06-08-2006, 12:09 AM
The wind smell is different and itâs backing around, with increasing strength. A long, dark patch of threatening sky is approaching. The temperature, noticeably cooler, has your mate crawling about the cabin, looking for a jacket. An unexpected breaker slaps the stern, hard enough to concern you; the weather has begun to turn nasty. Youâre had a fine day, likely lost track of how far youâve sailed. The shore is too distant to make a run for it, before the worst of it over takes you.
Thinking about this many times since you launched on a first sail, youâve been fortunate to avoid what you may have only read about, heavy weather.
Most casual sailors find 25 knots of wind heavy air. In the boats we take our sails in, 25 knots can easily make a rough ride. What are our choices? Is there a plan of attack? How do I get back to the boat ramp, with only a damaged pride?
Sailing small craft in the nasty stuff requires a different mindset and special tactics. The formerly enjoyable outing, will now be taking on a more serious tone and justly so. Day boats, mostly relying in a large part on âliveâ ballast for stability and sailing comfort, can capsize, break equipment and gear, plus the real possibility of someone getting hurt, when the weather gets beyond what the boat can tolerate.
Personally, Iâve snapped several masts, ripped cleats out with bits of deck still attached, torn off companionway hatches, broken booms, gaffs, stoved in ports and generally bashed up a number of boats. Many of these were mine, a few during deliveries and a couple of my friends have had their patience tested. Iâve busted up some boats in my day. To qualify all this mayhem, Iâve been sailing for a long time, actively fleet racing over forty years ago. In the uncounted tens of thousands of miles I have logged under boat keels, I may have banged up a few yachts. As a young man I was as reckless as most, possibly more so, but very early in adulthood I experienced a terrorizing ride in a hurricane battered boat. We almost lost the boat, more then once and a crewmember, permanently disfigured was a childhood friend. I gained respect that weekend and was particularly impressed with the skipper and crew response to the different situations.
Okay, the weather has gone south, whatâs next. Access your position and prepare your crew and boat. Look around for a piece of land you can hide behind, from the wind and wave. This is a âwindward shoreâ and a might touch of relaxation can be found in a sheltered strip of soil. Youâve been out sailing before; you know what happens when the trees, hills, buildings and land get between the boat and the wind. The waves are calm, the wind reduced and a squall can be ridden out comfortably.
No shelter, well youâll have to ride her out then. Get those PFDâs on. Yes, thereâre cumbersome, they chaff, are not terribly stylish and make you look fat. Once in the water, theyâre your best friend and you will name your next child after it, if you have to spend some time floating farther from shore then you care swim. In a boat bigger then a daysailer, you should wear a tether (harness with double-ended lanyard). Then youâll need to rig up some jack lines so you can clip on if on deck.
Get the reef in now while you can. Itâs easy to shake out a reef and a difficult job to put one in if youâve waited too long. This is especially true with gaff rigs. With the reef(s) in, the boat will be more comfortable and itâs time to get things tidied up. Stow all loose gear. Lock down all hatches, lockers, etc. Any loose item above or below will become air born if the ride gets wild. A battery can go right through a side plank, if it breaks loose. A hardback book can seriously injure a crewmember if the boat pitches just right. Donât just place it in a Tupperware box and toss it in a locker, dog it down. Wedging extra sails or cushions, etc., in and around these loose objects can help.
Get your anchor handy. Tie the rode (anchor line) to the bit or a cleat and have it in a cockpit locker or lazarette, you may need it in a hurry and donât want to be fumbling around in the forepeak or on the foredeck. Iâve seen anchors break loose from their sprit or bow chock, swing around and hole the boat in storms.
Now is a good time to check all your running rigging (sheets, halyards and other control lines). Make sure these lines have fair leads and will not foul.
Turn on your navigations lights.
Call someone. Use a cell phone if you can and say, âHi dad, this is Fred, Wilma and I am on lake such and such. Weâve run into a patch of nasty weather. Nothing we canât handle, but just wanted some one to know we might be late for dinner. We should make the launch ramp by X oâclock.â If you have a radio, advise the locals where you are (a GPS fix would be nice) and tell them whatâs up. Then leave your radio on (if you can) so they can keep in touch.
Your boat, reefed and dogged down is ready.
Decide where you want to go. A direct route to home may not be the best course, but in that, general direction is probably wise. If this is into the wind then sail not quite as high as you can. Sailing fuller will permit you the power to smash through the chop and heeling will be less. Heavy weather is difficult on the person at the helm. The helmsman generally determines the amount of canvas to carry, especially up wind. Ease your sheets in the gusts. This is better then round up and pinching. Pinching can ease the helm and heeling, but the boat will want to round up naturally in a gust. You can easily get caught with wind shift, just as you head up, producing flogging sails and a boat that is nearly out of control. Easing the sheets will release pressure on the helm and heel angle, and keep the boat moving, under control.
