Video was taken on the 24th of May with local winds calling for 26mph with gusts to over 40. This is the tamest part of the trip as the rest of the time I couldn't shoot video because I was just hanging on!
A brisk sail
- Thread starter Dennis Kitchen
- Start date
Dennis
That is a great video and if you can post it under boat info would be appreciated. Often many get into that situation and do not know what to do and seeing that you were under storm jib only is not only a good tutorial for many it shows seamanship under worst conditions without fear but you probably had some concern
One suggestion is the rope clutch handle to be always in the down position as a customer of mine fell once with his up going to the hospital with a cut on his stomach.
Great video and thanks for sharing
That is a great video and if you can post it under boat info would be appreciated. Often many get into that situation and do not know what to do and seeing that you were under storm jib only is not only a good tutorial for many it shows seamanship under worst conditions without fear but you probably had some concern
One suggestion is the rope clutch handle to be always in the down position as a customer of mine fell once with his up going to the hospital with a cut on his stomach.
Great video and thanks for sharing
Dave,
Thanks and you caught me on that one. I started with a reefed main and the scrap of jib rolled out and was way overpowered. So I struck the main and continued under reefed jib. Didn't get my housekeeping finished. I was on a beam-to-broad reach and making up to 4.5 knots with only that shred of sail out. Still rounding up in the puffs until I noticed that as she heeled I was showing my bimini top to the wind. Stowed the bimini and had a great sail until I turned around.
Coming back I was now slightly ahead of the beam with the wind and she would not go to weather with that sail configuration so I furled the jib and put up the reefed main. Now she would go to weather but was way overpowered again and was constantly wiping out. What a ride!
Clearly these conditions require a deeper reef point on the main and probably a new sail. I love sailing in a breeze!
Dennis
Anything can happen and you might want to share your thoughts and the excellent job you did and good suggestions. I too learned from that video and what you share with me. I was coming up north with another skipper as we had been hired to move a boat by the owner. There was a sever storm and the two of us being tired took a break with owner at the helm thinking he knew what he was doing. As it turned out he did not know what to do and started to plow into the waves which were big and close together. Nearly rolled is over. We came up fast taking over. He went down and got his laptop looking what to do coming up on board shouting orders or we would be fireD. We looked at each other concurring. I grabbed that computer throwing it into Davy Jones locker or the deep six in the Atlantic while the other fellow threw the jerk into the cabin. Headed to nearest shore and debarked. Coast guard showed up and he paid us. Never found out who finally took him on his last leg but took him several weeks to find another delivery skipper. Thank you for sharing
Dave
Dave
Probably would have been hard to prove it didn't just fall overboard, a piece of gear lost in the storm. Plus Dave had a witness.
That is why I never do a delivery with the owner on board. They usually know little to nothing but want to be in charge.
BTW, Dennis, great video. The winds have been great here all spring. Now that I have a new main, winds have dropped off to almost nothing. Go figure.
OMG... I learned in aviation school, when I read an article about aviation school, that said every disaster begins with one bad decision. After seeing that, I feel we should have been reading posts from you about what boat to buy next! I saw her rounding, er, up? down? Ugh! Was that a knock down when the video ended? I recall seeing posts from Mr. Condon politely advising someone to "pull your [H23.5] boat out" when the wind was predicted near 20. So to summarize H23.5 white knuckle sailing, you should go downwind on tight, tiny jib, upwind on tight, tiny main? You mentioned a deeper reef point on the main, can this be done?
Well, excellent job skipper. Thank you for posting this, there are so few videos posted of H23.5s actually sailing...mostly just for sale. It's good to know it can actually handle a lively breeze, sort of. I guess I better get that ballast gasket fixed before we launch this year so we stay within the design envelope. Ok, I know what you're thinking, but lakes around here are long and skinney - the shoreline is never very far away. And oh, "Dear God, please don't let my significant other see this..."
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GGordonWoody,
Most boats sail better when the sail forces are balanced around the center of lateral resistance. Thats why I put on a roller reefing jib and had it designed with heavier cloth as I like to sail when it's blowing. The problem lies in the fact that in those conditions the reefed main was still too large. I need deeper reef points and yes I will add one. When I build a new main it will also be heavier cloth and have a second reef. As I explained in my post above to CD, I was forced to sail back under a reefed main as I needed to go slightly to weather. It would have performed better with a little jib out but I
was just way too overpowered. Had the main been reefed deeper and with a little jib unrolled she would have balanced better and I could have relaxed. As it was I was rounding up in every puff and then falling off and starting over. It seems scary at first but after a while it's predictable, you just hang on!
The point of all this is that it's unfair when people knock a boat when it's not set up to do what they want and so they knock the model and not the set-up. I am experimenting with setting the boat up to do what I want. Hunter did not envision it to be used this way so they did not equip it for such. When you saw the roundups in the video it was because as the boat heeled in the puffs it was showing the bimini top to the wind. After I stowed it she behaved.
