Strong winds

[Jim H SR]

How to get dis-masted!

I WAS saying Gee-Hah!!! when out in 35 to 38 knot winds in my 17' Starcraft Upstart when a sidestay snapped and down came the mast (as advertised) All the sane sailors were at the dock having a cool one(s).I did get the mast welded and wood-plugged and this 1970 boat was up and sailing shortly after my big error. Had the main and the jib up, no reefing points on those sails. I have them now.I will NOT take my 27' Catalina out in these winds!

 

[Doug Day]

Snipes in 62mpg

Who says small dinghys can't handle high winds? Apparently, they can.The 1980 Snipe National Championships, which rotate around the country, were held on Carlyle Lake in central Illinois that year. Mid week, a storm came in while the fleet was out on the race course. Many sailors layed their boats down which is essentially a planned capsize until the storm blows over. Many experienced the unplanned variety.There were a few, however that sailed back into the harbor, which happened to be a beat, without capsize or mishap.Two facts are a tribute to the one-design 15 1/2 ft daggerboard sloop Snipe class. One, my wife and I had combined weight of 255lbs, so we sure didn't have a lot of beef hiking out. Two, the airport up the road clocked wind gusts at 62mph!P.S.: I'm not currently looking to re-enact that beat!

 

[Chris Bloor]

Twice -- Not on Purpose

Bob and I have been caught unawares twice on Lake Erie. Once in our Beneteau First 23.5 we were anchored about 2 miles from our marina with friends having lunch. I saw a squall coming in. We hauled anchor and set sail for the marina -- didn't make it. Just as we were heading for the channel to our marina, a fog settled and Bob turned the boat around and headed back out! Whaaaaat? Turns out he couldn't see the 1-mile long stone breaker wall and thought we'd be better off riding it out. We estimate the winds at 25-30 with 6-8 foot waves and blowing crests. Not fun, but the boat handled it just fine.Second time was coming back from Pelee Island in Canadian waters. This time we were in our Catalina 42. We knew we were going to get hit and prepared - dropped the main, furled the jib leaving just a bit out and turned on the motor. Not fun, but better than on the 23! 35-40 sustained with gusts and LOTS of rain! When it started to hail, we turned on the auto pilot and sat with our backs to the wind (our bimini has no side curtains). It felt like hundreds of pin pricks. When it was over, the coaming box on the leeward side of the boat was half filled with marble-sized hail!Bob and his crew got caught in 52 mph winds and 10-12 foot waves during the 2000 Port Huron/Mackinac Race. Mainsail ripped with double reef in it and they were forced to drop out and find refuge. I'll let him tell that story another time - I'm only glad I wasn't along.The scariest time for me was on Alum Creek Lake in north/central Ohio in June of last year. Since our boat is on Lake Erie, we crew for friends in our club's Wednesday night series. It had been raining all day, but no big deal, and no big winds. We all checked the weather and decided it was over. About 20 boats were approaching A-mark about a mile from the marina when it hit. Our best guess is 25-30 mph winds, 4-5 foot waves with blowing crests, and hail. One boat was demasted, one crew member feel overboard (and climbed back aboard with only minor injuries). Our little 6-9 hp outboards were no match for these conditions, but other than a few minor injuries, the demasting mentioned above and many, many torn sails, we all arrived home safe and sound. A tad more beer than usual was consumed at our after race dinner that night!Yee-haw? Never again? Aren't they both about the same???

 

[Scott Shackelford]

1994 Lake Ponchartrain Great Lake Race

This was in my old boat, a 1967 26' Pearson Ariel. We were languishing back in 7th place in our class. The result of having 5 ice chests on board with food and drinks for 6 people. An already heavy boat at 5500 lbs, the added weight and the light wind was not going to help us to a 3rd place finish like 1993 or better. About that time what had been basically just an overcast day started to darken. Joe, our tactician noticed a nasty storm building out to the west. Withen 15 minutes the first cell was on top of us. 45 knot gusts with a steady 35 over the deck and a bunch of rain. Joe had us in the perfect position as he had me steer a course before the storm that enabled us to go on a broad reach during the storm and stay on course. We had no idea of how bad the storm would be and still had up a full main and a 150% Genoa. We were flying. We caught two boats and left them well behind in the storm. Suddenly, my wife to be appears from the cabin, white as a sheet. She had seen a lightening deflection off of the water hit the backstay and blow into splinters our VHF antenna. Somehow, that was the extent of the damage after we made a quick check of the boat (not easy in a storm) and decided to keep going as we were closer to the finishing harbor than our harbor and the first cell had mostly finished. Then, about 5 minutes later, the 2nd cell hit with steady winds of about 35-40 knots and gusts above 55. During the gusts, the rig started to shake and we quickly decided we need to drop the 150. We loosened the halyard and it wouldn't come down. My wife to be quickly crawled (of her own volition-she has more guts than almost anybody I know) to the bow pulpit and hauled the 150 down. We were still flying, passing another boat and watching our class leader motoring back minus most of his mast (strapped down on the other side of the boat). This poor guy also lost his outboard-didn't fasten it to his bracket very well. Thankfully, this cell passed after about 15 minutes and the weather calmed down and shifted the wind to the north as we made our southerly turn for the finish and allowed us to pop the chute for the last leg. We again finished 3rd. We did cut 3 hours off of our time in the 1993 race and 7 1/2 off of the 1992 race (drifter). Do I enjoy this kind of weather? No. It does give you a sense of accomplishment and the knowledge that you know what to do and what your boat can handle. Since, I have been caught once. 2001 Great Lake Race in my new boat, a C

