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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

General Sailing Forum

How low and still go.

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cat1951
Admiral

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USA
636 Posts

Initially Posted - 08/21/2008 : 10:23:29

We have a C25 standard rig with a 150 genoa. I have been watching the weather report week after week. The winds have been forecast at 5-10 forever it seems. I was wondering how light of a breeze can you still sail in and make it worth while. I know we won't hit top speed, but I am dying to get on the lake and spend some time on the water. For this Sunday, the winds are forecast at 5-10 and the NOA report show about 7mph...

Mike
Grand Lake, OK
N.O. Catalina 25 #4849
In my opinion 75% of the earth is water for a reason. That's why I sail.

Edited by - on

Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

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Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 08/21/2008 : 10:43:00

Get a drifter

Edited by - on

stampeder
Master Marine Consultant

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1608 Posts

Response Posted - 08/21/2008 : 10:59:49

my lightest and biggest sail is my 150. If there is a consistent breeze, not one of those come and go breezes, but a steady breeze of even 5mph...I would raise my 150 alone and just drift.

Edited by - on

crcalhoon
Captain

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USA
303 Posts

Response Posted - 08/21/2008 : 11:10:14

Fly the 150 and go. The 5 part means a drifter, but the 10 part will make a pleasant afternoon's sail.

Edited by - on

cat1951
Admiral

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USA
636 Posts

Response Posted - 08/21/2008 : 11:25:43

Sounds like a go to me. It will make the Admiral happy ...no healing.

Edited by - on

Renzo
Admiral

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USA
621 Posts

Response Posted - 08/21/2008 : 11:35:45

A lot depends on the wave action or power boat chop and your point of sail. If you are on a beam or close reach on calm water 5 kts of wind with the 15o% genoa will make for a nice "ghosting" moonlight sail. But if there is a leftover swell from an earlier storm or a lot of powerboat chop on a lake you are in for a frustrating, bumpy ride.

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dmpilc
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4593 Posts

Response Posted - 08/21/2008 : 11:44:27

5-10 is what we get a lot here in the summer. What I don't like to hear is "light and variable" - that's usually bad. Learn to recognize the wing signs around you at home and relate that to wind conditions at the lake if you are not too far away. We have a 25 mile drive across town, but if there is movement in the tree tops at home, we generally get decent wind at the lake.
Can't always believe the weather forcast. Last week the forcast was calm with "gusts" of 1 to 1.5 mph winds. Almost didn't make the drive but decided to anyway. Got to the lake for the learners program (I've been taking newbies out)and had a nice sail anyway. I guess I've done something right, one of the couples I've taken out bought a C-22 last week. Good start toward a C-25!

Edited by - dmpilc on 08/21/2008 11:47:59

Derek Crawford
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3321 Posts

Response Posted - 08/21/2008 : 11:53:29

I love to race in 5 - 7 mph. With a loose rig, full main and 150 light air genoa, halyards eased a little, outhaul all the way loose, it's "run away from everyone time". (And don't try to point high!)

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Prospector
Master Marine Consultant

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Canada
3159 Posts

Response Posted - 08/21/2008 : 12:19:38

We have found similar results Derek. Light winds are best for us or raceday. In our fleet the only smaller boat is a Tanzer 22. I'll go up against a 7000 lb boat anyday when the wind is barely light enough to move mine.

Edited by - on

cat1951
Admiral

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USA
636 Posts

Response Posted - 08/21/2008 : 13:02:15

As far as powerboat chop is concerned, I am hoping they are all waiting for Labor Day weekend. I am on call over the holiday, so the lake is out. And we have had the 5-10mph doldrums now for over a month. We are getting to one of the best times of the year here (the Fall), but I am tired of waiting.

Edited by - on

tinob
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1883 Posts

Response Posted - 08/21/2008 : 13:34:14

Different strokes for...etc. was never more meaningful then in answering your "Q", Mike.

I live on the south shore of Long Island, New York. Here wind is a given. Eleven A.M. it's there out of the southwest at pick your preferred wind speed. Usually too much for me by noon. I sail a tall wing cat which is "kinda tenda" by my yardstick, but a great sailer for ghosting.

