I did a dumb thing that gave me a good lesson. As I was sliding my Hunter 26 off the trailer, I heard thunder, saw lightning really close, and the wind started to pick up from 8 knots. As my wife went to park the truck and I waited for docking assistance, I put up the fenders, readied the dock lines, and lowered the rudder. Then the blast hit me: 30 knots and torrential rain. I should have seen it coming. My mistake: us having an itinerary and the weather having a different itinerary. Classic. I hadn't yet opened the ballast nor lowered the swing keel and now had my hands full. I didn't turn well to starboard because of my rudder-tiller connection and a very stiff transmission cable for which I had ordered a replacement but had not yet received. In the 30 knots of wind, the boat would not turn through the wind to starboard at all. The result was that I made 3 port-side circles before my wife got back down to the courtesy dock and three times the wind blew the rail into the water when I was broadside to the wind and the back of my shirt got wet. Thought I was going over, with the companionway wide open... I've seen posts here before postulating that maybe turtling or sinking could happen without the water ballast tank full. I'm here to tell you that it could: might take more than 30 knots, but not much more. This boat really catches the wind. Just call me Captain Calamity...
Hunter 26 in 30 knot wind w/o water in ballast
- Thread starter Rich L
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Sincewe know you're OK
I would love to have seen your face. Kind of brings you back to reality, huh? My 2nd solo sailing experience included the same sort of "spinning till you think your gonna die" and I learned more that day than any other. Thanks for sharing Rich!
I would love to have seen your face. Kind of brings you back to reality, huh? My 2nd solo sailing experience included the same sort of "spinning till you think your gonna die" and I learned more that day than any other. Thanks for sharing Rich!
H26 Sailing with empty ballast tank
My experience is that the seal on the ballast tank is pretty "leaky" although it won't fill up right away, it does not take long. My dealer advised me to store the boat on the trailer with a partially full tank - not possible in my case.
My experience is that the seal on the ballast tank is pretty "leaky" although it won't fill up right away, it does not take long. My dealer advised me to store the boat on the trailer with a partially full tank - not possible in my case.
no sails
forgot to mention, in case anyone might not surmise - I didn't have any sail up at all. Also, the end of the story is that I made a crash landing into the courtesy dock going sideways at one knot or so (don't know for sure, cause my knot meter doesn't measure leeway)<smirk> No damage cause the fender took the impact. It was a miracle!
forgot to mention, in case anyone might not surmise - I didn't have any sail up at all. Also, the end of the story is that I made a crash landing into the courtesy dock going sideways at one knot or so (don't know for sure, cause my knot meter doesn't measure leeway)<smirk> No damage cause the fender took the impact. It was a miracle!
gotta love those days!!!
I was in Lake George with stiff wind when the rudder snapped....WOW!!! what a ride that was. Trying to lower a constantly tacking and gibing main is lots of fun!(odd though, it should have just tacked) My buddy down below couldnt get up to the cockpit to help me and with the wind pressure holding the sail from coming down I had to make way to the mast and pull it down myself. and stinkpotters think sailing is boring!!! Brad s/v Kivalo
I was in Lake George with stiff wind when the rudder snapped....WOW!!! what a ride that was. Trying to lower a constantly tacking and gibing main is lots of fun!(odd though, it should have just tacked) My buddy down below couldnt get up to the cockpit to help me and with the wind pressure holding the sail from coming down I had to make way to the mast and pull it down myself. and stinkpotters think sailing is boring!!! Brad s/v Kivalo
One knot docking
I know the "one knot docking" feeling. When my 260 was new, we were slammed into the adjacent dock when returning from the first three times out on the lake. One of these times the boat yard man was at the helm, and he delivers boats professionally. It was plastic/wood dock to fiberglass boat and there wasn't a mark left on the boat, although the plastic cornerguard of the dock cracked. It seems the good folks at Hunter Marine neglected to warn their customers that it's impossible to make a tight starboard move without a motor/rudder connection. Getting that solved was the best money spent. I learned my lesson. No matter how excited you are to get going with a new boat, don't take her out in 30 knot winds.
I know the "one knot docking" feeling. When my 260 was new, we were slammed into the adjacent dock when returning from the first three times out on the lake. One of these times the boat yard man was at the helm, and he delivers boats professionally. It was plastic/wood dock to fiberglass boat and there wasn't a mark left on the boat, although the plastic cornerguard of the dock cracked. It seems the good folks at Hunter Marine neglected to warn their customers that it's impossible to make a tight starboard move without a motor/rudder connection. Getting that solved was the best money spent. I learned my lesson. No matter how excited you are to get going with a new boat, don't take her out in 30 knot winds.
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