 

[John]

Fun and survival

25 years ago on the Hobie 16' it was for fun. Harvisting the wind before a thunderstorm was part of the fun. Double trapez and balls to the wall! Now days on our Hunter 28.5. I was out 6 weeks ago with three of my teen age daughters, winds at 22-25 and gust to 29 mph. Main reefed, pulling a intertube, head sail 110, in total control. Just don't have that many weekends left with my kids. What a beautiful day it was!

 

[Sammy]

65 knots when the sky fell.

Twenty miles off the west coast of the Baja (Mexico) coast it was 2am after 30 hours of dull, rolly, motoring. My buddy was on watch and had started to put up the sails since the wind was finally tangible and building. I came on deck, sniffed, then stiffened. The wind smelled almost gammy from the land and the steadiness was all wrong. (later, per Cruiser Net - the Baja desert had heated up a huge column of air which then cooled and blasted out to sea)I stripped the sails and brought the storm jib to deck. Those 15 minutes let the wind build to over 40kts and was climbing still. A cruise liner, 15miles further out, turned it's stern to the blast and left us on a dark sea with white beards on the breaking 15 footers. It built and blew out in 9 hours (thankfully). The Coast Guard later told me by radio it was "..over 64kts", avoiding a "hurracaine" statement. My little 30 footer is full keeled and 16000lbs by William Gardner, a "Rawson 30". It rode the storm well with little attention to the helm (we exausted ourselves in the first 5 hours 'fighting' the blast) which was bungeed to leward. The experience has allowed me to enjoy and not fret over lesser storms - a very GOOD blessing! I'm now considering a Hunter 37 (1986 ) and am concerned if it would care so well for it's tired crew under similar conditions?And what's this about a CHopper-Gun hull?!?!Fair Winds or Good Lessons ;}captnsam@lycos.com

 

[Jack Lightstone]

Lake Champlain can turn mean very fast

About a dozen years ago my wife, two children and I were enjoying a beautiful hot and sunny day on Lake Champlain on the Cal T/2 (27 ft) that we sailed at the time. The weather predicted possible thunderstorms with heavy winds and hail late in the day. Well before "late in the day," the North west horizon went black. We were under full main and l30 headsail and turned back immediately to our marina. We were too late. We were within half a mile of the channel of our marina entrance when the storm hit. We only learned later from our marina neighbours that their knotmeter clocked winds of between 60 kts and 70 kts for the 40 minutes or so the storm lasted. Our strategy was NOT to attempt to land the boat. Nor did we trust getting the hook down in time, as we were only a quarter mile off the lee shore. In reality we had almost nowhere to go. The tactic which worked exquisitely was to get the jib down (it was a hanked on version then) and I simply pointed as high into the wind as I could under main alone, allowing the luff and the first 25% of the main to back wind slightly to depower the main. We managed to creep forward in this manner at about 1 knot, basically holding our position but maintaining some flow over the rudder and keel. The main did not flog at all.After the storm was over about 40 minutes later, the wind dropped to under 10 kts. I was exhausted and cold (having been pelted by hail during part of the storm) while veryone else stayed below. So we decided to drop the hook after the storm and lounge for an hour before landing the boat at our marina.In all forereaching or pinching under main alone was certainly the best option. Boats trying to land during the storm had a very bad time of it. A boat to my lee tried to broad reach under bare poles and could not manage to escape the lee shore. Its keel was torn out and the boat sank within 50 yards of shore. (All got off safely.) A boat just to windward of me, who tried to beat to windward with main and 110 headsail, was knocked flat serveral times; I do not know whether he/she sustained any damage.I would not want to repeat the experience. But it is nice to know that you and the boat can deal with it, should it happen, and emerge entirely unharmed. Next time, and there was one several years later. We did not even try to race the storm home. We would not have had a chance of beating the clock. Rather we spent the time we had getting into a position where we had a lot of room to leeward. We ran under bare poles--it posed no problem at all for the 20 minutes or so the storm lasted.

