Best action in a sudden strong gust

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cdogg

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Unavoidably eavesdropping on a loud conversation at the next table in our marina restaurant. I heard an argument about what action to take in the event of being hit by a sudden strong gust. Both had strong views on whether to "bear away or head up more into wind"

What would you do?

The conversation also went on to discussing at above what forecast wind strength they would choose not to leave the marina for a pleasure/leisure sail (i.e. no schedule to meet). One of the yachts in question was a Bavaria 30. As this is the same boat I have, I was interested to hear their views - the consensus was that f4 was generally the maximum! Any views?

Cheers
 
It depends where the wind was coming from before the gust. Ahead of the beam you head up, behind the beam you bear away.

A few hours in a dinghy or beach cat on a gusty day will have this ingrained.
 
cdogg said:
..... action to take in the event of being hit by a sudden strong gust. Both had strong views on whether to "bear away or head up more into wind"
...... what forecast wind strength they would choose not to leave the marina for a pleasure/leisure sail ..... consensus was that f4 ...... maximum! .....
Click to expand...

Sudden Gust: dump the main sheet then ease the genoa is the first action. Bearing away may not be possible as the yacht if the yacht luffs up anyway in the gust. If wide of a fine reach and the sails are adjusted correctly a controlled luff up could be better. In strong winds sailing close hauled, one can try and feather the yacht into the no sail zone as a gust strikes.

Leave The Marina Max Wind Speed: It depends on direction and fetch. I have left marinas in Force 8 for a leisure sail to a sheltered anchorage where the direction was involved reaching. If it was on the nose and I was on a lee shore marina with a lot of tacking to get to a destination; family on board a F4 sounds about right; friends F6 gusting 7 no issues leaving. However, it depends on the exist from the marina and how dangerous that may be. Open water is never the issue, it's piloting through the shallow crinkly bits would concern me more than the wind speed.
 
cdogg said:
Unavoidably eavesdropping on a loud conversation at the next table in our marina restaurant. I heard an argument about what action to take in the event of being hit by a sudden strong gust. Both had strong views on whether to "bear away or head up more into wind"

What would you do?

The conversation also went on to discussing at above what forecast wind strength they would choose not to leave the marina for a pleasure/leisure sail (i.e. no schedule to meet). One of the yachts in question was a Bavaria 30. As this is the same boat I have, I was interested to hear their views - the consensus was that f4 was generally the maximum! Any views?

Cheers
Click to expand...


For the first part of the question I would bear away but my boat often wants to head up into the wind :D

For the second part I know a friend who went across Biscay in a Bavaria 30 and onto med Spain, single handed. He was regularly out in a Force 6 and on occasion a 7-8 without a problem. But can understand people not wanting to do it, for example, we do not choose to go out in any more than a Force 5, because we been there and got the T shirt, now it is all about relaxing sailing. Not to say we do not occasionally get caught out, in the Agean a few weeks ago it was blowing an 8 and we we were out there, exhillarating but just not our cup of tea any more
 
On my boat, the immediate action is to let out a load of mainsheet. In gusty weather I keep it in hand (weight held by the jammer) like a dinghy sailor, or at least hooked round the forward end of the tiller so I can reach it from anywhere in the cockpit.

Force 4 sounds like an absurdly low limit for a 30 footer to me, but it's none of my business if other people want to miss out on some good sailing :)

Pete
 
For the first point, the boat will tell you what IT'S going to do, luff up unless influenced by wave action on a downwind leg.

As to the second point, the max wind strength is whatever the skipper is happy with, taking into account all the usual factors, which will be different for everyone. The boat itself will be happy in most winds thrown at it.
 
Structured panic usually works.
Let the main go, steadily and, if it is that bad, move on to the Genoa. Let the boat work out what she wants to do to resolve all the different forces acting.

Re going out, it can depend a lot on the crew and the bigger picture.
I have grown to not be afraid to say 'we will not be leaving' and cope with the ire of the crew.

The trend on the barometer gives me some good clues on what to do.

If F6 is blowing or forecast we go back to bed or the pub.
It it's blowing F5 then we may go out for a play, but not set off on a journey into bad weather.

