Force 9 - A very personal account
- Thread starter Koeketiene
- Start date
alec
Well-Known Member
Very nice movie and text.
Funny how pictures never seem to show how bad it is. I think the flapping sprayhood was probably was revealing.
I was out on the East Coast on the Thursday and not the Friday thankfully. Was quite lively though. Averaged 5.9 knots for 35 miles. Not bad on a 20 foot waterline.
Funny how pictures never seem to show how bad it is. I think the flapping sprayhood was probably was revealing.
I was out on the East Coast on the Thursday and not the Friday thankfully. Was quite lively though. Averaged 5.9 knots for 35 miles. Not bad on a 20 foot waterline.
oceanfroggie
Well-Known Member
Wonderful read - excellent.
Rob_Webb
Well-Known Member
Well written but sounds a bit over-dramatic. 40kts in a well-founded 44 footer shouldn't be the end of the world and it clearly wasn't e.g. "but at least I felt we were going to make it."
oldharry
Well-Known Member
[ QUOTE ]
40kts in a well-founded 44 footer shouldn't be the end of the world and it clearly wasn't
[/ QUOTE ]
Yes but its 'a very personal account' - and the first time the anniwotsit meter hits the big 40 with you in charge is a big moment in sailing for any of us. What is a 'rough' sea - away from the met office distinctions? To many of us the video actually looks as though he has got his boat sailing really well in a good breeze - and having a great time.
I have spent years (and several cameras!) trying to film rough sea from the cockpit of a small boat - and never yet succeeded in getting anything that doesnt look more than an 'brisk sail'. But when you are out there in it - boy it does get the old adrenalin pumping! It is really only the southern ocean racers who seem able to give an impression of really bad weather on film - and even then it doesnt look a fraction as nasty as it really must have been!
Very very early on in my sailing career in my first boat the loag records - "Out in F5 - wow, never seen anything like it"
I still laugh when I read those words /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif
40kts in a well-founded 44 footer shouldn't be the end of the world and it clearly wasn't
[/ QUOTE ]
Yes but its 'a very personal account' - and the first time the anniwotsit meter hits the big 40 with you in charge is a big moment in sailing for any of us. What is a 'rough' sea - away from the met office distinctions? To many of us the video actually looks as though he has got his boat sailing really well in a good breeze - and having a great time.
I have spent years (and several cameras!) trying to film rough sea from the cockpit of a small boat - and never yet succeeded in getting anything that doesnt look more than an 'brisk sail'. But when you are out there in it - boy it does get the old adrenalin pumping! It is really only the southern ocean racers who seem able to give an impression of really bad weather on film - and even then it doesnt look a fraction as nasty as it really must have been!
Very very early on in my sailing career in my first boat the loag records - "Out in F5 - wow, never seen anything like it"
I still laugh when I read those words /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif
Koeketiene
Well-Known Member
[ QUOTE ]
What is a 'rough' sea - away from the met office distinctions? To many of us the video actually looks as though he has got his boat sailing really well in a good breeze - and having a great time.
[/ QUOTE ]
The vid is not of a F9 - I had other things on my mind then.
The conditions in the video show the bottom end of a F7 - and we were having a great time then.
The account may sound dramatic, but that was how it felt. 44kts over deck and a more than half submerged boat... both of us had a mental brown trouser moment yet were determined to get out of there in one piece.
And the sight of a 16 year old winching for dear life while saying out loud over and over "I will do this" is very humbling.
I'm not claiming any extraordinary achievement - it's been done before and numerous people will do it again - it was just as scared I ever want to get on a boat.
It's easy to be blazé about this sitting behind a computer screen, but just to put this into perspective: the very next day (conditions hadn't changed much) in the marina we both overheard a group of people discussing whether it would be safe to sail from Levington to Ipswich.
What is a 'rough' sea - away from the met office distinctions? To many of us the video actually looks as though he has got his boat sailing really well in a good breeze - and having a great time.
[/ QUOTE ]
The vid is not of a F9 - I had other things on my mind then.
The conditions in the video show the bottom end of a F7 - and we were having a great time then.
The account may sound dramatic, but that was how it felt. 44kts over deck and a more than half submerged boat... both of us had a mental brown trouser moment yet were determined to get out of there in one piece.
And the sight of a 16 year old winching for dear life while saying out loud over and over "I will do this" is very humbling.
I'm not claiming any extraordinary achievement - it's been done before and numerous people will do it again - it was just as scared I ever want to get on a boat.
It's easy to be blazé about this sitting behind a computer screen, but just to put this into perspective: the very next day (conditions hadn't changed much) in the marina we both overheard a group of people discussing whether it would be safe to sail from Levington to Ipswich.
Evita, whata teenage daughter!
