Saturday and Sunday were incredibly windy with winds from the WNW. Saturday I checked on the boat and didn't even consider going out. Sunday I had a crew of 5 who were willing to go and they sat on the rail while we were single reefed with a 110 jib. We were overpowered and should have been double reefed. Instead, we tacked upwind in relatively sheltered locations and ran on a broad reach to get the highest knot meter readings I have ever seen on our boat! At one point, when we were approaching the wind line caused by a "slot" in topography where the wind really funnels, my wife shot me a look that said "don't even think of going any further"! I tacked as soon as I saw that look! Before going in for the day, we doused the jib and sailed pretty comfortably on a reefed main. Before dousing the jib, we had some near knockdowns which were avoided by allowing the boat to round-up to spill wind. The gusts were really significant, but easily foreseen due to the signature on the water. We don't have waves to deal with and the shoreline is never far away, which makes the situation far less intimidating. How did you coastal sailors deal with the weekend. Were conditions pretty severe? I know that my wife is really concerned about being caught out in a situation that is over our head if we move the boat to the coast. It seems like this spring and early summer has had a lot of wind.
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We got hit by a very strong thunderstorm...
All the powerboats were running! My 26s has no motor at the moment (this will really fine tune your sailing skills and patience!) The winds were very light for about ten min.'s while I tried to head for a sheltered dock. Then, a glance upwind revealed a lake that had turned white coming quickly towards us. Didn't have time to reef (maybe should have done that earlier, but I was trying to get home fast). My mate went up to the bow and took down the jib and was tying it down (with her c g down low)as the wind hit. I was heading down wind so to try and keep the [apparent] wind less. We had a down wind sleigh ride while I concentrated on not broaching (a lesson I learned about a month ago; see "an abrupt broach thread...) We broad reached and got to what was suppossed to be a sheltered dock and the wind was whipping right down into the "cul de sack". I have gotten pretty good at docking under sail, but instantly knew it would not happen here (it was kinda crowded and whipping around to come from right behind us). I let the main carry us for another 5 seconds or so and got my mate to lower and secure the main (from a place that a accidental gybe could not hit her)...we kept on with momentum and a bit of "bare poles sailing"...I yelled "NO MOTOR" to some of the powerboats that were there, threaded between two of them and slipped right up to the dock at about 2/3 knots of speed, and we jumped to the dock and secured the lines! The dude in a boat behind me said, Damn man, you've done that before! It was some skill and some LUCK, but, upon retrospect, we realized how much we have learned in the past two years...me with knowledge and her with knowledge AND not yielding to panic(she use to panic and totally freeze!). It was very satisfying to have been challenged and acheived! Richard
All the powerboats were running! My 26s has no motor at the moment (this will really fine tune your sailing skills and patience!) The winds were very light for about ten min.'s while I tried to head for a sheltered dock. Then, a glance upwind revealed a lake that had turned white coming quickly towards us. Didn't have time to reef (maybe should have done that earlier, but I was trying to get home fast). My mate went up to the bow and took down the jib and was tying it down (with her c g down low)as the wind hit. I was heading down wind so to try and keep the [apparent] wind less. We had a down wind sleigh ride while I concentrated on not broaching (a lesson I learned about a month ago; see "an abrupt broach thread...) We broad reached and got to what was suppossed to be a sheltered dock and the wind was whipping right down into the "cul de sack". I have gotten pretty good at docking under sail, but instantly knew it would not happen here (it was kinda crowded and whipping around to come from right behind us). I let the main carry us for another 5 seconds or so and got my mate to lower and secure the main (from a place that a accidental gybe could not hit her)...we kept on with momentum and a bit of "bare poles sailing"...I yelled "NO MOTOR" to some of the powerboats that were there, threaded between two of them and slipped right up to the dock at about 2/3 knots of speed, and we jumped to the dock and secured the lines! The dude in a boat behind me said, Damn man, you've done that before! It was some skill and some LUCK, but, upon retrospect, we realized how much we have learned in the past two years...me with knowledge and her with knowledge AND not yielding to panic(she use to panic and totally freeze!). It was very satisfying to have been challenged and acheived! Richard
Windy Long Island Sound
This weekend my son and I sailed our new Beneteau 323 boat from Huntington to East Hampton. It was quite a trip. We had originally planned to do it over two days, as it’s over 70 nautical miles, but on Saturday the lead story in all of the weather reports was how windy it was – small craft advisories, winds 25-35 miles per hour from the West, etc. So we delayed the trip, and Saturday night we took the train from East Hampton and slept on the boat so we could get a very early start on making it in one day. Unfortunately, the winds did not die down as much as we had hoped, but we cleared the port by 7:30 AM in pretty strong winds and gusts. Once we got into Long Island Sound and turned East, the wind was behind us, so the apparent wind was manageable, though still pretty strong. The problem we had was with the seas. The strong and steady West winds over the preceding 36 hours or so had built up a large wave train, which just got bigger as we headed further East and it had more chance to build. Most of the way we had large following (and sometimes breaking) waves coming along behind us and lifting the stern of the boat. I would estimate the average wave height as close to 6 feet. As the wave would catch up to us the water would not only lift the stern of the boat, it would be rushing forward past the rudders, causing us to lose steerage and yaw. We were never in danger but it was an exceedingly long fatiguing day. The waves lasted all the way until we turned South at Orient Point, the end of the north Fork of Long Island. We mostly had the engine on and our genoa up, but not the main because it was too likely to accidentally jibe in those conditions. We finally pulled into East Hampton at about 6:30, which was actually good time for the trip, aided by the following wind and a favorable current through the notorious Race at the eastern end of Long Island’s north Fork. Quite an adventure, but the boat sits at our dock, all tranquil now. My son was a very good crew, though he definitely distributed a considerable amount of chum over Long Island Sound.