Times change. I was once arrested by the marine service "for sailing a dinghy in the " great storm " , a hurriricane that really socked it to our area. At age 30 or there-a-bout I thought nothing of it, having taken what I considered "reasonable precautions", hell I had on a wet suit and filled the dink with several gallons of water for stability. Seemed O.K. to me...not so to the shore patrol.

Today, as I near eighty, I'd hesitate at any wind speed over twenty, preferring five to ten. And so I'll restate my position, " different strokes" etc.

Val on Calista, # 3936, Patchogue, N.Y.

Edited by - on

SCnewbie
Navigator

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166 Posts

Response Posted - 08/21/2008 : 20:26:57

My daighter and I went out last week in light and variable which equaled an occasional 5 knot puff. Ended up motoring across the harbor for lunch but had a great time anyway. Today it was calling for 20 - 25 with gusts to 35 so I chose to stay home.

Edited by - on

cat1951
Admiral

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USA
636 Posts

Response Posted - 08/25/2008 : 09:21:49

An update on our day. We made it to the lake yesterday with a forecasted 5-10mph wind out of the NE. According to our wind meter wind was 8-10kts with a temp of 87. What a great day we had. We installed our bimini before going out and it sure makes a difference in the temperature in the cockpit and I didn't go blind from the reflected light off of the white surface. We were out for 2 hours and then headed back in feeling pretty good. So I guess a forecast of 5-10 is very doable...

Edited by - on

crcalhoon
Captain

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USA
303 Posts

Response Posted - 08/25/2008 : 10:04:55

I guess I'm getting old. I can remember days when I loved wind, within reason, I mean. But these days, 20 knots makes me want to sit in the slip and drink beer or something. I'm tired of being bruised, don't want to tear something or break anything. I think I really am getting old.

Edited by - on

cat1951
Admiral

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USA
636 Posts

Response Posted - 08/25/2008 : 10:17:32

I think if I went out in 20kts, the Admiral would have something to say about that and would want to up my life insurance. I was worried we would be sitting on the lake, sails up, going nowhere, and cooking at the same time. Especially if it turned out the wind was on the low end of the forecast.

Edited by - on

Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
5378 Posts

Response Posted - 08/25/2008 : 22:34:50

On Saturday, the day started out light and variable, and so was my desire to go out. But as the day wore on and I tired of my chores (the drip in the tub, the thermostat in the car, the lawnmower in need of cleaning and lubrication . . .) I noticed the tops of the trees twittering.

Hmmm.... I said to myself. Now my home is 7 miles from Passage in the slip and twittering here could be a nice breeze down there. So around 3pm, I decided it would be a good use for the rest of the day.

I got to the marina, took the covers off, got some gas to get down the river, and headed out. As I proceeded, the breeze really picked up.

The NOAA radio droned over and over Southeasterlies between 5 and 10, shifting to south at night. I thought, well, I'm making 5 knots on the river and the river was slack, so my speed plus a 5 knot wind on the bow - well, that's 10 knots.

When I got to the mouth of the river, I noticed occasional whitecaps on the 2-3 foot southeasterly waves. I'm thinking Beaufort force 3. As I came about to ENE, I had the 135 genoa fully unfurled and the main was hard, my traveller car fully to weather. Before I left, I tightened the outhaul to flatten the sail. The breeze was steady but building and my angle of heel was a solid 15 degrees. I was getting short SE chop and the breakers were building. From time to time, the wind would increase, and I had to spill some wind from the main to maintain my angle of heel.

I was making 4.5 knots on the GPS and was feeling like I was flying! What a sensation!

I sailed an hour out, then an hour back, and in that time, the current down the river was fully charging at 3 knots. Right against the winds and the waves, and so in the N-S channel, the waves were much higher, and much steeper, but as evening began to fall, I had little choice.

Thankfully, I kept the sails fully engaged and cranked the 8HP Honda 4 stroke. Somehow, miraculously, I stayed apace of the breakers in the channel. They pursued me and swung me about (yaw) for about a mile or so up the river. Finally they settled down and once I got back to the slip, my dockmates were none the wiser.

They asked - "how was your sail?" I said, "could not have been nicer!"

Funny how that little twitter turned into a maelstrom!

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