I could have used a mate on this sail for sure!
Dennis
Most boats sail better when the sail forces are balanced around the center of lateral resistance. Thats why I put on a roller reefing jib and had it designed with heavier cloth as I like to sail when it's blowing. The problem lies in the fact that in those conditions the reefed main was still too large. I need deeper reef points and yes I will add one. When I build a new main it will also be heavier cloth and have a second reef. As I explained in my post above to CD, I was forced to sail back under a reefed main as I needed to go slightly to weather. It would have performed better with a little jib out but I
was just way too overpowered. Had the main been reefed deeper and with a little jib unrolled she would have balanced better and I could have relaxed. As it was I was rounding up in every puff and then falling off and starting over. It seems scary at first but after a while it's predictable, you just hang on!
The point of all this is that it's unfair when people knock a boat when it's not set up to do what they want and so they knock the model and not the set-up. I am experimenting with setting the boat up to do what I want. Hunter did not envision it to be used this way so they did not equip it for such. When you saw the roundups in the video it was because as the boat heeled in the puffs it was showing the bimini top to the wind. After I stowed it she behaved.
I could have used a mate on this sail for sure!
Dennis
Ggordonwoody; when an inexperienced sailor with any trailerable boat goes out in high winds being predicted, I do not recommend that but there are times when a high wind situation does occur suddenly it is great Dennis shared the experience. If anyone learns from it this video is well worth posting with an explanation.
As for my customers I always provided training as part of the purchase and that included brokerage when other dealers did nothing or very little. They appreciated that training.
As for my customers I always provided training as part of the purchase and that included brokerage when other dealers did nothing or very little. They appreciated that training.
Fellas,
I hope I didn't come off as cavalier by posting this video. Yes water ballasted boats are tender and as CD alludes you can get in a lot of trouble. Falling off, falling on hardware, boom strike, furling line over ride, etc. quickly become dangerous, more so if you're not prepared. Make no mistakes, this boat is a handful under these conditions. Certainly I would like to have a heavy boat where I could sit in the cockpit and drink coffee in these conditions and when and if I sell mine I will have that boat. Until then this is the boat I have so I will upgrade it until it serves me. Planning and preparation is key. I have increased my experience with this boat incrementally and rather than being caught off guard, I went out intentionally to evaluate the boat and it's fitting out. Proven necessary are deeper reefs in a new main. It's way too easy to be over powered. It's OK to be a fair weather sailor in this boat, but if she's fit out properly, she will surprise. I like what GGordonWoody said above; nice to see one of these sailing instead of just for sale. That's why I posted the video.
I hope I didn't come off as cavalier by posting this video. Yes water ballasted boats are tender and as CD alludes you can get in a lot of trouble. Falling off, falling on hardware, boom strike, furling line over ride, etc. quickly become dangerous, more so if you're not prepared. Make no mistakes, this boat is a handful under these conditions. Certainly I would like to have a heavy boat where I could sit in the cockpit and drink coffee in these conditions and when and if I sell mine I will have that boat. Until then this is the boat I have so I will upgrade it until it serves me. Planning and preparation is key. I have increased my experience with this boat incrementally and rather than being caught off guard, I went out intentionally to evaluate the boat and it's fitting out. Proven necessary are deeper reefs in a new main. It's way too easy to be over powered. It's OK to be a fair weather sailor in this boat, but if she's fit out properly, she will surprise. I like what GGordonWoody said above; nice to see one of these sailing instead of just for sale. That's why I posted the video.
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Dennis
First I am glad this video was posted along with your comments along with others. It reminds us all that anyone can and probably has been caught in rough weather whether or not being forecast and what had to be done safely returning home. From the private comments received sailors have learned what to do in high winds and appreciated the kind comments as many have learned from your experience to include me. No apology is needed here and thank you again for this thread
It does not matter if the boat is a water ballst, swing keel, shoal draft keel or deep fixed keel boat in rough weather, it is knowing what to do safely returning home to be able to sail another day. Once I heard a wise sailor which I will never forget say " if you respect the water, the water will respect you; otherwise you will die. ". I think enough has been said. Dennis I learned like others and again thank you
Dave
First I am glad this video was posted along with your comments along with others. It reminds us all that anyone can and probably has been caught in rough weather whether or not being forecast and what had to be done safely returning home. From the private comments received sailors have learned what to do in high winds and appreciated the kind comments as many have learned from your experience to include me. No apology is needed here and thank you again for this thread
It does not matter if the boat is a water ballst, swing keel, shoal draft keel or deep fixed keel boat in rough weather, it is knowing what to do safely returning home to be able to sail another day. Once I heard a wise sailor which I will never forget say " if you respect the water, the water will respect you; otherwise you will die. ". I think enough has been said. Dennis I learned like others and again thank you
Dave