we had our first really windy sail on sunday. when we arrived at the boat yard the owner, a life long acqaintance asked if we knew how to reef and if we really wanted to go out, well, sure we did and off we went. forecast was for 16 w/ gusts to 27. instead , we got onto barnegat bay on a lovely broad reach under reefed main and jib in steady 25 gusting to 30, so sayeth noaa after we got home. the sail downbay was great and fast!, then we decided to head home......wow, now i under stand why they call it beating. boy did we take one! the tacks up bay were wet, bouncy, and i will admit, a bit white knuckled. after 2.5 hrs to get back what took us 1 hr to get, we were soaked but proud. the little 22 took a beating and kept on going. there were plenty of bigger boats under power running in the lee of the shore, but we slogged it out andmade it. the only casualty was two battens in the main. it may not be the perfect storm, but it was the biggest we were out in so far, and was a good learning experience, as well as confidence builder in the boat and our abilites. next stop, the roaring 40's..........
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Rob R.
Congratulations
That's experience hard won and well learned... Your first heavy weather day is one you will always remember. Have fun and remember that sailing is always ongoing learning. Best Regards, Rob
That's experience hard won and well learned... Your first heavy weather day is one you will always remember. Have fun and remember that sailing is always ongoing learning. Best Regards, Rob
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Joe D
Kudos to you
Way to go Jeff, I was sitting Sunday out at the other end of the Barnegat, in my C-30 at the dock. To windy for my wife & I. I sanded my teak & she sewed a wheel cover instead. You certainly had more fun than I did! Joe
Way to go Jeff, I was sitting Sunday out at the other end of the Barnegat, in my C-30 at the dock. To windy for my wife & I. I sanded my teak & she sewed a wheel cover instead. You certainly had more fun than I did! Joe
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TomD
A day to remember
jeff 14640: Thanks for sharing, hoping for days like yours soon. So. That was with reefed main and 110 Jib, or a smaller jib?? How did it point? Reason I ask is because I have a 33 ft2 storm sail that I use when singlehanding with a reefed main, and the two together gives almost exactly half the standard sail area. But have never had it out in the chuck like you did. Wonderful! TomD
jeff 14640: Thanks for sharing, hoping for days like yours soon. So. That was with reefed main and 110 Jib, or a smaller jib?? How did it point? Reason I ask is because I have a 33 ft2 storm sail that I use when singlehanding with a reefed main, and the two together gives almost exactly half the standard sail area. But have never had it out in the chuck like you did. Wonderful! TomD
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jeff #14640
tom, jib question
tomD, we used the main reefed and the roller furling jib out about 1/3 of the way on our broad reach. when coming back i furled the jib completely, i probably would have had better point if i had left some out, but on the ride down, she almost rounded up on me with it up and i figured i was over powered. the beat back with the reefed main only was slow and we couldnt point as high as we would have liked,but she did ok. my jib/genoa is a 135 when out all the way. jeff
tomD, we used the main reefed and the roller furling jib out about 1/3 of the way on our broad reach. when coming back i furled the jib completely, i probably would have had better point if i had left some out, but on the ride down, she almost rounded up on me with it up and i figured i was over powered. the beat back with the reefed main only was slow and we couldnt point as high as we would have liked,but she did ok. my jib/genoa is a 135 when out all the way. jeff
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tomD
Thanks for your sail plan
Jeff 14640, So you got back upwind without a headsail! amazing. I would have dropped the main and flown the 135--I think--better try it out before I say that! Thanks for your reply.
Jeff 14640, So you got back upwind without a headsail! amazing. I would have dropped the main and flown the 135--I think--better try it out before I say that! Thanks for your reply.
