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White Squall - what's your plan?

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redviking
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Initially Posted - 06/14/2009 : 07:45:14

Yesterday while anchored near Fort Matanzas in Flooreeda, we heard the Tow Boat US guys talking about an approaching thunderstorm. "You are just gonna have to ride it out man" was the advise base was giving the operator. Nice! Some action!

Earlier in the day we watched a parade of powerboats and jet skis. Now as the skies darkened we watched as they frantically tried to get to their respective home ports before it hit. Most had to be at least 15 to 20 miles away and the storm was moving a lot faster than that. We were well anchored and I threw out another 30 feet of chain and tidied up a bit and started the engine.

I've seen it before, a wall of wind and water moving so fast that tornado watches were posted. Although I probably didn't have to,(My hook was well set - duh

) I motored into 45 knot gusts with rain pelting my face so hard I could hardly breathe and I experienced stinging pain from the rain hitting my face. The squall heeled her over at times like we were under sail.

It reminded me of the time I got caught in a similar situation on my C25. I wasn't as bright then, so while I hauled in the jib and started the motor, the main was up with a reef in. The wall of water approached and before I knew it I was turning around, not by choice and running from it. I managed to drop the main after a few cavitating motor moments and threw a hook down and let everything go. Tied the tiller down - nice previous thread - and left the motor in gear a hair above idle and went down below to ride it out.

When all of the stinkpotters went by, we wondered, what were they going to do when it hit? What would you do? In Sail magazine some guy reported his near mishap on one of the Great Lakes when a storm approached and they raced towards their marina only to get hammered on the approach which nearly cost them. He defended his decision to enter the harbor and risk his boat et al - Hunter 26 WB, motor cavitating... I say, anchor out and wait. What's your plan for an unexpected storm?

sten
DPO Zephyr C25 SR FK #3220
Lysistrata C&C 39 - On the hook for a wee bit in Fort Matanzas FL

Edited by - redviking on 06/14/2009 07:47:48

Voyager
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Response Posted - 06/14/2009 : 08:47:42

Sten -
Cathy and I had a similar moment (and thank God it was only a moment) when clouds transformed from "puffy" to black in the course of 10 minutes while we were heading in to the harbor.

Sails were stowed & furled and we were motoring @ 5kts in an 80 foot wide river channel with shoals to port and rocks to starboard. We always wear PFDs while sailing

According to the NWS, we were at the apex of the Bow Echo where the maximum downdraft outflow is focused, and even under bare poles, we were instantly heeled at 40 degrees, and now heading broadside for the rocks.

Everythng down below and in the cockpit came crashing down - cups, glasses, equipment, electronics, everything, and Cathy started freaking out. I corrected course and continued directly into the wind, perpendicular to the channel. We were literally standing still in almost white-out conditions. We were lucky no other boats happened by just then.

Shortly, the wind slackened, so we resumed course back to the dock. The wind was followed by rain, then pea size hail and lightning. Within 15 minutes we were back on the slip, which was when all hell broke loose again. We closed up shop and dashed for the clubhouse where we waited it out.

Storm after storm came crashing through that afternoon. Good thing we did not try to wait it out on-board in the channel.

Edited by - on

GaryB
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Response Posted - 06/14/2009 : 09:34:09

This is why I love my Garmin GPSMAP 378/478 so much. It saved my b*tt earlier this spring when a storm popped up and went severe in about 10-15 minutes. I was able to see how it was tracking thanks to the XM Satelitte radar.

Just looking at it visually I thought it was going well north of me so I started to continue down the bay. As it continued to grow I starting watching the radar display and realized it was actually heading straight east towards my destination. I turned around and went back to the safety of the Kemah Channel. It hit the the area I was going with 45-50 knot winds and 1/4"-1/2" hail 30 minutes later. It barely rained where I was and the winds never got above 10 knots. After a few minutes of loitering in the channel I headed back out into the bay and had a fantastic sail!

I do not have any relationship with Garmin except as a satified customer. Check out this link and click on the images down the page --->>> https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?cID=148&pID=401#.

Edited by - on

Dave Bristle
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Djibouti
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Response Posted - 06/14/2009 : 09:40:34

Good topic! Sometimes the depth or bottom conditions don't make anchoring a viable option... Inlets can be a very dangerous place when all hell is breaking loose--I've almost been thrown out of a small runabout in one on Lake Michigan, as 3-5' waves were reflecting off the walls an creating violent standing waves.