 

[Dick Strassburger]

Going backwards

Now you have to understand that Lake St. Clair (aka Motor City) is a "go fast" boat paradise. This shallow lake succumbs to monster waves from power boaters so don't even think about a nice leisurely downwind return home. I'm heading upwind in 16 knot breeze under a reefed main (with jib unfurled I'm buried in the water) and with the waves contrary to the wind thanks to the power boaters, I'm doing -1 knot over ground. Now how about that?

 

[Art Barnes]

Bad Blow

65 knots, got caught out many years ago in a real bad blow. Blew two hundred miles off coarse. Triple reefed withstorm jib till 60, then took it all downand let her fend for herself under bare poles! The boat did better than we did! Thought I was a gonner for good, but the boat knew otherwise. Best Regards, Art

 

[rob]

waterskiing anyone?

hmmmmmm......started off like any other sat. morn ,well.....at the dock anyway.very calm, although i knew i could expect much more out past the breakwater.left on the ol 5 hp nissan ,main up full ,soon as i felt over 5 knots the 135 genoa got cranked(cranked?unless in a hurricane i usually just yank it out buy hand)about a 1000 feet from the breakwater,i had it heeled over at the perfect angle in about 20-22-knot wind,and ive got a big smile on!Yeah!...I fix my rudder temp like ,jump down and whip up a drink and grab a smoke(yeah only that long)The mac starts turning really fast and is heeled over about 30 deg now.Im thinkin my g- friend is just playing,so i am laughing.I jump up in the cockpit, and shes looking white.Being all manly I just pull em tight and go Woo Woo! thinking waterskis would be cool!45 knot gust hits me while im on the low side dealing with things,and low and behold.......I can see my keel.the bottom ...bout 2 feet under the water,oh ya know what?when the keel on the mac is two feet under water,guess where the rudder is......not very wet!Ehaaaaaaaaa........around i go!Im like ok.thats enough!!!!!Reefed the main,rolled the genoa up till i had a fat corner out,and turned around...with very little sail in the wind I still was heeled 25-30 deg leaving a nice wake almost all the way to my dock.I wasnt really scared(see very concerned)But i never sailed faster in my life.......never befor absolutely had to steer with my sails,nor ever scared my g-friend so bad that I knew I wasnt getting laid for prolly a week.But ya know what?.........it was a blast!!........I do however think its time for a bigger(heavier?)boat!Ah hell,I need the room anyway.......Have fun everybody.......see ya at catalina! Ill be the guy with the girls hands around my throat!.....Peace

 

[Mike]

Maiden voyage

I bought my O'day 23 two years ago in the fall when she was on the hard. The next spring, I needed to sail her about fifty miles to her new home port. I arranged for two crew, but the night before we were to leave, vicious thunderstorms and possibly tornados ripped through our area causing much damage, including bringing down a huge tree in my front yard that missed my house by about five feet. The next day, it was sunny, but still blowing about 25 knots. We had to get the boat out of where she was as they were going to charge me $50/day for dockage; my crew had been arranged a month previously and would not be available again so soon.We went out with a 100% jib and reefed mainsail. Seas were three-four feet with whitecaps and we had the rail buried for the first ten miles. It was a little unnerving, but we were too busy to get very scared. We considered turning back, but only for a few moments. Perhaps most annoying was that the centerboard had jammed and we could not lower it at all. Still, we had less trouble than I thought holding our course. About a third of the way through the trip, the wind abated a bit and seas calmed somewhat and we had glorious sailing. For the last five or eight miles of the trip, the wind died to about 5 knots and we had to fire up the outboard to make our destination before dark. I learned that both the boat and I can take those conditions although not comfortably.

 

[Mel]

Boat takes more than I can

Boat takes more than I do… My wife

 

[Ken King]

Very helpful article!

The article "Lake Champlain can turn mean very fast" was very educational. I am always looking for a good strategy to follow if caught by a high wind. My Oday 222 has a fiberglass swing keel inside a fixed lead keel, so is less stable than larger fixed keel boats, and I usually sail single handed, as was the case on a day I was caught racing a storm to my harbor. Just as I was about to lower the main, the wind hit. The strong wind pulled my reefed jib out over half way because it has no reefing rod. As a result, there was so much force on the jib that I was unable to change tack, and was being blown into the rocks of the jetty that shields our marina. I had to do something fast, and reluctantly decided to jibe. It wasn't what you would call "controlled", but nothing broke, and I headed back out on the lake on a broad reach with my main luffing enough to keep me reasonably comfortable, and my jib reefed as much as I could. I could see light through the storm, and by the time I reached the other side of the lake, I was in lighter winds.

