Airborne dinghy

[claymore]

I think it would be easier to get rid of one of your berths and fit a spare inboard diesel.

<hr width=100% size=1>regards
Claymore
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[longjohnsadler]

Nice to see some posts addressing my initial question.
All sound good ideas, and I suspect that you may have to try several.Not sure about the sea anchor from the bow.
As has been suggested, I suppose it depends how much time or searoom you have. With the wind in the high 30s, gusting over 40, it would be easy to get the main plastered over the rigging straight away. Removing the lazyjacks would be essential. I really don't think you'd know till you tried things in those conditions.
As a last resort, Claymore's idea of dropping the anchor might work. Its amazing how much power there is in a wind of that strength.
Failing any of these, theres always the emergency bottle of rum, or flying ashore in the airborne dinghy. Or possibly both.
The dinghy seems to have attracted the most posts. It was really an amusing aside, and was dealt with quickly and without any danger by pulling it in close, deflating the front half, and keeping it tied up against the transom, where it sat easily. In some quarters it is obviously seen as 'unseamanlike';I still maintain in light winds that it can be an asset, especially if you have poor swimmers on board, fire, explosion, or an MOB situation. I find on the foredeck it restricts visibility and movement.Obviously on longer passages you'd have a liferaft.My mistake was not bringing it on board earlier.
Thanks for the suggestions. Hopefully I won't need to find out if they work!


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[graham]

My boat wont sit head to wind with no sail up in a breeze.Usual;ly I pull up a few feet of mainsail which is enough to weathercock the boat then hoist it fully.

As for the airborne dinghy Can you tow it on a short painter so the bow of the dinghy is hard against the transom ?

Towed dinghys will usually end up a pain in the arse. I remember having a hell of a job hauling one in at anchor in the shelter of Rhosilli Beach in an Easterly gale.We would haul it in and the wind would grab it again before we coulkd get it secured or deflated. Our Bruce anchor held all night but took some breaking out!!



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