My late admiral and I were "delivering" Passage home--our first real sail on her--90 miles down the CT shore--the first leg with some friends on their 30-foot cutter, heading for Mattituck, L.I.--motoring in dead calm. The western horizon (the direction we were going) was disappearing in a dark gray haze... I turned to the NOAA channel on the VHF, and they were warning of a big storm, 60+ mph winds, etc., heading down the sound. I radioed our friends and we decided to head for the CT River. I stopped and doused the sails first, and off we went. Luckily, in a cove off the river, we had just barely gotten a mooring pennant on the bow cleats when it hit. Limbs were blowing off trees and flying around us in the white-out. If we'd been out in the sound, I don't know if Barb would have ever sailed with me again!

We probably should have stayed outside, although the engine we got with Passage wasn't deep enough to deal with much. (I replaced it shortly thereafter.) We could have been driven aground in the river or lost control in the mooring field. Perhaps the only thing we did right was to check NOAA. (The old radio didn't have the automatic weather alert feature.) Situational awareness is our first responsibility. Our friends were more familiar with the area, and expeditiously led us to the mooring--another bit of good fortune.

The C-25/250 can take more than most of us who sail them can... Having a plan, revising it while under way, and executing it calmly is vital to everyone's safety. There are frequent articles about this topic in Sail Mag and elsewhere--useful reading.

Sten: I recommend a diver's mask for those situations--it can make things a lot more comfortable at the helm.

Edited by - Dave Bristle on 06/14/2009 09:43:34

windsong
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Response Posted - 06/14/2009 : 10:20:08

I definitely prefer to be outside. Motoring with bare poles in the waterway - not the place to be. I don't think the C-250 could hold course against 50 kt+ winds in narrow confines. I'd be on a shoal or a jetty in seconds. I only carry one Danforth, and I wouldn't want to rely on that. Out on the ocean, with room to maneuver, I'd have all kinds of options I wouldn't have in the channel. First, I'd rig the jackline across the cockpit and get myself harnessed in. I'd send everyone else below. I'd drop the main and put up the storm sail, and try to hold a course against the storm, or if that didn't work, I'd just run before it. I'd use the flattening reef to get the boom out of the water, if I had the mainsail reefed and that was an issue on the run. I wouldn't use the motor unless I was desperate. When the boat heels, it comes out of the water and scares the bejesus out of everybody. I really like to use a headsail whenever the wind whips up. Less rounding and more drive through the waves. Of course, lee helm is even worse, so the key is to have a very small storm sail. I've never been in a white squall, thank god, but when my luck runs out, I have confidence that the C-250 can handle it, provided she doesn't collide with anything hard... like land.

Edited by - windsong on 06/14/2009 10:30:39

Dave Bristle
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Djibouti
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Response Posted - 06/14/2009 : 12:00:35

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by windsong
[br...I'd drop the main and put up the storm sail, and try to hold a course against the storm, or if that didn't work, I'd just run before it. ...I really like to use a headsail whenever the wind whips up. Less rounding and more drive through the waves. Of course, lee helm is even worse, so the key is to have a very small storm sail...<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">Mike--when you say "storm sail", do you mean a storm trysail or a storm jib? (I'm assuming the latter.) In a 50+ squall, a storm jib alone is questionable--you'll never be able to stay upwind (it moves your center of effort further forward) and you could be overpowered downwind to the point of a broach. That's just a ton of wind--these boats need all canvas down in those conditions. Heavier boats can use a storm trysail with a storm jib, although that's more for being off-shore in big ocean storms, not for violent coastal squalls.

Edited by - on

windsong
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Response Posted - 06/14/2009 : 14:08:17

Dave - I'm glad you brought this up, and I see your point. Yes, I meant storm jib. As I've played out these scenarios on this new boat (to me), I've wondered about this question. Thanks to Sten for bringing it up. I really dislike having no canvas up. With all the canvas down and no forward power besides wind through the rigging, wouldn't I broach for sure? I agree with you about the storm jib. Wouldn't you want some canvas, no matter how small just to gain steerage? I've been in one storm on a 40' boat with a trysail and a storm jib, and we were able to balance the boat. Winds were gusting over 50 kts, and it was actually fun. Without that option, this is a circumstance I'd prefer never to encounter, but here in S.C. we get some fast-moving squalls and it's only a matter of time. I'd like to have a plan on the board. Running for an anchorage will not always be an option.