 

[William vonRoseberg II]

Saginaw Bay

A friend and I were on the Saginaw Bay about 2.5 miles N of Channel Island. We were sailing a 1975 O Day Mariner C/B.It was really rough. It was in late November so it was cold. A storm came up and the winds were at about 20knts.The waves were about 4-6 feet. All of a sudden a very large wave, I would estimate about 7.5 feet came and hit the starboard side of the boat. I thought we were going over! The boat rolled on her side and plopped back up again. I was amazed. I now have more faith in my O Day Mariner!

 

[Paul Di Mauro]

Easy over

I have a Capri 18 (fixer keel, 1600 pounds of boat weight) and sail on the Potomac River, near National Airport, in view of the Washington Memorial and the Captical Dome. Its a nice place to sail you only need to watch for your water depth and occasionally a power boat. I left the marina with my sailing friend John at 11:00 AM for a few hour of sailing. The weather report told us of an approaching cold front latter that evening. We felt we had time to sail before the front came through. Once we were in the main chanel of the river we has winds 4 to 5 knotts blowing steadly. Good sailing. On the Potomac one has to come about often or you will run aground. We were doing that every 10 mineuts or so making headway up river. We were only on a 10 degree heel as we sailed. On one turn we were hit with a wind so hard that we were taking water into the cockpit. Once we wer out of that we noticed the wind had picked up. We were moving along at a good clip but it was just great.The picture changed quickly when the clamp holding the aft rigging broke and the main fell forward. I was on the tiller and made a lucky catch of the rigging cable as it went by me. I called to John and he came over to help hold the cable. I moved the boat directly into the wind to take some pressure off the mail. While I held he steady John took a spare U connector out of the tool box and reconnected the rigging. The reconnect took aboyt 10 mineuts and I was running out of water very quickly. We were happy that we could reconnect in enough time to turn about and not run aground.We felt good about that day and we have gone sailing before cold fronts since.

 

[Jim Johnston]

17 Feet, 80 knots

In the spring of 1961 I set sail from Redwood City Yacht Club headed to San Francisco Bay. A relatively short distance. I was in my Father's 17' Picnic Sloop. I noticed the storm warning flying from the clubhouse but it was a warm day (for San Francisco) and I set out with two friends. The wind was reported to have reached 80kts but I suspect that in Gunsight Slew where we were it only reached 50. Anyway, the boat was designed to plane with only a 10 horse motor and although we didn't have a motor on we definately planed. We stopped planing when we hit the waves on the bay. The boat carried a nylon jib and dacron Main. It had roler furling on both the main and jib. In those days the main rolled up around the boom. The more you reefed the funnier shape the main got. After lots of time we got a small main by running the boom 1/3 the way up the mast so it would clear the cabin. We let out a very small jib and sailed about two hours to make it back to the club. The point of this story is that if you don't give in to fear, sailboats can take a lot more wind that even most owners believe. One more thing I learned. Don't go sailing when the little red flags fly.

 

[Scott Jones]

Big Blow

The strongest I've been in so far was 20 . I was in the Cheasepeke bay. The winds were northerly, around 17 or so.I was sailing along quite well. I thought I might push the boat a little, to see who far I could get the rail in the water. So hardened the sails. Thats when the gust came. As I looked at the gunwhale, I saw water up to the cabin.A little fear set in. I headed up into then wind. Basically while ducking under the tiller. When it was over and I assessed that the rigging was in tacked as well as my self. I felt proud of my 21 year old catalina 30.I was glad that my daughter wasn't aboard. I'm a little more cautious about how much wind i play around in.A little trivia: A catalina 30 with standard main and head sail has a maximum of 450 horse power.Thats more than most pleasure power boats. Scott Jones s/v December

 

[Nigel Wathen]

Force 11

Off the Carolinas in '92, sailing a 55' Camper

 

[Steve Hecht]

Yikes!

In an az Yacht club regatta a while backwhen the winds went from almost calm to 30 to 40 mph. My boat sailed on the side of the hull mostly, but with a second reef point in the main and a [what I use as a storm jib[ < 50%]hanked on the forestay ,I could still make progress to windward.

 

[Mike Purviance]

OPSail 2000

I single handed my 26X from West River to Salt Pond near Norfolk Virginia for OPSAIL 2000. the first day it was calm, but by noon on the second it was blowing 25 - 30 steady. I pulled everything down and motored to Salt Pond, arriving soaked to the skin about 5 Pm. The only problem I had was the wind was out of the east. That made for following seas and the boat was a little squirrelly. It took a strong arm and quick thinking all the time to keep her from broaching. Other then that a great trip. I skippered a Oceanis 320 in a force 7 Meltemi in Turkey and a 55 foot ferrocement ketch off of Los Angeles during a Santa Ana. During the Santa Ana, I discovered the reason to put check valves overboard drains. Great fun and we saved the boat too.