THIS PAST WEEKEND ON THE LONG ISLAND SOUND THE WIND GUSTED FROM 8 TO 20 KNOTS IN 3 TO 4 SECONDS. THE QUESTION IS? I WAS ON A CLOSE REACH WITH FULL MAIN AND 150% GENOA. NOT BEING A SEASONED SAILER I IMMEDIATELY WENT TO RIGHT THE BOAT BY TURNING TO WINDWARD, BUT HAVING TO PASS THROUGH THE CLOSE HAULED ANGLE FIRST IT MADE THE BOAT HEEL EVEN MORE. DO YOU GO TO WINDWARD IN THIS SITUATION OR GO TO A BEAM REACH TO KEEP THE BOAT ON A FLATTER PLANE.I WAS ON THE BOAT ALONE AND DID NOT HAVE THE TIME TO ADJUST THE MAIN ETC. I STILL GET NERVOUS WHEN THE RAILS ARE ALMOST IN THE WATER. THANK YOU
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Ray Mack
Get on your feet....
310, Actually in this situation I'd let the mainsheet out, this would allow the hull to regain her feet. the boom vang should also be tightened to keep the main flat and in good trim. the front of the main will backwind a bit but you'll be on your feet, running faster with less weather helm and less white knuckles. Good sailing to you>>>> Ray Mack
310, Actually in this situation I'd let the mainsheet out, this would allow the hull to regain her feet. the boom vang should also be tightened to keep the main flat and in good trim. the front of the main will backwind a bit but you'll be on your feet, running faster with less weather helm and less white knuckles. Good sailing to you>>>> Ray Mack
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Jim Ewing
Ride it out
The "additional" heel angle as you headed up was due to the momentum from turning sharply into the wind. Just like your car leaning in a turn. These turns are made more severe by most boats' natural tendency toward a weather helm. What I do is to turn away from the wind in the puffs to hold course and ride out the brief additional heel. It is actually less heel than you get by turning into the wind and you don't have to put up with all the noise when the sails start luffing. As the boat heels it spills air off the top of the sails and you'll get into a new groove. Then, as Ray posted, you adjust your sheets for the new wind conditions. Jim "Prospect"
The "additional" heel angle as you headed up was due to the momentum from turning sharply into the wind. Just like your car leaning in a turn. These turns are made more severe by most boats' natural tendency toward a weather helm. What I do is to turn away from the wind in the puffs to hold course and ride out the brief additional heel. It is actually less heel than you get by turning into the wind and you don't have to put up with all the noise when the sails start luffing. As the boat heels it spills air off the top of the sails and you'll get into a new groove. Then, as Ray posted, you adjust your sheets for the new wind conditions. Jim "Prospect"
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Scott B
Gusty Winds
Our current boat is on a lake and quite often we get gusty winds just like you describe. Usually there is no time to adjust the main or the sails (We sail on an 86 Hunter 31). What I have found in winds like this the best thing to do is watch the water. Try to figure out if the gust is a "header" or not. Once you figure out on a typical gust whether the wind changes direction forcing you to head up or down you can prepare yourself for the next gust and kind of "feather" yourself into the gust just prior to it arriving. Then just ride it out, keeping your momentum and avoiding rounding up which can be the worst of all situations. Hope this helps.. and enjoy!!
Our current boat is on a lake and quite often we get gusty winds just like you describe. Usually there is no time to adjust the main or the sails (We sail on an 86 Hunter 31). What I have found in winds like this the best thing to do is watch the water. Try to figure out if the gust is a "header" or not. Once you figure out on a typical gust whether the wind changes direction forcing you to head up or down you can prepare yourself for the next gust and kind of "feather" yourself into the gust just prior to it arriving. Then just ride it out, keeping your momentum and avoiding rounding up which can be the worst of all situations. Hope this helps.. and enjoy!!
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Jim McCue
heavy winds and furlers
See my comment on furlers, I know exactly what you mean.. I sail down Barnegat Bay and it gets blowing rather quckly. I've usually just dug in, heeled over and tried gently to take the added speed and round up slightly to bite less wind but with a 150 jib thats a lot of fabric to accommodate.
See my comment on furlers, I know exactly what you mean.. I sail down Barnegat Bay and it gets blowing rather quckly. I've usually just dug in, heeled over and tried gently to take the added speed and round up slightly to bite less wind but with a 150 jib thats a lot of fabric to accommodate.
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Herb Gardner
Standard Procedure for wind gusts in flat water
When hit by a serious gust in relatively calm water, with a clear sea in which to manouver, your best bet is to ease sheets and run off. This will blanket the jib somewhat and it can be rolled to a convenient size. When you have gained control, work toward the wind until you can reef the main. I was caught in Long Island Sound in late summer, 1998, with even less sail up. We could not run off because a large petroleum was to leeward. Be easing sheets we were immediately righted and were able to reduce sail accordingly.
When hit by a serious gust in relatively calm water, with a clear sea in which to manouver, your best bet is to ease sheets and run off. This will blanket the jib somewhat and it can be rolled to a convenient size. When you have gained control, work toward the wind until you can reef the main. I was caught in Long Island Sound in late summer, 1998, with even less sail up. We could not run off because a large petroleum was to leeward. Be easing sheets we were immediately righted and were able to reduce sail accordingly.
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Alex Pascu
It's not that simple..
Owning a 29.5 , I know what you mean.. None of the replys so far deal with the specific to new Hunters problem related to this issue, the very angled back spreaders and shrouds. While reaching , even close reaching, your mainsail already start leaning on the spreaders , preventing you to fully let the mainsheet , in order to spill the extra wind power.No such problem with all other standard rig configuration , for which the previous replys work much better. As it is ,you might end up turning to windward anyhow ( in strong gust the boat will do that regardless what the rudder does..), with the very unpleasant associated heeling. The best option is to reef the main early, which anlike many other boats, is by far the biggest(if you have the fully batten roachy one of the past 5 years Hunters).
Owning a 29.5 , I know what you mean.. None of the replys so far deal with the specific to new Hunters problem related to this issue, the very angled back spreaders and shrouds. While reaching , even close reaching, your mainsail already start leaning on the spreaders , preventing you to fully let the mainsheet , in order to spill the extra wind power.No such problem with all other standard rig configuration , for which the previous replys work much better. As it is ,you might end up turning to windward anyhow ( in strong gust the boat will do that regardless what the rudder does..), with the very unpleasant associated heeling. The best option is to reef the main early, which anlike many other boats, is by far the biggest(if you have the fully batten roachy one of the past 5 years Hunters).
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