Edited by - on

DaveR
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Response Posted - 06/15/2009 : 06:16:04

I agree with Dave that any sail up in 30 to 50 knot blow will leave a 25 completely out of control, and maybe blown down. Bare poles are the only way. And I agree again that when you're out that you've studied the weather well and are keeping a constant eye on it. I keep an internet ready cell phone that can give me a look at my local radar whenever I want. When I did get caught in a summer squall a couple years ago I was aware that the weather was deteriorating in advance, got my butt back in the inlet, dropped the sails and closed up the boat well before the storm hit. Still had to deal with the near white-out squall line but was much easier with the protection of the ICW. Yep, rule #1, don't get caught with your pants down.

edit; Oh, and that storm blew by me on Saturday night about an hour or two after it got you Sten, WOW, glad I wasn't out for that one.

Edited by - DaveR on 06/15/2009 06:27:00

Steve Milby
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Response Posted - 06/15/2009 : 06:52:49

Depending on all the circumstances, getting blown onto a lee shore isn't necessarily disastrous. It happened to me on my first fleet cruise on my Catalina 22. We were anchored in the mouth of a river off Lake Michigan when a storm with reportedly 60 mph winds blew through. My ground tackle was inadequate (no chain) and my boat was blown ashore onto a sandy beach. Because of our location, there wasn't enough fetch to create big waves, so my boat just laid on her side until the wind eased. During a lull, I climbed down onto the beach, pushed her back off the beach and into the water. (I was lucky that she wasn't driven hard onto the beach.) She didn't suffer a scratch.

After I refloated her, the wind blew hard in cycles all night, and she dragged anchor all night, forcing me to reset the anchor again and again until about 3:30 am, when she dragged past a channel marker. I tied a line to the channel marker and cleated it off, and finally got some sleep. The next morning the coasties came through checking on us all, and they must have seen my "mooring," but didn't say anything to us. They must have realized we were having a bad night and that we did what we believed we had to do.

My point is, if you're in sheltered waters with little wave action, there are worse things than getting blown onto a beach that can happen, and we were never in danger of personal injury, or even serious injury to the boat. To my way of thinking, drifting ashore with no personal injury or damage to the boat might not be a desirable outcome, but it is a perfectly acceptable outcome.

Edited by - on

Prospector
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Response Posted - 06/15/2009 : 07:49:09

See here: http://littleboatiris.blogspot.com/2009/06/rough-commute.html

It was scary, made me rething this exact topic...

Edited by - Prospector on 06/15/2009 07:49:31

windsong
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Response Posted - 06/15/2009 : 07:54:37

Steve,
60 mph! Ouch. You did a splendid job of keeping boat and crew safe in that. Nice thinking on the improv "mooring." Desperate times do indeed call for desperate measures.

Edited by - on

glen
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Response Posted - 06/15/2009 : 09:30:49

Has anyone ever used a storm anchor, in conditions like this? Just curious

Edited by - on

Nautiduck
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Response Posted - 06/15/2009 : 12:38:10

Interesting thread with lots of opportunities to think and learn. What I would do for certain is to make sure everyone had a PFD on and that anyone in the cockpit also had a harness and was tethered in. It would be hard enough to handle a squall without adding a man-overboard drill to it.

Edited by - on

Dave5041
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Response Posted - 06/15/2009 : 12:52:43

When the water spout forming above us spun us around through 2 revolutions, I knew we were in for a bad evening. We were heading from the Detroit River to Port Clinton, Ohio, about 30 NM. We were about 2 hours out in an Oday 23 when the two super cells started forming and merged into one ugly storm and we had no place to go. We had two clipped on in the cockpit at all times, rotating helm and watch. We put plastic IDs in our pockets to identify the bodies and ran off under bare pole and a 5 hp outboard. A sturdy little boat that was closed up tight carried safely and the storm passed us an hour or so before we got to the Pt. Clinton channel and made an uneventful entry in calm water and light drizzle.

