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Got blasted this weekend!

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2far2drive
1st Mate

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USA
74 Posts

Initially Posted - 04/14/2008 : 14:58:13

Well Sunday came around and some friends and I decided to go sailing. The forecast was looking good at 10-15kts of wind from the NW. This would be my first experience with a NW wind in the bay and hopefully will be one of my last.

The sail started off nice with a good beam reach that had us doing somewhere around 4.5 - 5kts. As we neared Red Bluff Point we decided to jybe and head downwind toward redfish island. As we were on a broad reach to a training run, we were making good time. GPS was registering around 5.5-6kts. I started to notice the increasing size of the waves and we began surfing down the fronts of them doing a steady 7kts. At one point on a wave my GPS registered 9kts. We headed off the wind a little as I was getting a little worried about my rudder snapping off and thats when we started to realize the wind had kicked up considerably. We bashed through it for a while until I decided that we really needed to reef the main and thank God I did when I did. The winds started blasting us, gusting to over 25kts. The waves were building considerably but we were still making good headway and everyone was having fun, especially Sabina. She was laughing and giggling her butt off at every pounding wave we slammed over sending water flying everywhere. I noticed that many of the sailboats had dropped their sails to jibs only or reefed mains and we were one of the only boats flying a single reefed main with a full 110% jib. It was uncomfortable but we were having fun so why back down now.

We decided it was time to fight our way back to Kemah and thats when I realized just how hard this was going to be. I could not point near high enough to get us toward the kemah channel and now the winds were gusting to 30kts at times. We tacked and tacked and just couldnt do it so I set our course straight out to Baytown and Red Bluff. We were slowly being drug out into the ship channel and further away from Kemah and making slow but steady headway against the horrible NW current and huge waves. The seas in the bay were easily around 3-4ft and very tightly packed making the going rough. We were still having fun but I was getting nervous about the rig as I could hear and see it shaking under the stress of the gusting winds. Finally we got our tack back to kemah were I could point high enough to get us in. It was a long beam reach through the seas, a few times literally dumping all the sheets and heading into the wind to rough out for a few seconds what seemed like damn near 35kts gusts, just roaring wind that would send us heeling over 30 degrees almost dead into the wind with all the sheets extreamly eased. I really could have used a 2nd reef point and a smaller 100% jib but I have neither and I was determined to maintain a somewhat balanced sail plan. Jib alone would have been much better but our pointing ability would have been greatly lowered.

We finally made it back in and headed back to my marina across the lake which also had a 2ft rolling chop, spraying us still all the way home. Im very impressed with the way the boat handled the waves and wind and I have much more confidence in her now as a result of that day. It also showed me still how much more work needs to be done to my boat so that she is rigged properly and correctly to make everything as easy as possible in those rough conditions. Being on deck was not a nice place to be during all of that trying to fix a darn reef if the sail, only to find out that it would not reef totally flat due to the boom height.

Anyways, now Im at work, sunburned and sore, but remembering yesterday and being proud. We were the only 2nd boat out with as much sail and eating sandwiches the whole way in haha. I saw way too many sailboats drop all sails and turn to motors, whats the fun in that?

David
83 SR/FK #3341
Kemah Texas

Edited by - on

Even Chance
Captain

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USA
393 Posts

Response Posted - 04/14/2008 : 15:49:47

Good sailing, David. You've discovered, as many of us have, what a tough little boat the C25 is.

My one piece of advice, which I learned the hard way, is "upwind heading out, downwind coming home." Obviously, a front can come through and switch the wind direction, but all other things being equal, keeping that rule when possible not only prevents you from getting trapped, it makes the sail home at the end of the day more relaxing.

Edited by - on

delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

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USA
4479 Posts

Response Posted - 04/14/2008 : 16:07:02

Brooke,
That's good advice. Having been in a similar situation where we had 20+ knots on our nose & not able to point, plus having to tack across the shipping channels to make any headway, I opted for a course directly into the wind with our iron genny. Five foot waves with fetch from Seattle to the Straits of Juan de Fuca, and building winds, I think it was the right choice after the consequences of earlier bad decisions. We had a great broad reach over to Blake Island for lunch. As soon as we rounded the southern tip of the island after lunch and saw white caps, I should have turned around and sailed up the west side of the island, in it's wind shadow, then I would have had a reasonable beam reach most of the way back, with maybe one tack to clear Alki Point. Instead we had three hours of beating for a while then just slogging against the weather with my OB at WOT from about Fauntleroy to Alki. Fun-fun-fun.

Edited by - on

2far2drive
1st Mate

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USA
74 Posts

Response Posted - 04/14/2008 : 16:38:39

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Even Chance
 Good sailing, David. You've discovered, as many of us have, what a tough little boat the C25 is.

My one piece of advice, which I learned the hard way, is "upwind heading out, downwind coming home." Obviously, a front can come through and switch the wind direction, but all other things being equal, keeping that rule when possible not only prevents you from getting trapped, it makes the sail home at the end of the day more relaxing.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

You are right about that, a tough little boat she is! I couldnt believe how stable we were through all of that.

