First, let me say we made it safely to San Andres dropping anchor about 2:00 PM after a 600 nm trip over 4 days. Things started out slow with light winds at Cayman Brach, but picked up considerably until we were seeing high 20's by Serranilla and Quito Sueno Banks. Yesterday the winds finally moderated, but the large seas, of course, persisted for a while - 6-10' with quite a few 15's. Today is a rest and wait for weather to clear day and tomorrow we head for Bocas. I don't now how many non-family sailors read this blog, but if you do, please consider this problem and leave a comment. I won't get your comments until I get to Bocas and have internet. These blogs are sent via SSB and I cannot view the result. So here we go: We are trying to sail a course of 210*. Wind is upper teens ~120* true, ~90* apparent. Seas are large, 6-10' with lots of 15', just aft of beam. We start with double reefed main set near the extreme starboard end of the traveler with a fair amount of sheet out to give it some twist. It is nearly touching the shroud. Genoa is ~1/2 and trimmed just tight enough not to luff. Auto pilot (Otto) is holding our course until a wave kicks the stern ~20-30*. If the heading stays above 188*, Otto can recover, but as soon as it falls below 188*, we immediately head into the wind up to 150 or even 130. If I catch it in time and take over for Otto, sometimes I can save it, but often we are in irons and need to fire up the engine to get back on course. (Yes, I know how to back the jib and come about, but the engine is quicker and easier and we still have a long way to go.) Since the boat wants to head up, my analysis is that I have relatively too much main and not enough jib. (Do you agree?) I cannot let the main out any more and I cannot reduce it (only 2 reef points). I try letting out more genoa. Maybe it helps, but I still lose it fairly often. I have tried every combination I can think of even though some seem counter intuitive - more main, sheet main in more (that made it really bad), less genoa, more genoa, sheet the genoa tighter, looser. The only thing that I found that finally worked at least 90% of the time was: double reef main, full out; 150% genoa (i.e. all of it) sheeted a bit tighter than usual, AND port engine running @ 1500. It seems so stupid to run an engine in this much wind and this point of sail, but nothing else worked. Is this just an example of a cat's Achille's heel? It is so light that the waves toss you around and you cannot hope to avoid getting thrown into irons? I've sailed in heavy seas before and never had this problem. Maybe never quite this combo?? What would you have done? Do note that as soon as we came into the wind (70-60 apparent) it sailed beautifully without engine and we didn't get kicked around as much. Thanks for any suggestions!
UPDATE: Well, I discovered the answer: we only had one rudder! Not quite sure when it happened, but after we arrived home I discovered on rudder was missing and had been missing long enough for some barnacle growth on the stub. Symptoms sure fit and -interestingly- I was able to 'recalibrate' the auto pilot for one rudder and it handles much better!