Most of the time you can see the wind gusts coming. Darker patches of water or wave trains will march toward the boat with these gusts. There size can be a good indication of how long the gust will last. Round up a touch as you get to the crest of a wave. Then sail away as you slide down the back of the wave. This will keep your stern from squatting or falling into a trough.
Sailing down wind itâs much more difficult to determine wind strength. This is particularly true in gusts. Itâs easy to get lulled with too much sail area up, when sailing down wind. Carry no more sail then you would if sailing close hauled. Down wind, there are tremendous loads placed on the boat, rig and the gear (especially steering), but it feels calmer and easier on the boat. Donât be fooled, itâs not. Try to take the waves on the quarter.
Small Craft Wind advisory warnings are issued in wind strengths of 20 to 33 knots, so donât feel bad; itâs supposed to be rough out there.
If youâve had enough of a beating and you still feel like youâre on the edge of control, you may want to heave to. The boat will skid sideways, sort of, and the motion is surprisingly comfortable, compared to getting you dental work tested as you try to make way against the wind and waves.
Each boat behaves differently when hove to, but Iâve never seen one that couldnât with some practice and sail trim. Set the boat up on a close hauled course and restrain the jib from flopping over when the boat tacks. On a loose footed jib, this means donât release the leeward sheet during the tack. On a boomed jib, you will need a preventer to keep the jib âbackedâ. Then tack the boat. The jib will want to go to the other side, but canât because itâs backed. It will fill with air on the new tack, but it will be catching wind like a baseball glove, rather then flowing through it like an airplane wing. This kills the drive to the mainsail and the boat slows to a crawl. Now put down the helm and lash it there. The rudder should be facing the wind, hard over. What happens is the rudder turns the boat up into the wind, the jib fills and the boat makes some way (about a knot or two). The rudder is trying to turn the boat up into the wind, but the jib will not let it get there before it stalls the mainsail and causes the bow to get blown away from the wind. The resulting motion causes a skidding, slow, repeating scalloped shaped course as the boat rounds up, skids sideways then rounds up again. This produces a âslickâ of flattened water, just to windward of the boat, so the ride is comfortable, not every other wave is swamping the boat and the gear isnât being torn up. You usually have to adjust the mainsail to get it working nicely, but itâs easy once you had some practice. Try it on a 10 to 15 knot day.
Another option is to run before the storm. I donât recommend this in small boat, because itâs too easy to be boarded by a breaking wave and swamp the boat. In this condition, the boat will be lifted by a following sea and tossed around, like a cork in the Golly Green Giantâs bathtub. This is typically done under bare poles or with storm sails and can be quite a wild ride, requiring all the skill the helmsman has, who will wear out quickly from the effort.
You can also âlie a hullâ which is just letting the boat find is own way, with the sails down or removed and the helm lashed on the centerline. Most boats will jump around a lot, but will remain upright, if left to its own devices. Many a skipper and crew has abandoned a boat, climbed into a life raft, hopefully rescued, just to find their boat was found, afloat and mostly undamaged (if at all). This is because the boat wasnât fighting the sea and kind of went with the flow of things. In this state, the gear isnât being overly stressed and the boat will adopt whatever position necessary as the conditions present themselves, taking the least path of resistance.
I wouldnât recommend a sea anchor or drogue for small craft either. In a lake or river, the anchor or drogue could easily rip a cleat out of a small boat. A rig hefty enough to prevent this, will likely twist up and become useless quickly. Deploying and retrieving one in a storm is also an issue. Catching an underwater object in shallow water is another issue.
Towing warps (lines tossed over the side, but cleated to the stern or bow) will not slow the boat much, but will provide directional control, keeping the boatâs bow or stern into the wind.
Control is the key; you have to have some level of it. This means maintaining enough speed to have positive steering all the time or slowing down sufficiently under bare poles, with warps to keep the stern under control.
After the storm, get dry cloths on. Check for damage and leaks. Inspect the rig and shake out the reefs. Bail the boat and think about what just happened while itâs fresh in your mind. Write down your thoughts if possible. What did you do correctly, what you didnât, what you will do differently the next time? Is there any equipment that needs upgrading or would be desirable for these events? Is there new light on safety gear? Are there any skills that need practice, tactics to employ?
