Transiting boat in heavy wind

[Hayden Watson]

When you need to move the boat and the wind is heavy (20+) what is your preferred method? I talking about getting from A to B not just sailing for the enjoyment? Do you motor, sail, motor sail, main only, jib only? Inquiring minds want to know.

I have a preferred technique but am curious about what others do.

 

[Davidasailor26]

Decision probably depends on which direction the wind is coming from. 20+ kts from the direction you want to get is probably time to motor. Depending on seas maybe motor sail for stability. Downwind or reaching it sounds like a fun sail, probably close to hull speed so no need to motor.

 

[Hayden Watson]

For discussion upwind at 20+ down wind at 30+.

 

[Gene Neill]

Same answer, less canvas, and more inclination to wait for better weather.

 

[jssailem]

Recently I had to cross the Strait Juan d Fuca Victoria to Port Angeles. Wind and waves were at 90 degrees 15-18 and 3-4 ft swell with some chop. I chose to motor and use the 100%jib. This gave me a stable ride and ease at control of the ride over the swells.

 

[Hayden Watson]

I found a great way to get to windward in heavy air quite by accident. I was on a cruise to Princess Louisa Inlet and needed to get back for work. Coming out of Pender Harbor into the Strait of Georgia heading for Secret Cove we were faced with 35 knots of wind from the SSW which put it about 30º of the starboard bow. The swell was steep and we were only able to make about 1.5 knots at full throttle. We would rise on every wave and slam off the top which would almost bring us to a stop. I told my wife that we would either need to put out some jib to get enough power or turn back and wait for the wind to subside. We ended up unrolling the jib about 6’ and sheeted in hard. I added just a bit of the lazy sheet to pull the sail a bit closer to the centerline and once it filled our speed went from 1.5 to 7 knots. The ride smoothed out greatly because now we were cutting through the waves instead of being lifted over them and falling off the back. The ride was so much better that my daughter went into the vee birth and took a nap. Now whenever I am faced with motoring into wind I always let out a bit of jib and let it power me through the chop.

 

[uncledom]

A sailboat without any canvas up is the most miserable ride one can get. Each boat is different and if it's dead on the nose it doesn't really matter but I find that a piece of jib is an excellent ride in my boat also. I'm carrying full sail at 20 but higher than that and I start to reef both sails. They both furl. Over 20 is the one time I take a trip to the mast, there is a small lever on the Selden furler that allows it to furl in but not out. Once in ratchet mode if the furling line slips the sail can not furl out as the system will only turn one way.

 

[Hayden Watson]

In the 30+ knot upwind conditions I described above the bit of jib motor sailing still paid huge dividends even with the wind right on the nose. in those conditions my tacking angle is about 60º instead of my normal 90º-100º. without sail speed was 1.5 knots with sail it was 7 knots. Doing the math VMG at 30º off the wind is 6 knots vs 1.5 knots so my progress is 4 times better by tacking and the ride is much better.

 

[jssailem]

Riding smoothly over the swell is always more preferable to trying to plow over and through it.
Great discover Hayden. The daughter napping in the V-Berth is just too much.

 

[Hayden Watson]

I was amazed at the difference. with the extra power we cut through he waves instead of rising up over the top and falling off the back. I was in a flotilla of 5 sailboats all 28' to 32'. I saw a Hunter 30 next to me where I could see the stub of her keel at the top of the waves. The pounding was horrific. after I let out the 6' of jib everything so much better. I radioed to the others in our group to tell them how to cope but all of the Admirals overruled that suggestion. We also had a 42' American Tug in our group and he was showing the wind at 30 - 35 knots true on his instruments. It was about 7 N miles between ports and I arrived before the tug had finished tying up his lines. The rest of the fleet came in after I had tied up, gone to the office to pay for the night, bought a nice bottle of BC wine and eat lunch. They were probably 45 minutes behind me and were completely wiped out.

 

[Hayden Watson]

Riding smoothly over the swell is always more preferable to trying to plow over and through it.
Great discover Hayden. The daughter napping in the V-Berth is just too much.

She was a teenager, they can sleep anywhere!

 

[Johnb]

Better sailors than me have turned their cutters into sloops, but when it is screaming I sail on staysail and double reefed main, tucked in behind the dodger. That makes the HC 37 very easy to manage as it is fully self tending and sails upwind well in that configuration.
One time I sailed my old Clipper Marine 23 from Port Chicago to Decker Island downwind on jib alone and we were planing down the front of the waves for the first 8 miles. Sheer terror, but it only lasted an hour. That was the day I was converted from an outboard man to an inboard man. The H C37 powers serenely through worse conditions.

 

[Hayden Watson]

If I had wanted to sail on this particular day I would also have put in a double reef and about 60% of the 135% genoa. Given that I was in the Straight of Georgia and a long way from much of anything my wife wasn't happy about the idea of anyone leaving the cockpit. Rolling out the bit of jib was done from the security of the cockpit with no stress.
The heaviest wind I have sailed in was 55 knots on Lake Coure d'Alene in Idaho. I was going from a sheltered marina to Beauty Bay which is a "hurricane hole" where it is calm on the windiest days. I let out a bit of jib going down wind and a double reef main only coming back up wind. I had two people on board who had never been sailing before and all enjoyed the trip.