This weekend my son and I sailed our new Beneteau 323 boat from Huntington to East Hampton. It was quite a trip. We had originally planned to do it over two days, as it’s over 70 nautical miles, but on Saturday the lead story in all of the weather reports was how windy it was – small craft advisories, winds 25-35 miles per hour from the West, etc. So we delayed the trip, and Saturday night we took the train from East Hampton and slept on the boat so we could get a very early start on making it in one day. Unfortunately, the winds did not die down as much as we had hoped, but we cleared the port by 7:30 AM in pretty strong winds and gusts. Once we got into Long Island Sound and turned East, the wind was behind us, so the apparent wind was manageable, though still pretty strong. The problem we had was with the seas. The strong and steady West winds over the preceding 36 hours or so had built up a large wave train, which just got bigger as we headed further East and it had more chance to build. Most of the way we had large following (and sometimes breaking) waves coming along behind us and lifting the stern of the boat. I would estimate the average wave height as close to 6 feet. As the wave would catch up to us the water would not only lift the stern of the boat, it would be rushing forward past the rudders, causing us to lose steerage and yaw. We were never in danger but it was an exceedingly long fatiguing day. The waves lasted all the way until we turned South at Orient Point, the end of the north Fork of Long Island. We mostly had the engine on and our genoa up, but not the main because it was too likely to accidentally jibe in those conditions. We finally pulled into East Hampton at about 6:30, which was actually good time for the trip, aided by the following wind and a favorable current through the notorious Race at the eastern end of Long Island’s north Fork. Quite an adventure, but the boat sits at our dock, all tranquil now. My son was a very good crew, though he definitely distributed a considerable amount of chum over Long Island Sound.
Tied up
in the slip! We had winds on the upper Chesapeake gusting into the thirties and steady winds in the upper teens/low twenties. It settled down near sunset Saturday, but came right back on Sunday morning. White caps and a two to three foot chop in more "protected" waters! Scrubbed deck, waxed cockpit, read books, listened to CD's. Sometimes it's not necessary to dip the rail in to enjoy the boat!
in the slip! We had winds on the upper Chesapeake gusting into the thirties and steady winds in the upper teens/low twenties. It settled down near sunset Saturday, but came right back on Sunday morning. White caps and a two to three foot chop in more "protected" waters! Scrubbed deck, waxed cockpit, read books, listened to CD's. Sometimes it's not necessary to dip the rail in to enjoy the boat!
Wild Ride on the Potomac
We went out around 2:30 with winds in the 20kt range. The Potomac was whipped into a fury, wind from the NW gave the river a long fetch which threw up 3 ft waves - fast and square. I had only about a third of the jib out with 50% main on a starboard broad reach to the south. Java was doing fine but every once in while a big wave would hit abeam and raise the trasom up and try to push us up into the wind. We were getting WET. Did a chicken jibe and headed downwind with a 120deg port apparent. Java was holding at over 7kts for around an hour. After we made one of our favorite anachorages, I checked the GPS and it gave max speed of 9.3kts, checked the wind instrument and it gave max true wind of 32 kts - must have been a gust. For some strange reason Joan drank a lot of wine while at anchor that night. Sunday the winds came up again but were in the 11-15kt range. Don't have any photos - was alittle busy holding on. GREAT WEEKEND Jim S/V Java
We went out around 2:30 with winds in the 20kt range. The Potomac was whipped into a fury, wind from the NW gave the river a long fetch which threw up 3 ft waves - fast and square. I had only about a third of the jib out with 50% main on a starboard broad reach to the south. Java was doing fine but every once in while a big wave would hit abeam and raise the trasom up and try to push us up into the wind. We were getting WET. Did a chicken jibe and headed downwind with a 120deg port apparent. Java was holding at over 7kts for around an hour. After we made one of our favorite anachorages, I checked the GPS and it gave max speed of 9.3kts, checked the wind instrument and it gave max true wind of 32 kts - must have been a gust. For some strange reason Joan drank a lot of wine while at anchor that night. Sunday the winds came up again but were in the 11-15kt range. Don't have any photos - was alittle busy holding on. GREAT WEEKEND Jim S/V Java
Spent the weekend watching hydroplane racing
Spent the weekend watching the Carolina Cup races which where right off my dock. We are sheltered from a NW wind and the hydros had little problems until very late in the day. I also managed to rig my new boom vang between races. Very nice weekend in old EC.
Spent the weekend watching the Carolina Cup races which where right off my dock. We are sheltered from a NW wind and the hydros had little problems until very late in the day. I also managed to rig my new boom vang between races. Very nice weekend in old EC.
wild ride on the potomac
I spoke with Jim on Java last Sunday and was out a little bit longer on my Mac 25. The waves and wind grew a bit. My GPS read 6.7 knots on a main and one third jib. It was the strongest and most gusty I have seen in awhile. Dave S/V The Spirit
I spoke with Jim on Java last Sunday and was out a little bit longer on my Mac 25. The waves and wind grew a bit. My GPS read 6.7 knots on a main and one third jib. It was the strongest and most gusty I have seen in awhile. Dave S/V The Spirit
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