A cruising yacht should carry a storm squaresail made to hoist under the forestay, so as to be high enough to catch the wind when the vessel is in the trough of the sea. Under such a sail a yacht will run before a heavy sea with much diminished chance of broaching to or jibing. A cutter running before a strong wind will not roll nearly so heavily and can be steered with far greater ease if a small spinnaker be set on the other side to balance the mainsail. I have often set such a spinnaker by the side of a reefed mainsail when cruising in the South Atlantic, with great advantage: and whenever I had to run before a strong wind on my little three-tonner during her cruise on the almost always choppy Baltic I invariably had my mainsail boomed out on one side and a small boat's standing-lug on the other side. As soon as the latter sail was hoisted there was a remarkable gain both in speed and comfort.
If one runs too long before a gale the sea may get so high that it becomes exceedingly dangerous, if not impossible, to bring the vessel up in the wind and heave her to. Always heave-to in good time, if you have plenty of sea room and no port to run for. Wait for the smooth, which generally follows two or three exceptionally high waves, before bringing the vessel to: for the perilous moment will be when she is being brought broadside on to the sea. It is astonishing with what safety and comfort a fore-and-after will ride out a gale, rising easily to every steep wave, and taking but little water on board.
