It's never too early to reef
- Thread starter sailboatracer
- Start date
WOW... That looks a bit Sporty.
Definitely a 2 reef main and a small jib day... Good day to be well clear of shore and Foulies. A good cup of tea or strong coffee for the helm. And a 30 minute watch cycle. Perhaps it would be advised to have the diesel running in back up mode. For sure you will be stirring the fuel tanks So some back up fuel filters might be good to have ready. Or you might just be kicking youself for not installing that second fuel filter that would have allowed you to just flip a lever from dirty to clean...
Definitely a 2 reef main and a small jib day... Good day to be well clear of shore and Foulies. A good cup of tea or strong coffee for the helm. And a 30 minute watch cycle. Perhaps it would be advised to have the diesel running in back up mode. For sure you will be stirring the fuel tanks So some back up fuel filters might be good to have ready. Or you might just be kicking youself for not installing that second fuel filter that would have allowed you to just flip a lever from dirty to clean...
Foul weather is like anything, you have to go out and practice on it so that when you get caught out you do not get overwhelmed. You have to practice to hone your skills and to keep them sharp. Setting sail on 25-30 knot winds and 5-6 ft swells is energizing and fun; beyond that only if you have to.
25-30 knot winds and 6-8 ft swells is a normal day around Christmas time (some years it's much longer than a couple of weeks) in the eastern Caribbean. We rarely start a day's sail without the equivalent of at least a double reef (we have an RF main), adjusting our sail area further as we get out into the weather.
The Meltemi winds, which blow from about mid-May to mid-September in the Aegean Basin, are also commonly underestimated by visitors who sail there.
It's always easier to shake out a reef than to put one in, so beginning the day reefed is not a bad idea, especially if not sailing in your home waters.
SWMBO rule #1: If we need to put on foulies to go out - don't.