H260 heavy weather

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B

brad

Hi. would appricate feed back in regard to limitations of H260. I sail Cape Cod Bay and the shallow draft of the 260 is great!....a lot of tidal flats. The 260 is a bit tender and my concern is: how would she do in 6ft or small craft warning conditions. How would she proform 10-20 miles off shore in a squall situation. Thanks,
 
C

Crazy Dave Condon

advise putting into port

The whole idea of sailing is to enjoy yourself. If you want to sail in 6 fooot seas and do not mind getting beaten up, that is your decision. I would rather wait. If small boat warnings are being posted, I would think twice before going out. Now the question if you are caught, that is a different matter. Suggest keeping posted to weather and learn weather patterns as well. IF inexperienced, stay in port during small craft warnings.. As you gain experience, then you will be able to make those decisions. If caught out there, then some would motor and/or sail on reduced sail area. Again, expereince should determine.
 
Aug 9, 2005
772
Hunter 28.5 Palm Coast, FL
Generally speaking, the H260 Is not a boat for severe weather conditions.

If you want to see how a H260 will do. I suggest you take it out on a windy day with a experienced crew and try sailing under reduced sail and motoring. But, stay close to port so you can always run home. Also try anchoring to see how it rides at anchor in rough weather, high winds and, deep swells. You will find in time, that it's not always the limitations of the boat but, sometimes it's the limitations of the crew that matter most.
 
May 6, 2004
196
- - Potomac
You can drown...

...in a teaspoon of water, or so they say. The boat will not respond any differently in squall conditions 300 yards from its slip than it will 20 miles offshore. But you are out of your mind going that far out in an H260 before you take the squall and the 6 foot seas very close to home. I love small craft advisories in my 240 and have sailed it in 6 foot seas, too. You will take a beating for sure but will likely get home fine. The problem with these boats is that they completely fall apart when the wind pipes up enough. Gusts in the upper 20's are terrifying in mine - in the 30's the boat is simply uncontrollable. The 260 is a little heavier but you get the idea. These are not boats that are going to take care of you when you can no longer take care of them. Be careful out there.
 
J

Jack h23.5

Your question is a bit broad..

A squall here in Florida may last only a few minutes, and be over before the waves have a chance to build. A few weeks ago, I had my H23.5 out in 20 knots with just a full main, and no jib. We had a lot of people ballast so we stayed fairly level ( under 25 degrees) most of the time. Since it was in a lake, big lake, waves stayed under 3 feet. We actually had a pretty dry day taking only a few splashes into the cockpit. Other factors such as the depth of the water, frequency of the waves, the fetch, and currents have a lot to do with whether or not the boat can handle the conditions. I'd say its closer to 80% skipper, and 20% boat. Practice reefing your main, and think about a storm jib. I agree with the others, watch the weather better and pick your windows to sail in. A lot of Mac's and Hunters make the trip from Cape Cod to MV and Nantucket every year, so sailing your area should not be an issue.
 
G

George

H260 and Severe weather

It is difficult to answer your question with precision. The H260 is a category C boat designed for inshore voyages on coastal waters, large lakes, bays estuaries, or rivers, where wind force of up to force 6 on the Beaufort scale and significant wave heights of up to 2 meters may be experienced. If you are trying to justify owning a H260 based on its ability to handle severe weather I'd look at another boat. I've been in waves close to six feet but they were not breaking. Under these conditions the boat did well but I was very glad when it calmed down. A bigger boat would have been more fun. Yes, a great thing about the H260 is its shoal draft, but close in is where you are more likely to find breaking waves... As already noted, it's more important to be concerned about the skill of the crew. The US Sailing website at this link http://www.sailingusa.info/design_winds.htm covers this subject well. There are a ton of books on this subject; one I recently read and liked is "How to cope with storms" by Dietrich von Haeften,
 
Mar 21, 2004
2,175
Hunter 356 Cobb Island, MD
A few years back

When we still had our H260, we had to cross from Rock Hall,MD to Sandy Point State Park, about 9 to 10 nm. We had 25kts of winds from the north with waves up to 6ft. Very short steep waves. Had no sail out, was afraid of the strain on the mast and rigging. Probably a mistake. Had a long shaft 9hp Honda motor that was being lifted out of the water by the waves. The boat was getting pushed from behind and trying to turn abeam the waves, I was constantly fighting with the wheel to keep us from rolling. The boat was very very tender since it has no real weight. We got the hell beat out of us and the boat survived. Would I do that again - not intentionally. It can be done but hold on to your lunch....;d
 
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