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A story of BIG winds

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JimB517
Past Commodore

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USA
3285 Posts

Initially Posted - 04/01/2005 : 11:45:59

Yesterday (Thursday) was a State holiday and us County workers were treated to a beautiful day off - even though kids were in school and Spike was working at her new job. I went sailing as usual Wednesday after work, sailed into the anchorage, and anchored under sail in light winds. The ocean, however, was quite rough.

During the evening, a light NE wind blew. This is unusual, we have NW almost every day. It was the condition known as a Santa Ana. It was very warm and dry - not even a drop of condensation on the boat. I woke up at 5:30, had breakfast, anchor up and was sailing out of Mission Bay in 5 knots of pure E wind by 6:30, it was warm and dry.

It was a beautiful sunny morning, followed by broad reach sailing in very quite and calm conditions to the La Jolla kelp - but with a glassy 4 - 5 foot NW swell. Once in the lee of Bird Rock area, I lost even the 5 knots of E wind, rolled up the jib, sheeted in the main, and powered up to try to find some fish. I did come across an area of diving birds and a big seal playing with quite a large fish so I was excited and worked the area for quite a while, drifting under sheeted in main and autopilot at about 0.5 knots while throwing iron and jigging it deep.

Up ahead, in the Scripps canyon area, I began to see whitecaps. Then flying spray. I thought, good, lets go sailing. I got all the lines in and put a quick reef in the main. I rolled out the jib to about a 90. I drifted over a line in the sea. On one side, calm, quiet air. On the other, HUGE air. I didn't know how huge it was going to get....

Before long I had the jib rolled up, and was dumping the reefed main to try to stay upright. I thought this was just a gust, but it kept building. Yes, the Santa Ana had arrived in the beach area. I was 5 miles from Mission Bay and about 1/2 mile offshore. The wind was about ESE. My course back to MB? SE. I've never seen anything like this - the winds were at least 30 gusting higher. Spray was being blown horizontally. In just the 1/2 mile of fetch between the beach and me, a 3 foot wind chop was created - waves were being blown out to sea, and colliding with the 4 - 5 foot NW swell, which, up to now, had seemed gentle.

With the reefed main in tight and no jib, I gybed around and set course for home. I was able to sail a close reach but was heeling a lot in the gusts and taking lots of water over the bow in the rough chop. When we'd plow through a 3 footer, the wind would grab the water and just fling it back to the cockpit. I took a couple of 5 gallon buckets in the face and decided enough of this. I was making about 2 knots towards home (this would be a 2.5 hour trip).

My first thought was to drop my roller furler and put on my new hanked on storm jib. I needed more speed and to point a little better to get home. In these conditions, working on a bow that was pitching and wet and rolling like crazy, I just could not get the furled sail down - even with my harness and tether. (My old system will not work as a roller reefer - its all or none, especially if you want to point).

So, much as I hated to do it, I sheeted in, pointed for home, and fired up the Honda. With the motor mount on its lowest setting (I don't usually need to put it all the way down) I was able to keep the prop in the water and make about 3.5 knots. I steered around the worst of the waves and stopped getting sprayed. Once we were past the Pacific Beach Crystal pier, conditions were quite a bit calmer. However, I wasn't about to shut down the motor because I knew I'd never get into the harbor directly upwind under sail without a jib.

I made it home with salt everywhere - winches, instruments, even the fishing rod holders were caked. Thankfully it was very warm and dry and I myself was dry in no order. In the slip, I got the furler down and briefly considered hanking on the storm jib and giving it another go. After all, it was a rare day off. Or I could do a washdown? Thankfully friends arrived and we decided to have lunch (it wasn't even noon yet).

Eating lunch at the deli by the docks, we heard the Mission Bay lifeguards were flying the helicopter and trying to do a rescue on some kayakers who were blown out to sea by the sudden winds.

I'm now very seriously considering taking the furler down, stowing it, and just using my 60, 110, 135 laminate, and 155 laminate sails from now on. I was never afraid, just wanted to get home and quite busy doing so. Its great to have a tough little boat that I know can take it.

After lunch I raced home to watch oldest daughter Amy run hurdles - she's now made Varsity at her highschool track team and since it was my day off it was a great chance to see the entire meet.

Good day off and tonight we're meeting the Fleet 7 group for evening sailing, overnighter, Saturday sail-in beach party, and our night race.

Indiscipline 1978 FK SR #398

Edited by - on

ClamBeach
Master Marine Consultant

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3072 Posts

Response Posted - 04/01/2005 : 12:13:20

-- Couple comments.

JB, we have pretty seaworthy boats (for a trailerable 25 footer), but you could have got yourself in real trouble that day. What would you have done if the Santa Ana had started blowing 40+ (not uncommon) instead of 30 and you couldn't make headway? If you started to get blown offshore, you could have encountered some real nasty (read life-threatening) conditions.

IMHO: Bad forecast, bad weather 'signs'... don't go. I remember very well the day we lost 14 lives up here when people went out salmon fishing in spite of an obviously 'strange' (read threatening) weather pattern developing.

"The sea offers no harbor"

---------------
>"In these conditions, working on a bow that was pitching and wet and rolling like crazy, I just >could not get the furled sail down... I'm now very seriously considering taking the furler >down, stowing it, and just using my 60, 110, 135 laminate, and 155 laminate sails from now on"

In a nutshell, that's why I still run traditional hanked-on headsails. (with a downhaul line)

The roller furling can be darn convenient, but I've seen a number of boats come in here with shredded or bound-up headsails when they got caught in a sudden blow and had troubles with their furling systems. Sometimes simple=better.

