much sail is the single biggest capsize and broach risk. Deep-reef the main and set a small storm jib, or go bare-headed with engine assist.
Harness On, Tether Short
Use the short leg of your tether when working the bow or going forward. Clip to strong jacklines — never to stanchions or lifelines. Two-clip tethers let you move without unclipping.
Start the Engine & Confirm It Runs
Start the engine before you need it. Confirm it draws cooling water and stays in gear. If you lose steerage or need to power head-to-wind, a dead engine leaves you at the sea's mercy.
Put On Helmets & Sharp Knife
If the rigging is at risk, or breaking waves are likely, crew on deck wear helmets. Everyone carries a sharp knife to cut free from rigging, sheets, or a tether in an emergency.
Brief the Crew on the Plan
Tell everyone: heading change, who stays at the helm, who works the winches, where to shelter. Confused crew make mistakes. Calm, clear commands save lives.
Heading & Direction — Which Way to Point
Heaving-To
Best: Ride out the blow, rest the crewBack the jib against the main (or reefed main) so the boat sits at ~45–60° off the wind, drifting slowly to leeward. The boat is quiet and safe, making minimal way.
Sails Up or Down?
Reefed main sheeted hard amidships, small jib backed to windward. Helm lashed to leeward. Boat fore-reaches gently.
When to use: Best in moderate-to-strong wind when you have sea room to drift downwind and want to rest, wait, or ride out a blow.
Running Before
Best: Escape the worst, steer clear of seasSail or motor downwind, matching the wave speed so seas don't break over the stern. Reduces apparent wind and hull loads. The safest option when seas are steep and breaking.
Sails Up or Down?
Deep-reefed main or none. Small jib or storm jib poled out, or bare-headed with engine. Keep speed matched to wave train.
When to use: Best when seas are large and breaking — especially with a following sea. Watch for broaching; never surf out of control.
Lying A-Hull
Best: Last resort, no sail, drift broadsideAll sail down, helm lashed, boat drifts beam-on to the waves. Simple but risky — the boat is broadside to breaking seas and can roll. Only when nothing else is possible.
Sails Up or Down?
No sail up. Boat drifts sideways, hull takes seas on the beam. Deploy a drogue or sea anchor to keep the bow or stern into the seas.
When to use: Only as a last resort or when exhausted. Prefer heaving-to or running before. Add a sea anchor or drogue to reduce rolling.
Sea Anchor & Drogue Use
A sea anchor (deployed from the bow) holds the boat head-to-wind and reduces drift when you want to hold position. A drogue (deployed from the stern) slows you when running before the seas, preventing broaching and keeping the stern into the waves. Choose based on whether you want to stop or run controlled.
Sea Anchor (Bow)
Holds the bow into the wind. Use when heaving-to, holding position, or waiting out a blow. Boat drifts slowly downwind, bow-on.
Drogue (Stern)
Slows the boat running before the seas. Keeps the stern into the waves, prevents broaching, and gives you controlled speed downwind.
Monohull vs Catamaran — Key Differences
Monohull
Stability & Capsize
- Monohulls rely on ballast — they will heel and recover from most knockdowns, but can roll 360° in a breaking wave that catches the beam.
- Keep weight low and centred. Move crew off the foredeck and out of the ends in big seas to reduce pitching.
- A monohull lying a-hull is at real capsize risk from beam seas — prefer heaving-to or running off.
Sail Plan in Rough Seas
- Deep-reef the main early; carry a trysail or storm jib if conditions warrant. Better to be under-canvassed than over-canvassed.
- Keep enough sail to maintain steerage and way through the water — a stalled rudder cannot steer.
- If overpowered, furl/deep-reef first; only go bare-headed if you can still steer (engine assist if needed).
Heading & Heaving-To
- Monohulls heave-to well — back the jib against the reefed main and lash the helm. Drift is slow and to leeward, giving the crew rest.
- When running before, watch for broaching — steer actively to keep the quarter into the wave face, not the stern.
- If seas break and threaten capsize, turn downwind and run before them rather than taking them on the beam.
Catamaran
Stability & Capsize
- Cats are form-stable — they resist heeling but, once flipped, do not self-right. A catamaran capsize is a survivable but terminal event.
- Reduce sail EARLY and aggressively. Cats don't heel to warn you they're overpowered — they just go faster until something breaks or flips.
- A capsize risk is greatest when bearing away in strong gusts (apparent wind drops, sail loads spike). Reef before bearing off.
Sail Plan in Rough Seas
- Reef deeper and earlier than a monohull. Two reefs before a mono reefs once is a common rule.
- Remove main entirely and run on a small headsail or storm jib if wind exceeds ~35 kn. Bare poles with engine is a valid storm tactic.
- Never carry full sail in rough seas — the capsize threshold is invisible until you're past it.
Heading & Heaving-To
- Cats heave-to less effectively than monos (less draft, no ballast) — they tend to slide sideways and can still roll.
- Running before is often the safest storm tactic — cats handle following seas well and don't roll as easily as a mono beam-on.
- Keep speed up enough to maintain steerage and avoid the seas breaking over the wide transoms; use a drogue to slow and steady if running too fast.
Storm Tactics — Sails Up or Down?
| Condition | Heading | Sails |
|---|---|---|
| Strong wind, breaking seas | Run before / heave-to | Deep-reefed main + storm jib |
| Survival storm (storm-force) | Run before with drogue | Storm jib only or bare poles |
| Need to rest / hold position | Heave-to | Reefed main + backed jib |
| Exhausted, no steerage | Lie a-hull + sea anchor | All sail down |
| Catamaran, gusty squalls | Run before | Reef early & deep, or bare poles |
Rough Seas Quick Reference
Drogue & Sea Anchor Use
Full deployment guide for slowing and holding
Anchoring in Storms & High Winds
Ground tackle, scope, and chafe protection