Yea Kemah channel entrance is literally almost due west and with a NW wind coming through, making that entrance back became very difficult and motoring in that chop was out of the question for my OB. Wish I had an "extra long" shaft OB

Edited by - on

JohnP
Master Marine Consultant

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1520 Posts

Response Posted - 04/14/2008 : 16:59:28

David,

If you have a chance to pick up a storm jib, you may find that those conditions become even more enjoyable with one reef tucked in the main.

I'm impressed with how your friends were able to enjoy the rough conditions, and that attests to your responsible seamanship.

Edited by - JohnP on 04/14/2008 17:01:27

GaryB
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4304 Posts

Response Posted - 04/14/2008 : 20:49:12

David,

I had almost the exact same experience last Sunday. It wasn't bad when I went out with my 150 and full main up. By the end of the day the wind was out of the SE gusting to 20+ knots and I had at least three foot waves very close together. I was reaching at 6.5 knots with the lee rail in and out of the water.

I knew I was going to have a hard time getting the sails down. I was solo and I couldn't keep the bow into the wind even with the motor running. Since I don't have a furler I had to get up on the front deck to get the 150 down. It was the first time I'd been on the front deck when it was soaking wet and it was very slippery. Needless to say I got the $#%@ beat out of me by the 150 and finally had to sit down on it and use one of the sheets to tie it off to a cleat. Even though I was crouching/kneeling I got tossed up off of the deck three or four times and thought I was going over the side a couple of times. After that 10 minute ordeal I had to fight getting the main down.

Usually when it's really windy I rig my jib downhaul but this day I had only planned on sailing in Clear Lake so I didn't rig it. Once I left the dock it wasn't as windy as I had first thought so at the last minute I decided to go out in the bay and sail down to Redfish. I will never leave the dock without the job downhaul rigged!

This was also the first time the motor kept popping out of the water which didn't help matters either.

I always wear a waist mounted inflatable Type V device but after this experience I'm definitely going to get an auto-inflate offshore type PFD and a lanyard ASAP. The admiral has already approved that purchase (at least I know she still wants me around)!

I will also be purchasing a roller furler as soon as I can afford it.

I was exhausted at the end of that day but sailed 30 miles in 6 hours and had a blast except at the end.

Edited by - GaryB on 04/14/2008 20:55:43

2far2drive
1st Mate

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USA
74 Posts

Response Posted - 04/14/2008 : 21:32:17

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by JohnP
 David,

If you have a chance to pick up a storm jib, you may find that those conditions become even more enjoyable with one reef tucked in the main.

I'm impressed with how your friends were able to enjoy the rough conditions, and that attests to your responsible seamanship.

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I would like to say it was my seamanship but probably just the general shared insanity on the boat

I did keep the rails out of the water and kept her as upright as was possible and did my best to navigate through the chop by trying to stay down in the troughs of the waves. I made sure not to take anything beam on as even I dont like the feeling of the little C25 turning on her side so easily. I can literally say my friend Sabina fell in the cabin and down the companionway steps several times only to hit the cabin sole laughing her head off. Every time I got a little serious and concerned for my boat/us, her non stop laughing and cheering took the edge off and relaxed me. At one point in around a steady 20kt, we sheeted the reefed main in and tightened the jib. I was railmeat with my legs hanging off and we passed a motoring 40ft'er and he just gave us thumbs up and a big wave.

Gary, cmon man, no roler furling! Hang on with the last of us hank-on'ers! I dont have my downhaul rigged yet, thats next weekend's project. I have even been considering full hank on even when/if I build my offshore boat. I like the ease of switching sails! Well.. maybe I need to experience a good storm first to see what switching is really like, allthough I have switched a roller furler sail at the dock and I would NOT want to attempt that in a blow. You going out next weekend? Wanna meet up?

Edited by - 2far2drive on 04/14/2008 21:35:35

GaryB
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4304 Posts

Response Posted - 04/14/2008 : 21:43:13

Hey, you young guys can handle that hank-on stuff. I usually end up going solo and it's a pain in the behind to get the sails down and secured without having someone to keep the boat into the wind (even with the downhaul). The furler would be really nice.

If I go with a Harken Mk IV it shouldn't be too hard to switch sails while out although I don't plan on ever doing that. I'll probably save the bucks and go with a CDI.

At this time I'm planning on going out (probably Sunday) but I was just reading the forecast and they're already talking about SCA's from Saturday afternoon through Tuesday. Good news is the wind will be swinging back to the S or SE and the temp is supposed to be in the mid-80's. If it's too windy and the water is up I may just sail in Clear Lake.

Stay in touch as it gets closer to the weekend.

Edited by - on

stampeder
Master Marine Consultant

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1608 Posts

Response Posted - 04/14/2008 : 21:51:54

Thanx for the post, very interesting.
I'm with you regarding hank-ons. I've been on the bow in 25 knots fighting to get a genoa down and a storm jib up. I consider it part of the challenge, and just plain fun.

I have two reefs in my main. I use them both.

Edited by - on

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