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Pete Staehling
Main Only
This is just my opinion based on my limited experience, but ... I never understood why folks choose to fly a headsail only. My boat seems to work best by flying 110 and reefed main in moderately heavy conditions. When I need to reduce sail further, I drop the 110 and fly only a reefed main. First, the boat seems better balanced. Second, the jib wants to beat itself to death when let out very far to spill the heaviest gusts, while the main on the other hand flutters some but doesn't want to beat itself to death in the same situation. I think this is because the main has battens. The other week I was sailing singlehanded in gusts up to maybe 38 or so with 110 and reefed main (fin keel C22). When I turned to head home (the marina was straight upwind), she was kind of a handful but fun, after a while I went to reefed main only so I could relax a little. She was quite docile at that point. The only downside I see to this is that it becomes impossible to heave to with no jib up. Because of this, ideally I would like to have a storm jib to use with the reefed main when the 110 is too much. Problem is that I wouldn't want to have to change headsails in the kind of conditions where a 110 is too much. It is easier to just drop the jib and sail on main only, unless you know upfront that you want the storm jib and start out with it in the first place. Pete
This is just my opinion based on my limited experience, but ... I never understood why folks choose to fly a headsail only. My boat seems to work best by flying 110 and reefed main in moderately heavy conditions. When I need to reduce sail further, I drop the 110 and fly only a reefed main. First, the boat seems better balanced. Second, the jib wants to beat itself to death when let out very far to spill the heaviest gusts, while the main on the other hand flutters some but doesn't want to beat itself to death in the same situation. I think this is because the main has battens. The other week I was sailing singlehanded in gusts up to maybe 38 or so with 110 and reefed main (fin keel C22). When I turned to head home (the marina was straight upwind), she was kind of a handful but fun, after a while I went to reefed main only so I could relax a little. She was quite docile at that point. The only downside I see to this is that it becomes impossible to heave to with no jib up. Because of this, ideally I would like to have a storm jib to use with the reefed main when the 110 is too much. Problem is that I wouldn't want to have to change headsails in the kind of conditions where a 110 is too much. It is easier to just drop the jib and sail on main only, unless you know upfront that you want the storm jib and start out with it in the first place. Pete
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tomD
whatever works
Pete, your response supports the main/only strategy for blustery days, good to know when the decision needs to be made. I have added a photo of my little storm sail to this website. Looking forward to testing out what is a theoretical sail plan just now. regards, tomd
Pete, your response supports the main/only strategy for blustery days, good to know when the decision needs to be made. I have added a photo of my little storm sail to this website. Looking forward to testing out what is a theoretical sail plan just now. regards, tomd
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jeff #14640
flying just jib, problem
tom, i have found that with just the genoa out, i cant point, the boat just rounds down. dont know if it is something i am doing, or if it is a common problem with all c22, or just the wing keel boats. any ideas? jeff
tom, i have found that with just the genoa out, i cant point, the boat just rounds down. dont know if it is something i am doing, or if it is a common problem with all c22, or just the wing keel boats. any ideas? jeff
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tomD
sail balance
Jeff, the lee helm you are describing is due to centre of effort being well forward of centre of resistance. This is likely why going with a reefed main only works better with a C-22, more balanced. Alot of larger boats have a rough 2:1 ratio in SA between the main and jib which allows a jib-only sail pattern without impossible lee helm, but the C-22 is almost 1:1 and while that is fine under 15 knots it upsets the balance in F5 and up. my solution was to get a small storm sail and fly that with a reefed main. I must emphasize that I have not put this sail pattern into heavy wind yet--boat's too new. beating upwind under reefed main seems to be the concensus with a C-22, my storm sail is posted on this website. tomD Avalon 15456 (even newer than yours)
Jeff, the lee helm you are describing is due to centre of effort being well forward of centre of resistance. This is likely why going with a reefed main only works better with a C-22, more balanced. Alot of larger boats have a rough 2:1 ratio in SA between the main and jib which allows a jib-only sail pattern without impossible lee helm, but the C-22 is almost 1:1 and while that is fine under 15 knots it upsets the balance in F5 and up. my solution was to get a small storm sail and fly that with a reefed main. I must emphasize that I have not put this sail pattern into heavy wind yet--boat's too new. beating upwind under reefed main seems to be the concensus with a C-22, my storm sail is posted on this website. tomD Avalon 15456 (even newer than yours)
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