http://www.woodcarvingguru.com/easy-cutter/
Which is best in a storm; sloop, cutter or caravel?
If each had a fiberglass hull with a steel frame and masts, which of the following would fair better in a heavy storm; caravel, sloop or cutter? I’m planning an extended trip in a few years and I chose these three because they seem easiest to sail with a small crew of less than 10.
Of your choices, I’d have to agree with 45 Cal.
Do you even know what a Caravel is?
The trick is to reduce sail to a manageable level for the conditions. A Cutter has two Headstays usually separated by at least 2 ft or more. Typically they are rigged with a smaller and higher cut sail than the main foresail. The secondary sail often has a foot boom(club-footed) for precise control.
Were I preparing for long passages and considering riding out storms…I would probably get a Ketch or Yawl which is cutter-rigged up front. In a big blow I can use the small sail up front and a small sail out back near the rudder which is preferable to a reefed mainsail or a storm trisail in the main tracks when considering steering.
I would have a storm drogue of some type…either a cone or parachute as well a available trailing warps of both rope and chain.
The key is preparedness and boathandling/steering.
That’s my 2 cents.