A question for blue water cruisers

Before we set out on our travels I made a series drogue and got some advice from its inventor direct by email. We had two SS straps attached to the stern, as Mr Jordan explained that if we met the wave that would capsize us, anything else that the drogue was attached to would just rip out. We never had to use it but if you read the books dealing with the Fastnet and Queen's birthday storm, almost every boat was trying to get their stern round and failed, with the series drogue it wouldn't be a problem, also you don't have to worry about chafe, in my experience in high winds, ropes can chafe through in minutes, even with the best of anti chafe set ups.
 
I don't carry a drogue or even a trysail though my main has 3 reef points. I do have a good system for setting the storm jib on the inner forestay of my 40 footer. Calder's book is well thumbed. I assume you have more than one GPS? so my best suggestion for you would be to invest in a back up autopilot and alternative battery charging method(solar/wind/towed) ?
 
[ QUOTE ]
few blue water cruisers will ever face a F10+.

[/ QUOTE ] Funny you should say that . . . was phoned last night by a friend who lives in Tenerife. He was phoning to tell me he and SWMBO were safe after being stranded in La Gomera for two days in a F10. They had just gone for a wee jolly (it's only about 20 miles from their marina berth on Tenerife) and got stuck.

The marina was full of boats waiting to cross the pond, so they were rafted up alongside the wall with another boat outside them. No damage except for a couple of burst fenders, but an exciting couple of days by the sound of it. A few boats inside the marna were damaged and a pontoon was broken.

Dave has never seen weather like it in the six years they have lived there.

I think more of us are likely to see extreme conditions in the future. Surely preparing for the worst before setting out means you can relax once you are on passage.

- Nick
 
Quote:
few blue water cruisers will ever face a F10+.

Funny you should say that . .

I spent an interesting night off Gomera in the Canaries as well a few years ago in a F10... Had 65 knots registered by the helicopter rescuing crew off other yachts in Lady Musgrave - Australia - after the really strong winds had eased.....

got beaten up between NZ and Sydney harbour....

It can happen - not often but it can happen.

personally I would not dream of putting my stern to a big breaking sea but then I have never tried it - have got a parachute sea anchor to deploy off the bows but there are lots of opinions out there..

fair winds and safe landfalls

Michael
 
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