In this video, I demonstrate heaving to in my MacGregor 26M in some gusty conditions with moderate waves. With a thin keel (daggerboard) and fractional rig, lightweight cruisers like MacGregors aren't designed to maximize all of the benefits of heaving to (like creating a slick to help break up incoming waves), but the technique can still help take the punch out of a strong breeze when executed properly. This is especially useful for singlehanded sailors like me when I need to reef the main or just take a break to look at some charts or get some "snacks". Although I'm still working to improve my techniques for heaving to in different conditions, I wanted to share this video in hopes that it might inspire others to starts honing their skills.

Video taken off the south coast of Grand Bahama, Fall 2022.