A good scare is great medicine for the sailor. We donât learn much from a gentle afternoon sail, on a clam day, no more then a race car driver learns in his Chevy on the interstate. Push that race car up to 200 MPH or the sailboat through a storm and both learn plenty. Practice your tactics and learn how your boat handles, so when the time comes, you know what to do, how to do it and how the boat will respond.
Thinking about this many times since you launched on a first sail, youâve been fortunate to avoid what you may have only read about, heavy weather.
Most casual sailors find 25 knots of wind heavy air. In the boats we take our sails in, 25 knots can easily make a rough ride. What are our choices? Is there a plan of attack? How do I get back to the boat ramp, with only a damaged pride?
Sailing small craft in the nasty stuff requires a different mindset and special tactics. The formerly enjoyable outing, will now be taking on a more serious tone and justly so. Day boats, mostly relying in a large part on âliveâ ballast for stability and sailing comfort, can capsize, break equipment and gear, plus the real possibility of someone getting hurt, when the weather gets beyond what the boat can tolerate.
Personally, Iâve snapped several masts, ripped cleats out with bits of deck still attached, torn off companionway hatches, broken booms, gaffs, stoved in ports and generally bashed up a number of boats. Many of these were mine, a few during deliveries and a couple of my friends have had their patience tested. Iâve busted up some boats in my day. To qualify all this mayhem, Iâve been sailing for a long time, actively fleet racing over forty years ago. In the uncounted tens of thousands of miles I have logged under boat keels, I may have banged up a few yachts. As a young man I was as reckless as most, possibly more so, but very early in adulthood I experienced a terrorizing ride in a hurricane battered boat. We almost lost the boat, more then once and a crewmember, permanently disfigured was a childhood friend. I gained respect that weekend and was particularly impressed with the skipper and crew response to the different situations.
Okay, the weather has gone south, whatâs next. Access your position and prepare your crew and boat. Look around for a piece of land you can hide behind, from the wind and wave. This is a âwindward shoreâ and a might touch of relaxation can be found in a sheltered strip of soil. Youâve been out sailing before; you know what happens when the trees, hills, buildings and land get between the boat and the wind. The waves are calm, the wind reduced and a squall can be ridden out comfortably.
No shelter, well youâll have to ride her out then. Get those PFDâs on. Yes, thereâre cumbersome, they chaff, are not terribly stylish and make you look fat. Once in the water, theyâre your best friend and you will name your next child after it, if you have to spend some time floating farther from shore then you care swim. In a boat bigger then a daysailer, you should wear a tether (harness with double-ended lanyard). Then youâll need to rig up some jack lines so you can clip on if on deck.
Get the reef in now while you can. Itâs easy to shake out a reef and a difficult job to put one in if youâve waited too long. This is especially true with gaff rigs. With the reef(s) in, the boat will be more comfortable and itâs time to get things tidied up. Stow all loose gear. Lock down all hatches, lockers, etc. Any loose item above or below will become air born if the ride gets wild. A battery can go right through a side plank, if it breaks loose. A hardback book can seriously injure a crewmember if the boat pitches just right. Donât just place it in a Tupperware box and toss it in a locker, dog it down. Wedging extra sails or cushions, etc., in and around these loose objects can help.
Get your anchor handy. Tie the rode (anchor line) to the bit or a cleat and have it in a cockpit locker or lazarette, you may need it in a hurry and donât want to be fumbling around in the forepeak or on the foredeck. Iâve seen anchors break loose from their sprit or bow chock, swing around and hole the boat in storms.
Now is a good time to check all your running rigging (sheets, halyards and other control lines). Make sure these lines have fair leads and will not foul.
Turn on your navigations lights.
Call someone. Use a cell phone if you can and say, âHi dad, this is Fred, Wilma and I am on lake such and such. Weâve run into a patch of nasty weather. Nothing we canât handle, but just wanted some one to know we might be late for dinner. We should make the launch ramp by X oâclock.â If you have a radio, advise the locals where you are (a GPS fix would be nice) and tell them whatâs up. Then leave your radio on (if you can) so they can keep in touch.
Your boat, reefed and dogged down is ready.
Decide where you want to go. A direct route to home may not be the best course, but in that, general direction is probably wise. If this is into the wind then sail not quite as high as you can. Sailing fuller will permit you the power to smash through the chop and heeling will be less. Heavy weather is difficult on the person at the helm. The helmsman generally determines the amount of canvas to carry, especially up wind. Ease your sheets in the gusts. This is better then round up and pinching. Pinching can ease the helm and heeling, but the boat will want to round up naturally in a gust. You can easily get caught with wind shift, just as you head up, producing flogging sails and a boat that is nearly out of control. Easing the sheets will release pressure on the helm and heel angle, and keep the boat moving, under control.
