Recently I was caught in a blow on the chesapeake bay this is what happened We were about 2 miles from the entrance to York River yacht haven. The sky was looking really nasty and then all of a sudden we saw two water spouts about 50 ft tall, a couple hundred yards to starboard. Then before you knew it, the wind kicked up a few notches and the rain poured down and it became almost as dark as night. I told the women to stay below decks and to break out the life jackets. This caused a small panic with them since my wife had never heard me ask for them to be broke out before. After some argument with the women about being locked below we finally got the hatch boards put in to prevent a wave from coming into the cockpit and flooding the cabin. It was raining so hard at times I couldn't see the bow of the boat. Most of the time I could only see maybe 10 ft out either side of the cockpit to tell which way the wind was blowing the water off the top of the waves. We where close to shallow water and a red channel marker so I didn't want to head in that direction. So I knew that I did not want the boat to travel for fear of running aground or worse, hitting the channel marker. So I did my best to keep the bow into the wind giving the engine just enough juice to keep it headed upwind and trying not to move. I kept a close eye on the GPS, compass and the depth sounder to monitor direction. At some point I could feel the rig pulsing, I leaned out and could see the jib trying to unfurl. I yelled for Charlie, my friend who had never sailed before this trip, to get the jib, and he pulled the furling line in to its limit then cleated down the furling line and both jib sheets. The wind changed directions several times blowing us sideways and heeling us enough to put the rails in the water. I would just gun the engine and give full rudder to try to get her aimed back into the wind. One time I just couldn't get her around and we where heeling really badly so I just turned down wind and we flew. Once I built up some speed I spun her around again into the wind. I spent about 40 minutes (or was it 40 hours) doing this and we stayed within a 1/4 mile square. Fortunately we where up the York river far enough and it came on so fast that the seas didn't get too bad, only about 2 foot at the most. The winds were upwards close to 70 MPH, this was a guess by another sailor that was stuck out a little farther than me. He said the one time he looked at his wind meter he saw 58 MPH and he knows he had gust well above that. Then, as suddenly as it started, the sky broke, and I could see the York River Bridge, so we headed for the channel. We still had about 20+ knots of wind, but visibility was pretty good and we headed down the channel with the wind at our back. Fortunately they put us at the second T-head since they knew it would be difficult getting us in. We came in pretty hot, I had full reverse on for 2 or 3 boat lengths and we where still going forward when we came along side the pier. The dock hand stopped us with the dock lines and we tied up. Shaking partly from being cold and partly from adrenaline, I let out a sigh of relief and promptly sucked down a couple stiff drinks. The question is what have you done, or what would you do? I have been asked if i considered dropping anchor, would this be a good idea?
Caught in a blow
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Like your solution.
I think that you did the best thing possible given a lee shore and no room for error. Makes you wonder what you could do without an engine? Would you have had time to go up on deck and deploy an anchor? Lying ahull seems like the best solution if there is sea room. But you would not have had time to properly do that given your description of time.
I think that you did the best thing possible given a lee shore and no room for error. Makes you wonder what you could do without an engine? Would you have had time to go up on deck and deploy an anchor? Lying ahull seems like the best solution if there is sea room. But you would not have had time to properly do that given your description of time.
Reminds me of my Insurance Agents question
many years ago. Do you have an engine? Without one the rate was 50% higher. This is why. And nice job Jim.
many years ago. Do you have an engine? Without one the rate was 50% higher. This is why. And nice job Jim.
Residual dropping anchor question...
All Anchor lines have a breaking strength, (4000 lbs, 7000 lbs, etc) What is your breaking strength? My boat has a displacement of 7000 lbs. With wind at 56 mph, and higher gusts, what lb anchor line should I have? I don not know. Has anyone out there considered this before?
All Anchor lines have a breaking strength, (4000 lbs, 7000 lbs, etc) What is your breaking strength? My boat has a displacement of 7000 lbs. With wind at 56 mph, and higher gusts, what lb anchor line should I have? I don not know. Has anyone out there considered this before?
I, too, think you did about all you could do given the nasty conditions. I'm not sure anchoring in 70+mph winds would have worked and could have made things worse -- if the rode snapped, wrapped around your prop, etc. The only other thing I might try in addition to trying to keep upwind under power would be to try heaving to. That may have been diffucult to do given how fast your conditions deteriorated unless you already had the main down. I do have a rhetorical question: Who were the best/most experienced sailors on your boat? You said that Charlie had no experience and you directed the women to stay below. I'm assuming your wife had much more experience than Charlie.... If it were me, I'd want the person with the most experience on deck with me, regardless of gender....
I saw that storm, Jim
I was planing to sail out of Deltaville when I heard the weather forecast and decided to stay at the dock and pull maintainance. We could see the clouds and lightning. It looked scary from miles away. Congrats on a great job!
I was planing to sail out of Deltaville when I heard the weather forecast and decided to stay at the dock and pull maintainance. We could see the clouds and lightning. It looked scary from miles away. Congrats on a great job!
Proof is in the pudding
You took charge, handled the situation as you thought best and brought your crew and boat safely through the ordeal. Good job! I probably would have dropped anchor, but it's a judgement call and we each have to make our own decisions out there. Ron Mehringer h26 Hydro-Therapy
You took charge, handled the situation as you thought best and brought your crew and boat safely through the ordeal. Good job! I probably would have dropped anchor, but it's a judgement call and we each have to make our own decisions out there. Ron Mehringer h26 Hydro-Therapy
been there, done that
I've experienced exactly the same situation on the Cheasapeake, so reading your description brought me right back to that day that I and my son who was 9 or 10 at the time survived a blow that sounded exactly like yours on my Hunter 25. The seas were so large and so confused that a lot of the time the prop of my 9.9 longshaft was coming out of the water and I was having trouble keeping headway. We were off of Piney Point on the Chester River at the time, and I was very worried that we would run aground, since I couldn't even see the forestay. But... all's well that end's well and it makes for a great story over a beer at the dock.
I've experienced exactly the same situation on the Cheasapeake, so reading your description brought me right back to that day that I and my son who was 9 or 10 at the time survived a blow that sounded exactly like yours on my Hunter 25. The seas were so large and so confused that a lot of the time the prop of my 9.9 longshaft was coming out of the water and I was having trouble keeping headway. We were off of Piney Point on the Chester River at the time, and I was very worried that we would run aground, since I couldn't even see the forestay. But... all's well that end's well and it makes for a great story over a beer at the dock.
Your the Captain
Jim, Shes your responsibility. You made the choice and brought here home. Don't ever secound guess. Just remember the choices you made and why.
Jim, Shes your responsibility. You made the choice and brought here home. Don't ever secound guess. Just remember the choices you made and why.
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