Today we experienced gusty 25 MPH winds here in the Greater Philadelphia area, and I started wondering what we would do if we we on the water in our little 22' Balboa. Other than the obvious - getting of the water in my case - what would others do if caught in this situaton? Would you continue on your journey "undersail"? Motor? I'm sure the answer to this question has a lot to do with your experience level. But I was just wondering... Darline Spring Balboa 22'
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You Are Correct...
...in that your experience level and local knowledge will determine the course of action. 25 knots, IF not building, could be fun in your 22' Balboa with a reef and little jib. If inexperienced or in a new sailing area, better to dump the jib, reef the main and motorsail somewhere to sit it out. IMHO, Rick D.
...in that your experience level and local knowledge will determine the course of action. 25 knots, IF not building, could be fun in your 22' Balboa with a reef and little jib. If inexperienced or in a new sailing area, better to dump the jib, reef the main and motorsail somewhere to sit it out. IMHO, Rick D.
Reef and enjoy it.
25 knots is good sailing with one or two reefs in the main, and a jib less than 100%. Our San Francisco Bay members say that this is a standard day for them. Take someone with experience, and learn how to sail your boat in those conditions. It will be a big gain in confidence. The real dangers are falling off the boat (with or without high winds) and breaking waves greater than the beam of your boat. You will be surprised how well the boat will handle anything less. David Lady Lillie
25 knots is good sailing with one or two reefs in the main, and a jib less than 100%. Our San Francisco Bay members say that this is a standard day for them. Take someone with experience, and learn how to sail your boat in those conditions. It will be a big gain in confidence. The real dangers are falling off the boat (with or without high winds) and breaking waves greater than the beam of your boat. You will be surprised how well the boat will handle anything less. David Lady Lillie
Too Much Power
If we disregard the water surface conditions (waves, chop, frequency, etc.), then the main problem a small sailboat incurs from a strong wind is that it becomes "overpowered" - that is, the area of sail presented to the wind is more than what the hull needs to be driven through the water at or near its maximum speed. When this happens, the wind just heels the boat over instead of making it go faster. So the solution is to present less sail area to the wind by reefing down the mainsail and using a smaller jib. The character of the boat will change completely, it will sail pleasantly and responsively, and unless they are masochists, the crew will enjoy it more. Rule of thumb: reef when you first think about it. Very few problems have arisen from reefing too early, but there are plenty of skippers every year who waited an hour too long.
If we disregard the water surface conditions (waves, chop, frequency, etc.), then the main problem a small sailboat incurs from a strong wind is that it becomes "overpowered" - that is, the area of sail presented to the wind is more than what the hull needs to be driven through the water at or near its maximum speed. When this happens, the wind just heels the boat over instead of making it go faster. So the solution is to present less sail area to the wind by reefing down the mainsail and using a smaller jib. The character of the boat will change completely, it will sail pleasantly and responsively, and unless they are masochists, the crew will enjoy it more. Rule of thumb: reef when you first think about it. Very few problems have arisen from reefing too early, but there are plenty of skippers every year who waited an hour too long.
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