Ever feel a wimp?

[Guest]

Or rather, feel like a wimp?

I mean, when the forecast says for your area "Severe gale force 9 now backed northwesterly, decreasing gale force 8 imminent", and you sit in harbour all day watching the flags gently rising and falling in the perfect F2/3 Easterly that would have been ideal for your purposes, and you see yachts with families coming and going in the sunshine as the breeze dies to a zephyr in the evening. And you wonder if everyone else uses a different weather service from you?

That sort of a wimp.

 

[savageseadog]

No, never.
I make my own judgements about the weather and if I put to sea. I don't care what anyone else thinks or does.

 

[Guest]

That's what I keep telling myself. And then I see those droopy flags again /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[ChrisE]

Yes, frequently, especially this year.

But then, I've yet to get stuffed over 14 years of fooling about in a boat.

and I've managed a transat and a trip to the Arctic Circle, moving off stage left to polish his scouts navigation badges......

 

[Guest]

OOH, this post must have been a magic one, as the harbour's just been hit by a squall /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif Makes me feel so much better. So much for " decreasing gale force 8"

 

[peterb26]

Better a live wimp than a dead hero.

 

[graham]

Im happy to be a wimp,its better than being a statistic... /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

You can get away with ignoring the weather forecast sometimes ,do it often enough and you will get a trouncing.

 

[Guest]

Well the wind's really shaking the mast now. Trouble is, I sat in harbour yesterday after a forecast of N-ish 6/7. Often I would go out with that kind of forecast, but not with strong wind from N in this bit of the North Sea (German Bight). Then it turned out to be quite calm all day until evening and I felt like a lemon.

Then today, a second day sitting around with perfect weather and the Met Office mentioning 8's and 9's...

Anyway, I'm feeling better as the wind's beginning to howl at long last.

 

[Csail]

We are pondering tonight about going Cardiff to Bristol tomorrow morning.. forecast SW 5or6 increasing 7 seastate smooth/mod becoming rough in the west (we are in the east)
Days after that becoming F8. Would you go tomorrow?
Think i'll look out of the window tomorrow and decide.

 

[webcraft]

Friends set off from here (Camarinas, NW Spain) to go to Baltimore, SW Ireland today - it's a tough boat, but I am glad Iwasn;t aboard.

I am feeling a bit wimpish at the moment as we were going to head for the Scillies / Falmouth tomorrow but the predictions have all changed again and it looks like F6-7 for the Scillies Sat/Sun. These strong winds and squally conditions don't appear to have much to do with the pressure gradient either - they just suddenly appear.

I imagine it must be making life almost impossible for the forecasters, and of course if in doubt they will give a gloomy forecast to cover themselves.

F6-7 is nothing of course . . . but could be worse, and is not ideal weather to close a rock strewn ship infested coast after a long and possibly tiring passage. I think anyone who refrains from setting off on passage unnecessarily into predicted bad weather is doing the prudent and seamanly thing.

Going out for a day sail in lively conditions is another matter, and can be fun in known and sheltered waters.

 

[Judders]

I would far rather regret not going sailing than regret going sailing.

So far as I am not aware, it's not yet a cliche but it ought to be.

 

[Csail]

I think we will be going, boat has never been better and after all it's only a few hours. Came back nightsailing in F8 a few years ago and that was really not funny. Ps . for those that don't know the Bristol Channel don't bother going if they mention F7. (really it will be like S.Coast F9!

 

[Guest]

I don't know the Bristol Channel, just heard it has a nasty reputation, but - doesn't it depend on tide direction? Broad reaching a F6/7 with a favourable tide which is also going the more or less same direction as the wind might be fine. But when the tide turns, it might not be pleasant? But for a few hours sail you might be able to do it all while the tide's still comfy?

Just a thought, maybe doesn't apply around Bristol.

But given any doubt, I'm definitely for wimping. That's why I'm in harbour now /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Csail]

Don't blame you, yes Bristol channel gets really bad wind over tide but tomorrow it will be early so should be lighter wind and wind with tide backing SW aswell so should get a bit of protection.

 

[graham]

Going up to Bristol in strong SW is a doddle ,Coming back is when its interesting,Strong SW with wind against the ebb tide,poor vis in rain etc character building stuff. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Pity you couldnt have gone today.Decent breeze and loads of blue sky.

 

[Csail]

I would have but had to take toddler to W.Wales (Folly Farm!)
Still looks ok tomorrow though.

 

[gjbentley]

Peace Summit in Le Harve

It was Tuesday and our crew Paul & Leasa, had to get the evening Ferry back to Portsmouth as they were under pressure to get back to work. The BBC Shipping Forecast was not encouraging with F6 -7 occasionally 8, despite the light winds and sunshine in the marina. Doubts about its accuracy deepened, but the barometer needle continued to fall. By Thursday we were both frustrated with the latest Shipping Forecast, now predicting a F9 Strong Gale that refused to reflect local French conditions.

We went to bed intending to set sail and leave the safety of the harbour at just before dawn. By midnight the wind blew up and the rigging started to whistle loud enough for us to be unable to sleep. Then our Yacht, Grand Slam, started to oscillate against her mooring lines in an alarming fashion. The Barometer now read 985 millibars and the nearby harbour wall was causing large waves to force themselves up into the air with water spray flying all around us. Feeling insecure we doubled up our mooring lines at 3am then Carol, my wife, made a cup of tea. We were clearly not going sailing today !

The whole experience shattered our confidence, so on Saturday evening we got the cross channel ferry back home, reluctantly leaving Grand Slam in Le Havre Marina. The following weekend, we were joined by Mike and Jim, taking the overnight ferry from Portsmouth to arrive 7am in Le Harve with not a cafe open for breakfast in sight. This was typical of such a laid back Town.

Twelve hours later, after a decent portion of Moules and Frites on the seafront with a bottle of white wine, we attempted to leave our marina berth to amazingly find ourselves aground - its was exactly Low Water on a high spring tide. An hour later, having revised the passage plan we set sail on a course to steer heading for the Nab Tower. It was an uneventful crossing and 20 hrs later we arrived at Port Solent late on Sunday afternoon.

It was a suitable end to a prolonged Bank Holiday Cruise that cost us a good deal in money and time to ensure the safe return of Grand Slam. But at least in future we know our way around all the wine serving bistros in Le Harve and not to trust local French weather conditions !

 

[ccscott49]

Felt a few women in my time, dont know if one of those was a wimp?

 

[AliM]

Yes, often felt a wimp. This year, we have curtailed or bottled out of quite a few weekend trips. You know, the 30 mile up the coast, anchor for the night and sail back on Sunday type have been cut down (after a gale warning) to 5 miles to the next creek, and sail back on Sunday, feeling wimpish. (Sometimes the gale appeared, often it didn't, and I must admit that several times it was worse than forecast.) On the other hand, after all this wimpishness, we seem to have the reputation in the boatyard of sailing in all weathers. The moral is - however wimpish you are, or feel, actually most people are wimpier!

 

[Evadne]

[ QUOTE ]
I would far rather regret not going sailing than regret going sailing.

So far as I am not aware, it's not yet a cliche but it ought to be

[/ QUOTE ]

It is: "I'd rather be in here wishing I was out there, than out there wishing I was in here".

I think I'm going to get a T-shirt made with that on, after this "summer"
/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif