yesterday we where crossing chaleur bay in canada between bonaventure quebec and bathurst new brunswick, all day the wind was 4 to six knot pushing the boat at 2 to 3 knot, we had a 150 genoa and a full main, all of a sudden the wind started flutering and the sky darkened behind us, i raced to replace the 150 with the storm jib, then proceded to take 2 reef in my main sail, i was almost done taking the second reef when it hit us, the wind meter started beeping and we rail the boat up to the spreader, i got every one inside except me, the wind was to strong to sail against so i turned to have it in the stern, the whole 15 minute it lasted the boat was doing in excess of 9 knots! mind you i only have a small 23 foot san juan, and only had a small portion of the main on with 2 reef and a small storm jib, the experience was a real fun time for me, not so much for my passenger! when it was all over checking the max speed turned to be 9.6 knot on the gps! and to my surprise 24.9 knots on the knots meter! i guess when we got knock down the wind cougth the padle wheel on the knot meter. wow! and after the storm there was a few waves but not much more wind then before, i guess i got hit by a small concentrated burts of wheater, what a squall!
lesson learned, keep watching the wheater and be ready to reduce sail when the sky darken's
fair winds and full sails!
lesson learned, keep watching the wheater and be ready to reduce sail when the sky darken's
fair winds and full sails!