But there is this thing called 'reefing'. This is where you can put some of the sail away and then the boat will behave very well.
 
The met office seem to overstate the wind speeds these days. If you dont go out in when F5 is forecast you will never sail anywhere. This is OK if you are content to motor everywhere.
F5 / 6 offshore breeze and no swell coming in is my idea of heaven - and I am not brave
 
pteron said:
It depends where the wind was coming from before the gust. Ahead of the beam you head up, behind the beam you bear away.
.
Click to expand...

+1.
Since the question is about a sudden gust I will assume that there's not enough time to adjust the sails but only to turn the wheel. Therefore I agree with the above.

Otherwise, it really depends on the boat. For my masthead boat with an inmast furling and a 130% genoa, I will ease the genoa first (if not on a run). This is the sail that really drives the boat.

Worst case is to be sailing upwind (sails strimmed accrodingly), the gust hits you and you try to bear away without adjusting the sails.....well, if you manage to bear away anyway!

Leaving the marina? F5 with the family is OK, though it's the waves that matter, the wind only is not that bad.
 
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On a trimeringue if the apparent wind angle<50 degrees, luff, otherwise bear away. The latter reduces apparent wind and hence strength of the gust. It's not instinctive if coming from mono sailing, but you have to learn to do it.
 
I suggest that there are some rather strange and sometimes illogical replies to the questions.

The real answer (might I humbly suggest) is that 'it depends'. There are a number of factors that influence what you do if hit by a sudden gust. One of the main ones is what sort of boat you are sailing, and the second one is what point of sail you are on.

Interestingly if you sail a high performance Cat or Tri the answer can be VERY different. Frequently the better option in a high performance boat such as a Cat or Tri is to bear away and reduce the apparent wind speed.

Conventional keel boats (including long keeled boats etc) tend to just lean over and go faster before eventually being overpowered and rounding up.

Modern fat backsided lightweight big volume boats tend to gripe up very readily (and sometimes uncontrollably) if you don't dump the main. (For what its worth I find NO PLEASURE in sailing boats that behave in this uncivilised fashion, but then I'm sometimes just a GOM (grumpy old man) according to our children.)

In dinghy sailing you would tend to luff up and when really pressed start easing the main.

As far as max wind speed to go out in is concerned, surely its more about max sea state? We just spend a ten days cruising in the Clyde and West coast of Scotland. The wind was often F5 but the sailing was fantastic as we were in sheltered waters and more or less completely flat seas. I've had some screaming reaches down canals in Holland carrying far more sail than I could have carried out at sea.

The real answer is to do what you enjoy. There are no prizes for getting thrown about and sea-sick. If you don't enjoy sailing in waves and wind, don't go out sailing in waves and heavy winds.
 
On a lake the gusts last for seconds only so just grit your teeth and keep going. If it gets too hairy drop the mainsheet a bit (on my little boat).
As the next gust will be from a different direction anyway you'll be like a drunk on the way home if you keep reacting.
 
john_morris_uk

+1

john_morris_uk said:
Modern fat backsided lightweight big volume boats tend to gripe up very readily (and sometimes uncontrollably) if you don't dump the main. (For what its worth I find NO PLEASURE in sailing boats that behave in this uncivilised fashion, but then I'm sometimes just a GOM (grumpy old man) according to our children.)
Click to expand...

But here I would stand with your children :D
 
On our Bav30 all the lines apart from the genoa sheets are on the coach roof and as such would require some quick gymnastic clambering to get around the wheel to make any adjustments to the main and of course this would entail leaving the helm at totally the wrong moment! So, unless I have someone dedicated to handling the sails we are stuck with reducing the effect of the gust by manoeuvring, hence my interest in comments on the original post i.e Luff up or bear away.
 
cdogg said:
On our Bav30 all the lines apart from the genoa sheets are on the coach roof and as such would require some quick gymnastic clambering to get around the wheel to make any adjustments to the main
Click to expand...

Two excellent reasons that I don't like either coachroof-mounted mainsheets, or steering wheels on yachts :D

(each to their own)

Pete
 
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