Edited by - on

JimB517
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Response Posted - 06/15/2009 : 13:05:33

I've read but not contributed to this topic because this kind of weather is virtually unknown in San Diego although I did find myself offshore at night in two big thunderstorms when doing the Crew of Two Around Catalina race. Scary, very scary. We proceeded back to port, dropped out of the race, with no jib and double reefed main.

As to the comment about sea anchors, no way should you ever try to use on on a Cat 25 or 250. They put tremendous loads on the bow. The boat can back up, putting tremendous strain on the rudder. Our boats are just not strong enough. You could tear th bow apart and lose the rudder.

Heavy weather options in a Catalina 25/250:

(1) heave to
(2) run off under reduced sail
(3) run off under bare poles
(4) lie ahull under bare poles

Since we are coastal boats, we can usually make port or at least an anchorage (like I did that night) so a heavy anchor, lots of chain, strong rode, and a reinforced anchoring cleat can be a life saver.

I agree on the comments on running soft aground as a good potential tactic, especially with a swinger.

I have a double reefed main and a 60% storm jib always aboard.

You can't rely on the motor in really tough conditions. Its too exposed to dunking.

Edited by - on

Dave Bristle
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Djibouti
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Response Posted - 06/15/2009 : 13:27:03

I'm not sure why a sea anchor would put more strain on the bow than an anchor set in the bottom, but letting the boat back up could be a problem, especially if the tiller isn't centered and lashed down. Another variation is a drogue--generally a smaller cone made of fabric-backed vinyl or similar stuff. It's used off the stern to slow the boat when running down-sea, to help prevent a broach on the front of a wave. If I were cruising in the ocean, with the possibility of big swell, I would have one aboard, ready to deploy to run down-sea under bare pole in a storm. On a 25-footer, it should probably be made to both stern cleats using a bridle--not just to one side. A little line to the apex of the cone collapses it for retrieval.

Folks with roller furling... Be sure to roll up as tightly as possible (keeping tension on the sheet), get a half-dozed or so wraps of the sheet around the sail, and cleat off the sheets and furling line tightly.

Edited by - on

DaveR
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Response Posted - 06/15/2009 : 13:41:16

I've been reading all these comments and it really is dependent on your local conditions as to what course of action should be taken in extreme weather but I think it's safe to say that 2nd only to making sure your boat is seaworthy, being aware of the weather possibilities and staying on top of the weather while out is paramount.

Edited by - on

Steve Milby
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Response Posted - 06/15/2009 : 14:27:56

Sea anchors and drogues are appropriate equipment for boats that are designed for bluewater sailing. Catalina 25s aren't designed for that purpose, and shouldn't be sailed so far offshore that you can't get it into shelter before the conditions become that wild. If the conditions are so bad that a sea anchor or a drogue would be appropriate, then you might have much bigger concerns, such as the boat being rolled over by big waves, and ripping off the poptop, leaving you with an entirely open boat. If you pay attention to the weather and stay close to shelter, and only use the boat in the kinds of conditions for which it was designed, you should never need such devices.

Also, when the weather turns bad, people often forget to close all the hatches (including the companionway hatch and cockpit hatches) and secure them. People who are not needed to sail the boat should be down below, where they'll be less at risk of going overboard. They won't like it down there, and will probably become seasick, but it's where they will be safest.

An outboard powered sailboat might very well be able to use the motor effectively when running with the wind. One of the problems with running downwind is that the waves overtake the boat from astern. As the wave rolls under the transom, it lifts the stern. Then the boat starts to surf down the face of the wave. If the boat is powered by sail alone, then when the boat reaches the bottom of the wave, it stops, and is in great danger of turning sideways to the waves. When the next wave rolls through, the boat is rolled over 360 degrees. If the outboard motor is running, it will keep driving the boat when it reaches the bottom of the wave, and will help prevent it from turning its beam to the waves.

Also, storm winds often come in cycles of gusts and lulls. The ambient windspeed might be 40 knots, with gusts to 55 knots. When it's at 40 knots, the waves might be such as will allow you to steer diagonally across them, if necessary, without danger. However, when it is gusting to 55 knots, the waves might become so high or so square that they'll be dangerous, unless you keep them so that they are hitting you dead astern. The gusts might only last for 2-4 minutes, while the lulls might last for 6-8 minutes. Thus, if you need to work your way diagonally across the waves to a place where there is shelter, such as in the lee of an island or a point of land, steer across the waves in the lulls, and steer downwind in the gusts.

