Sailing in unsettled / rapidly changing conditions

[ShawnL]

I was wondering if anyone had any tips / things they do when sailing unsettled or rapidly changing conditions. For example, winds are pretty low and sometimes die altogether. Then a few minutes later we have some 2' rollers and I really wish I had reefed. Instead we pointed up a little higher, let the main and jib out some and put the traveler to leeward. Then it's gone and we're doing what I would call "normal" sailing. Then the wind dies. Traveler to the windward and ease up on the out-haul. And it repeats.

Yes, I can reef, but the puff and the "wow, that's a lot of wind all of a sudden" is gone just as quickly. In my mind, it's not worth it to go to the mast (I have everything to reef from the cockpit, but haven't gotten a chance to install it) and put in a reef only to have to shake it out not less than 10 minutes later. So, I'm wondering what other people on our boats do in situations like this.

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

Inland lake sailing is great for teaching how to manage a boat. Embrace the challenge.

 

[shemandr]

What Don said.
It's good to learn local weather patterns and then to anticipate the changes. They are not usually random but some lake sailers may challenge that assertion. Air moves largely due to temperature differences when there is not an overlying gradient wind event - like a front passing. So on a coast you get a sea breeze in the afternoon. On some lakes differences in temperature on hills or mountains drive wind changes. Cooler air tumbles down onto the lake. Some regard shifts and velocity changes as frustration. Others learn to deal with it and enjoy mastering the skill in anticipation.
Whatever you can find from this author and sailer about wind and current will enlighten you about the depth of understanding someone can acquire about wind patterns. It would take a long lifetime to match his understanding of wind. But he wrote about wind on lake sailing in Europe and that would translate to lake sailing in the US. I think he used to write a column in Sailing World (?)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stuart_H._Walker

 

[JoeWhite]

Here in San Francisco Bay we experience those conditions. I do not reef even when I am in 42 knot wind with full main and 70% jib. Tighten the boom vang and adjust the main sheet so that main is in the same direction as the wind. Trim the jib tight. You can also trim the Cunningham to further flatten the main.
When the wind dies down release the boom vang and trim the main sheet all from your cockpit.

 

[shemandr]

So, in part a small jib allows you to adjust the main to suit the wind changes. It’s a strategy.

 

[Gene Neill]

Personally, I curse a lot and complain loudly. It works as well as anything else.

If conditions don't decide what they want to do, I fire up the outboard.

Edit: in all seriousness, you can always run the outboard at a low throttle setting so you keep moving on your course during the lulls. It sucks, but at least you stay on course and the sails don't flog as much. Shrug?

 

[Davidasailor26]

It sounds like you’re taking the right steps to depower when needed, so the only other option available is changing sail size. One of the often claimed differences between racers and cruisers is that racers will set sails based on their lowest wind speeds, and luff to dump power in the gusts. Cruisers will choose sails based on the highest wind speeds, and just cope in the calms. You can choose which balance of those you’d like to take, but it’s probably not feasible to change sail size for every gusty or calm section.

 

[JBP-PA]

A lot depends on my mood and the weather and my desired timeframe. One day my wife asked me why I dumped the main in gusts on one day, but muscled through them the next, in essentially the same wind conditions, but the first day was gray and cloudy, the second was bright and sunny. The only explanation I had was "yesterday was an angry wind, today is a happy wind."

 

[Joe]

I was wondering if anyone had any tips / things they do when sailing unsettled or rapidly changing conditions.

Interesting topic.......... thanks for bringing it up

Anyway, you've just summed up the advantages lake sailing racers (and cruisers) have over folks like me that sail in rather benign or consistent conditions. Basically, it's all about staying on your toes and knowing the limits of your boat and yourself. I sailed my laser and Nacra on small lakes and bays and you learn very quicky NOT to cleat your mainsheet. Never. . You learn to read the water and water and clouds to anticipate strong puffs. You learn that weight distribution and crew position, i.e ballast, is quite important when keeping the boat upright and moving in light or heavy air. I learned a lot by reading books or vids on small boat racing, There's a lot on YouTube. So many good sailors come out of Wisconsin and Michigan.... and.. the mountain states.

 

[ShawnL]

Thanks for all the replies -- It's odd. We've been sailing the same area for over 6 years. This has started happening just lately. From nothing to woo-hoo for a few minutes, and then back down again. We've figured out that there are certain places where we can get some rollers ie: when the channel widens significantly, depending on the wind direction, etc. Lately, it seems to be more random.

 

[Stu Jackson]

I sailed our 1981 Catalina 22 from 83 to 87 on SF Bay during the winter and Clear Lake in summer. Both had pretty consistent wind, but often came and went, too. We only had a hank on 110 and a single reef. Sometimes we reefed before we left the dock. One cay at Clear Lake it was really blowin' with an upwind slog home. Local more experienced sailor said, "Just use one sail, your choice." I forget which one we used. But it worked. Later on, on SF Bay only had a hank on 85 plus a 110 on our C25 from 87 - 98; 85 for summer. On our C34 I'd often sail with just the jib (85 and 110 roller furling). Your boat, your choice.

 

[dyelaine]

I sail an 87 Catalina 22 on Lake Wawasee in Indiana. I know the feeling of frustration. But it's more than a feeling. I have an app that shows wind speed from the nearest weather station. In the spring and fall, the wind speed can average 5 knots (which means the speed at times is below 5 knots) and gust to 20.

I sail to relax, not race, so I tend to adjust conservatively. Still, I like the feeling of the boat bracing through waves at 5 knots. I have a furling jib, which I adjust at first. I have a quick-release main sheet, so dumping the main is the next way to adjust to gusts. (The traveler on my boat is so short that it doesn't do much, plus the lines are hard to reach.) If I have furled more than 50% of the foresail and the boat still wants to round up more than (let's say) twice in five minutes, I reef the main. I have a single-line reefing system, so I can put in or shake out a reef in under a minute. (Tying the reef points takes longer. I sail for a while without tying them to see if the wind holds.) I can put in the reef while maintaining direction. I let the main clear out, adjust the tiller to the powered foresail, lock the tiller, then deal with the main.

I had a chance to sail in the Virgin Islands a couple of years ago. We had steady 12-15 knot wind from the same direction day after day. I want to say it got boring, but truthfully, it was glorious. I would trade it for Lake Wawasee if I could just figure out how to get there in half an hour.