Most of the time you can see the wind gusts coming. Darker patches of water or wave trains will march toward the boat with these gusts. There size can be a good indication of how long the gust will last. Round up a touch as you get to the crest of a wave. Then sail away as you slide down the back of the wave. This will keep your stern from squatting or falling into a trough.
Sailing down wind itâs much more difficult to determine wind strength. This is particularly true in gusts. Itâs easy to get lulled with too much sail area up, when sailing down wind. Carry no more sail then you would if sailing close hauled. Down wind, there are tremendous loads placed on the boat, rig and the gear (especially steering), but it feels calmer and easier on the boat. Donât be fooled, itâs not. Try to take the waves on the quarter.
Small Craft Wind advisory warnings are issued in wind strengths of 20 to 33 knots, so donât feel bad; itâs supposed to be rough out there.
If youâve had enough of a beating and you still feel like youâre on the edge of control, you may want to heave to. The boat will skid sideways, sort of, and the motion is surprisingly comfortable, compared to getting you dental work tested as you try to make way against the wind and waves.
Each boat behaves differently when hove to, but Iâve never seen one that couldnât with some practice and sail trim. Set the boat up on a close hauled course and restrain the jib from flopping over when the boat tacks. On a loose footed jib, this means donât release the leeward sheet during the tack. On a boomed jib, you will need a preventer to keep the jib âbackedâ. Then tack the boat. The jib will want to go to the other side, but canât because itâs backed. It will fill with air on the new tack, but it will be catching wind like a baseball glove, rather then flowing through it like an airplane wing. This kills the drive to the mainsail and the boat slows to a crawl. Now put down the helm and lash it there. The rudder should be facing the wind, hard over. What happens is the rudder turns the boat up into the wind, the jib fills and the boat makes some way (about a knot or two). The rudder is trying to turn the boat up into the wind, but the jib will not let it get there before it stalls the mainsail and causes the bow to get blown away from the wind. The resulting motion causes a skidding, slow, repeating scalloped shaped course as the boat rounds up, skids sideways then rounds up again. This produces a âslickâ of flattened water, just to windward of the boat, so the ride is comfortable, not every other wave is swamping the boat and the gear isnât being torn up. You usually have to adjust the mainsail to get it working nicely, but itâs easy once you had some practice. Try it on a 10 to 15 knot day.
Another option is to run before the storm. I donât recommend this in small boat, because itâs too easy to be boarded by a breaking wave and swamp the boat. In this condition, the boat will be lifted by a following sea and tossed around, like a cork in the Golly Green Giantâs bathtub. This is typically done under bare poles or with storm sails and can be quite a wild ride, requiring all the skill the helmsman has, who will wear out quickly from the effort.
You can also âlie a hullâ which is just letting the boat find is own way, with the sails down or removed and the helm lashed on the centerline. Most boats will jump around a lot, but will remain upright, if left to its own devices. Many a skipper and crew has abandoned a boat, climbed into a life raft, hopefully rescued, just to find their boat was found, afloat and mostly undamaged (if at all). This is because the boat wasnât fighting the sea and kind of went with the flow of things. In this state, the gear isnât being overly stressed and the boat will adopt whatever position necessary as the conditions present themselves, taking the least path of resistance.
I wouldnât recommend a sea anchor or drogue for small craft either. In a lake or river, the anchor or drogue could easily rip a cleat out of a small boat. A rig hefty enough to prevent this, will likely twist up and become useless quickly. Deploying and retrieving one in a storm is also an issue. Catching an underwater object in shallow water is another issue.
Towing warps (lines tossed over the side, but cleated to the stern or bow) will not slow the boat much, but will provide directional control, keeping the boatâs bow or stern into the wind.
Control is the key; you have to have some level of it. This means maintaining enough speed to have positive steering all the time or slowing down sufficiently under bare poles, with warps to keep the stern under control.
After the storm, get dry cloths on. Check for damage and leaks. Inspect the rig and shake out the reefs. Bail the boat and think about what just happened while itâs fresh in your mind. Write down your thoughts if possible. What did you do correctly, what you didnât, what you will do differently the next time? Is there any equipment that needs upgrading or would be desirable for these events? Is there new light on safety gear? Are there any skills that need practice, tactics to employ?
A good scare is great medicine for the sailor. We donât learn much from a gentle afternoon sail, on a clam day, no more then a race car driver learns in his Chevy on the interstate. Push that race car up to 200 MPH or the sailboat through a storm and both learn plenty. Practice your tactics and learn how your boat handles, so when the time comes, you know what to do, how to do it and how the boat will respond.