Develop a plan. Look at the shape of the shoreline and terrain around you, if any. Identify the nearest shelter, such as the lee of an island or a point of land or the mouth of a river, and then work out a plan for how you're going to work your way there, despite the conditions.

Whatever you do, don't panic. Although our little boats seem flimsy compared to these conditions, it's amazing how well they are able to weather them. The boat will do it's part in taking care of you, but it needs your help.

Edited by - Steve Milby on 06/15/2009 14:57:02

Prospector
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Response Posted - 06/15/2009 : 14:30:41

A third option to a sea anchor is warps astern. Just simple lengths of rope running from the port to Stbd cleats on the back of the boat dragging behind. Really anything dragging in the water will slow the boat somewhat.

The problem with all these ideas is that most C-25's have outboards, and running bare with a following sea, and warps, sea anchors, Drogues, a bucket tossed off the transom, or anything else thrown astern and dragged behind the boat with waves pushing hard enough the wrong way is a recipe for a fouled prop. In my case, I needed the power of the OB & mainsail to push away from a lee shore. The fickle winds of an approaching storm mean that you could be spun at any time.

Many of these tactics are for yachts with inboard engines in the open sea. In those circumstances, there is less worry of fouling the prop since it is forward of the point where the lines are tied. With the OB, all it takes is one puff from an opposing direction and your warps/drogue/etc. will get into the prop. I would suggest against using these tactics unles syou have a lot of sea room and no need for auxilliary power.

EDIT to Add one further point...

I think it is important that we go out in marginal conditions though. It is only by stretching out that we will grow to be better sailors. Conditions that are at the edge of your comfort zone will teach you to better respond next time, making you a safer skipper, and allowing you to escape when conditions deteriorate, plus they will give you and your crew/guests confidence when it happens that you do get in trouble.

The storm I was out in last week wasn't terribly bad, but it was our first night storm, our first time out in lightening, and my first time getting away from a lee shore when I was caught off-guard.

Lessons learned:
- Don't assume that a cloud-track is constant
- Check beacons and markers on the charts before sailing to them.
- Sailing is a game of inches, you can't just step on the gas and get out of there all the time.
- The "backwash" of waves coming off a lee shore, combined with the onshore waves from the storm will make for a terrible ride where it is extremely difficult to maintain a course.
- Trust the boat and keep a level head.

Edited by - Prospector on 06/15/2009 15:00:33

Dave Bristle
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Djibouti
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Response Posted - 06/15/2009 : 15:30:18

As long as we're talking about controlling the boat while running with the waves, there's a little "surprise" worth watching for. When waves move through the water, the water essentially stays where it is, but to form waves, it actually oscillates forward and backward within the wavelength. This means that on the front of the wave, the water is moving momentarily in the direction of the wave, and on the back side, it's moving backward to become part of the next wave. That front side is the part that gets sailors into trouble: since their boats aren't going as fast as the seas, the sudden forward motion of the water under them causes the rudder to have the opposite effect we expect. Tiller to starboard, and the boat will turn to starboard (because the stern is being pushed to port)! I suspect this is a major cause of broaches, where a boat unexpectedly slews sideways to the seas and gets rolled by the next wave. As the boat slews to one side, the helmsman instinctively steers the other way, which has the opposite effect because the water is moving forward under the boat, as if the boat is moving backwards.

Having the auxiliary running is an advantage, since it will steer as its propeller is pointed. Keeping the helm pretty much straight (when everything is telling you not to) can be better than over-reacting in what might turn out to be the opposite from the correct way.

Some day when you're out in some big waves, turn dead-down-sea and pay careful attention to how the boat reacts to the helm as waves pass under you. It's very instructive. In bigger seas and more violent conditions, it could be very important.

Edited by - Dave Bristle on 06/15/2009 22:02:26

DaveR
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Response Posted - 06/16/2009 : 05:48:29

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"> I think it is important that we go out in marginal conditions though <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I agree to an extent, although I also think that if you're looking for trouble you'll definitely find it. There's a difference between knowing there's 5 to 7 ft waves out there and crossing your fingers and hoping for the best without having good knowledge of the current and future conditions. Don't overstep your or your boat's abilities.

