In this class of boats what is the roughest seas and highest winds you have sailed in? I'm curious how the boat handles in very rough weather. The most I have seen is only 23knots true under one reef on a lake. I did motor once in 40 wind and 5 foot seas but did not have the opportunity to sail.
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Barepoled, rail-under in Chesapeake thunderstorm
on "Windtryst", a chartered Legend 33.5, in August of 1990. Got all the sails down when the sky turned black and made a run for the harbor (Havre de Grace). Wind gusts heeled us 30 degrees at times, putting the rail under in spite of motoring under bare poles. No windmeter. Depth meter went wild due to wave turbulence and swirling bottom mud. Lightning bolts all around us with hail pelting my face (sent both crew members below to pray). Wasn't very happy to have to hold on to a metal wheel...... Also, the narrow channel between mudflats threatened to run us aground in zero visibility (and be pounded to a pulp by the 8-10 ft waves). Was lucky to find a lighted buoy and keep hanging "on station" 30 ft downwind of it (with full engine power to prevent from being driven off) till the storm subsided after 20 minutes or so. Have seen much bigger waves on the ocean since. But perhaps no stronger winds. One of the crew members was a young minister. Guess his prayers must have pulled us through...... See yah out there! Flying Dutchman "Rivendel II"' Hunter Legend 43
on "Windtryst", a chartered Legend 33.5, in August of 1990. Got all the sails down when the sky turned black and made a run for the harbor (Havre de Grace). Wind gusts heeled us 30 degrees at times, putting the rail under in spite of motoring under bare poles. No windmeter. Depth meter went wild due to wave turbulence and swirling bottom mud. Lightning bolts all around us with hail pelting my face (sent both crew members below to pray). Wasn't very happy to have to hold on to a metal wheel...... Also, the narrow channel between mudflats threatened to run us aground in zero visibility (and be pounded to a pulp by the 8-10 ft waves). Was lucky to find a lighted buoy and keep hanging "on station" 30 ft downwind of it (with full engine power to prevent from being driven off) till the storm subsided after 20 minutes or so. Have seen much bigger waves on the ocean since. But perhaps no stronger winds. One of the crew members was a young minister. Guess his prayers must have pulled us through...... See yah out there! Flying Dutchman "Rivendel II"' Hunter Legend 43
40 kts. sustained
Don't know if you're interested in the older Hunters but we have a 1981 H33 that handled 40 knots sustained for almost 5 hours. Started with single reef and no jib for the wind on our port stern, ended up with bare poles going 8.5 knots over ground and rolling deeply. Waves were 8-10', the dingy we were towing was over the bimini much of the night. The anchor's (twin bow rollers with a CQR and Bruce) were buried every wave to the top of the bow pulpit (gotta love the square waves off Key West in Florida Bay). Boat came through it great but I would not want to repeat a night like that again. Wife and I have a lot of faith in our old H33, the three of us have now been through two substancial storms at night off shore with nothing more than a night of sleep lost.
Don't know if you're interested in the older Hunters but we have a 1981 H33 that handled 40 knots sustained for almost 5 hours. Started with single reef and no jib for the wind on our port stern, ended up with bare poles going 8.5 knots over ground and rolling deeply. Waves were 8-10', the dingy we were towing was over the bimini much of the night. The anchor's (twin bow rollers with a CQR and Bruce) were buried every wave to the top of the bow pulpit (gotta love the square waves off Key West in Florida Bay). Boat came through it great but I would not want to repeat a night like that again. Wife and I have a lot of faith in our old H33, the three of us have now been through two substancial storms at night off shore with nothing more than a night of sleep lost.
Henk - Where is Vuda Point in Fiji
Henk, I have noticed several of your posts here. I spent two years in Savusavu in the Peace Corps and can't place Vuda Point although it sounds familiar. Hopefully the government is stabilizing and the craziness from terrorism stays away from fiji although I've read there have been anthrax scares. Ni sa moce.
Henk, I have noticed several of your posts here. I spent two years in Savusavu in the Peace Corps and can't place Vuda Point although it sounds familiar. Hopefully the government is stabilizing and the craziness from terrorism stays away from fiji although I've read there have been anthrax scares. Ni sa moce.
335's and High Winds
Don, We got caught out in 35 knot winds in Haro Strait last summer. We'd gone out with a working jib replacing our genoa and two reefs in the main. The wind was considerably stronger than forecast. Wind gusts were heeling the boat about 60 degrees and causing problematic weather helm even with the main sheet eased considerably. We ended up dropping the main (not a fun task in those winds) and sailing on a partially furled working jib at 6.5 knots on a beam reach. I'm thinking about adding a third reef point as we're planning to sail out on the Pacific next summer up the West side of Vancouver Island. Gary Wyngarden S/V Shibumi H335
Don, We got caught out in 35 knot winds in Haro Strait last summer. We'd gone out with a working jib replacing our genoa and two reefs in the main. The wind was considerably stronger than forecast. Wind gusts were heeling the boat about 60 degrees and causing problematic weather helm even with the main sheet eased considerably. We ended up dropping the main (not a fun task in those winds) and sailing on a partially furled working jib at 6.5 knots on a beam reach. I'm thinking about adding a third reef point as we're planning to sail out on the Pacific next summer up the West side of Vancouver Island. Gary Wyngarden S/V Shibumi H335
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