Edited by - on

aeckhart
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1709 Posts

Response Posted - 04/01/2005 : 13:08:15

Jim,

You certainly could have used that 60% jib out there. Do you have a second reef? If not I would recommend it.

Generally, if I am sailing alone, I would use my 110 exclusively. It's much easier to handle on the foredeck than a 135/150 genny. I would only fly my 150 if the weather was predicted prolonged light winds.

Not preaching to you but, do you check your weather stations very often? I would think the Coast Guard or weather people would have issued a warning. I make it a habit to listen in to the latest reports every hour or so, every half hour if the weather looks the least bit tenuous.

At any rate, I don't think you had reached your safe limit yet. Even at 40mph, you have options. Running under bare poles, heaving to, etc. Getting blown out to sea may sound scary, I know my pucker factor would be a little high, but as long as you have options and don't panic, you're ok. Just think, you now have experience in 30+ wind and wave and you made it through unscathed. Not many of us can say that. Well, I can as well. Like me, I'll bet you don't recommend it. I know your experience will serve you in good stead if you accidentally get caught in those 40+ winds.

Keep a weather eye,

Al
GALLIVANT #5801

Edited by - on

clayC
Navigator

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USA
207 Posts

Response Posted - 04/01/2005 : 13:43:42

What a great story! I needed that as motivation for putting the work needed into Kamalla and getting her into the water.

Keep thoes stories comming Jim!
Clay C

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Steve Milby
Past Commodore

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USA
5904 Posts

Response Posted - 04/01/2005 : 14:10:40

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">My old system will not work as a roller reefer - its all or none, especially if you want to point.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">Jim, my only hands-on experience with roller furling is on charter boats, and they could reef the jib down to any size and still work, although they did lose some pointing ability. What's the difference between a furler and a true reefer, and how can you look at them and know whether it's a furler or a reefer?

Edited by - on

Gloss
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1916 Posts

Response Posted - 04/01/2005 : 14:22:23

Hey Jim,
Great story of adventure!
I was sailing in 20 knot winds once and just let out about 3 turns of the furler, enough for a small triangle of sail. It balanced me out, and gave me 1/2 knot more speed.
I wonder what the difference this would be from having a storm jib, or for that matter, a gale sail. (Gary Swenson recommended a gale sale to me if you have a furler)
In any event, how did your daughter do in the track meet? I know her father did just fine merely by being there.

Edited by - on

JimB517
Past Commodore

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USA
3285 Posts

Response Posted - 04/01/2005 : 15:26:26

I have to admit that I knew it was Santa Ana weather and it was forecast to be 10 to 15. Santa Anas usually don't affect the first few miles off the coast. This was a big surprise to everyone (especially those kayakers).

No way I'd ever be content running the 110 when I'm sailing alone (which is 99% of the time). Don't forget I'm now using the spinnaker alone!

I do have a 2nd reef and the lines are run but I didn't need it yesterday. I wanted to get the storm sail up and then go to the 2nd reef in the main. Trouble is I couldn't get my furling sail down.

I have a strange and old Schaffer roller furler. There is a wire sewn into the sail's luff, with a leather pad making a surface to roll the sail around. There is a standard headstay. The furling drum is about 6 inches behind the headstay. There is a special swivel that hanks on the forestay and attaches to the head of the jib. You hoist the whole thing up with the jib halyard. I have that special Kevlar halyard so I can get it really really tight.

In light winds you can use this as a reef system. The trouble is, in big winds the sail unrolls at the top. This creates a big, high, pocket of sail that just causes the boat to heel more and does not produce drive. So, as I say, all or none. On a typical go sailing after work night it saves me some time (10 - 15 minutes).

For the normal 10 to 15 knot day, this system is very quick and easy to use. I have a new Ulman 135 on it. You can roll it up, drop it to the deck, and use your hank-on sails whenever you want to. Yes, there is significant jib sag in the system but if you tighten up the backstay and the forestay is adjusted loose, you can get the wire luff really tight. The boat still points well, sag and all.

Yesterday, I could not get it to drop to the deck after I rolled it. Back at the dock, I had to pull really hard, then it released and everything is fine. Perhaps the head swivel was jammed on the spinnaker halyard/block or something.

I'm sure the wind was gusting well over 30. But what would I have done if the engine wouldn't run (it could easily been dunked)? Well, I always could have run off downwind out to sea. I knew the Santa Ana would subside, in fact, within a couple of hours the wind clocked around to the normal NW (but the sea was a mess). I didn't want to miss the track meet. Downwind and a little out to sea in deeper water I probably could have gotten the roller system on deck and got the storm jib up. I need a jackline!

Amy has been winning all the Junior Varsity 100 meter and 300 meter hurdles and she was on the 4x100 meter relay. Yesterday, they moved her to Varsity. She was very excited, and nervous. Making Varsity as a Sophomore has been her goal since last year. She fought neck and neck for dead last in the 100 and was so far back in the 300 I think she gave up a little. Her teammates were very supportive and her coach is GREAT and she's running in an invitational Saturday. She does not like to lose and she was a little upset about her performance but everyone knows she really stepped up a notch in competition so lets hope she keeps her spirit up.

Amy on the left

Also 4.0+ student, sax section leader in the high school jazz band, she has 3 tenor saxophone solos in their competitive set, and founder of the Writers Circle club at the high school. She gets up at 5:30 AM to be at Jazz band 1 hour before school and then runs track after school. Writes poetry for the TellTale.

Edited by - on

Ben - FL
Admiral

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880 Posts

Response Posted - 04/01/2005 : 20:56:49

>>Well, I always could have run off downwind...<<

That's what I always heard to do.

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