Edited by - on

windsong
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Response Posted - 06/16/2009 : 07:23:32

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Prospector
 
I think it is important that we go out in marginal conditions <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

This was so important for me. It got me comfortable in my Hobie, back in the day, and now again with my new Catalina. I'm cautious by nature, and what has increased my pleasure in sailing is forcing myself to redefine "marginal" to the point now that butterflies do not haunt me when the wind is whipping up. The guys I sail with around here call a small-craft advisory coded language to all sailors to go out in the boat and have fun. That's only true if you know what you're doing. It's no fun to be scared.

Also, it has the added benefit of increasing the number of days I can sail. We had a very windy winter and spring here, so there was a lot of opportunity to go out and scare myself. In February, I invited two experienced crew on my boat, both serious racers with Captain's licenses, and we deliberately took Windsong out in 25kts with big seas. Now I know, Windsong is TOUGH! My comfort level is so much higher thanks to that experience.

Edited by - on

redviking
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Response Posted - 06/16/2009 : 13:11:38

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Prospector
 I think it is important that we go out in marginal conditions though. It is only by stretching out that we will grow to be better sailors. Conditions that are at the edge of your comfort zone will teach you to better respond next time, making you a safer skipper, and allowing you to escape when conditions deteriorate, plus they will give you and your crew/guests confidence when it happens that you do get in trouble.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I agree totally. My wife and I rode out several storms on our C25 and now when a good one rolls in we just sorta shrug and get on with it. Baby steps, but we gradually built our skills and our tolerance to extreme conditions such that we are very well prepared both boat wise and mentally. Newbies who have never sailed in anything other than moderate conditions will just not be as prepared. Put a reef in the main on your mooring, go out and play when it's blowing snot, when you really need to deal with something, you will be much better prepared overall.

DaveR - 'Twas a good one - we should connect sometime

Dr. Bristle - Yeah, what I really need was the snorkle

. I did request the mask and by the time my wife located it, the worst had passed.

As far as a C25 handling even the squall we just experienced, it's no secret that I like full keels and the near .43 displacement of the old school models, we rode out the remnants of Hurricane Ernesto in Montauk for about 24 hours or so in 45 knots with two hooks down. No worries. I personally do not like the lack of chocks and the cheasy cleats, so a sea anchor would not be an option IMHO. Out there in a squall, the outboard is a liability and when it cavitates you risk losing it. Not the best setup for sure, an inboard is much safer in such conditions. But, I've said it before, and I'll say it again, the C25 can take a lot more than most of us can handle. It's just good to be prepared, hence the post...

sten

Edited by - redviking on 06/16/2009 13:14:51

Prospector
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Response Posted - 06/16/2009 : 13:31:02

Is there some confusion here on sea anchors...

I think folks are discussing both the merits of dropping the hook (likely more than one) in a good blow, and some others are talking about a large drogue drawn to slow drift in heavy wind. Personally I have never been in conditions that dictated either of these tactics.

It is interesting to read Hal Roth's "2 Against Cape Horn" and see the various anchoring techniques employed when he was fighting serious winds in Patagonia. Often he tied to a tree or other object ashore, and dropped an anchor. Often he dropped multiple anchors. He still dragged on more than one occasion, of course not when he tied off to something ashore though. His vessel was a Spencer 36 (IIRC) and much more seaworthy than ours, but it is still fun to say "what would I do if..."

Here's a reality check - how often do you leave your slip without listening to the Marine weather forecast, or without waiting for your lake/region/whatever to come up on it? I know a lot of folks are too impatient to wait it out.

Edited by - Prospector on 06/16/2009 13:49:43

redviking
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Response Posted - 06/16/2009 : 14:15:38

A sea anchor is just that, an anchor that is only used at sea. Drogue, parachute, warps, etc.

Dropping multiple hooks is another thing.

The reason that a sea anchor is NOT safe on a C25/250 is because there is no way to manage the line. No chocks and the cleats are as stated wimpy. At anchor loads tend to be constant, at sea they will vary and often wildly so. Those who have towed dinks have learned this the hard way.

As far as weather goes... www.weatherunderground.com www.passageweather.com and then a check on the radio before departure and repeated checks for updates throughout the voyage regardless of length.

sten

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