Manhandling unwelcome grown men out through the front door singlehanded then furling a large foresail in +30 knots.
Manhandling unwelcome grown men out through the front door singlehanded then furling a large foresail in +30 knots.
alldownwind
Well-Known Member
Well, you've got the boat for it.
suse
Well-Known Member
You must be so proud of your 16 year old.
S x
S x
Re: Plan D
Have you considered a 36 hour passage to bump start your cruise in order to get the westing in at the start of the holiday cruise? You have the boat and now the crew for it.
Have you considered a 36 hour passage to bump start your cruise in order to get the westing in at the start of the holiday cruise? You have the boat and now the crew for it.
Jomo
Well-Known Member
Great read
We too had fun, coming back from Ramsgate to Brightlingsea. Inshore forecast posted at Ramsgate for 17 jul was s/w 5/6 decreasing 4, so off we went. halfway up Princes Channel & it just started going up & up. No main, about half the jenny, and still doing 5 - 6 knots. I know, not much for you lot, but fast enough for an old 26 footer.At least it was on our quarter, except for the last couple of hrs across from Barrow Deep to the Colne. Very exhilarating
Harbourmaster at Brightlingsea said they were logging gusts of up to 40 Knots in the harbour. Glad I don't have an anenometer.
We didn't get very far on our weeks' cruise!
saw Guapa moored on the Orwell off Levington Friday or Saturday 20/21 jul. Must have been before the off
We too had fun, coming back from Ramsgate to Brightlingsea. Inshore forecast posted at Ramsgate for 17 jul was s/w 5/6 decreasing 4, so off we went. halfway up Princes Channel & it just started going up & up. No main, about half the jenny, and still doing 5 - 6 knots. I know, not much for you lot, but fast enough for an old 26 footer.At least it was on our quarter, except for the last couple of hrs across from Barrow Deep to the Colne. Very exhilarating
Harbourmaster at Brightlingsea said they were logging gusts of up to 40 Knots in the harbour. Glad I don't have an anenometer.We didn't get very far on our weeks' cruise!
saw Guapa moored on the Orwell off Levington Friday or Saturday 20/21 jul. Must have been before the off
[ QUOTE ]
We returned from Ramsgate to Nieuwpoort a month ago under comparable conditions, but had a bit more damage... BLOG
[/ QUOTE ]
Ouch reading that increased my pulse rate as I could imagine getting into a similar pickle with a large powerfull mainsail.
In the last day 3 forum uses have posted Blog links that tell a common story of getting caught out with too much mainsail hoisted.
We returned from Ramsgate to Nieuwpoort a month ago under comparable conditions, but had a bit more damage... BLOG
[/ QUOTE ]
Ouch reading that increased my pulse rate as I could imagine getting into a similar pickle with a large powerfull mainsail.
In the last day 3 forum uses have posted Blog links that tell a common story of getting caught out with too much mainsail hoisted.
sailorman
Well-Known Member
there is a wise ole forumite who when req to reef put 2 in one hit. only the 2nd time he had done this but again it paid off ( Im told /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif) last wednesday. he & swimbo Oostende > Harwich 10 hrs 30. it seems they would have both prefered to have been gardening /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
FullCircle
Well-Known Member
/SMUG GIT ON/
I have 3 single line reefs, all led back to the cockpit. Put it in, take it out, simple.
/SMUG GIT OFF/
I have 3 single line reefs, all led back to the cockpit. Put it in, take it out, simple.
/SMUG GIT OFF/
G
Guest
Guest
A common theme in a couple of postings is not reefing the main early enough, and preferring to roll away the genoa instead, which is easier. By the time it becomes obvious that the main needs reefing too, things have become more difficult. The constant motion can be very debilitatiing as time goes on in terms of enthusiasm for getting up and doing things.
I suffer from this as much as anyone, but found one useful technique that really works, if you've left it a bit late for reefing. It's obvious, but I think it's worth mentioning:-
It's heaving-to while you reef the mainsail, or put the kettle on, or whatever. It is amazing how, what seemed to be a raging crisis situation can suddenly seem manageable and under control, how the boat's motion calms down while you go up and take 2 or 3 reefs in the main. It's fully worth taking out 5 minutes from battling towards your destination for the sake of getting everything under control.
I'm probably teaching my grandmother to suck eggs, and it may not have been appopriate in the situations mentioned in this thread, but I think it's worth mentioning for those cases where there's a downwards spiral, especially one exacerbated having too much mainsail up.
I suffer from this as much as anyone, but found one useful technique that really works, if you've left it a bit late for reefing. It's obvious, but I think it's worth mentioning:-
It's heaving-to while you reef the mainsail, or put the kettle on, or whatever. It is amazing how, what seemed to be a raging crisis situation can suddenly seem manageable and under control, how the boat's motion calms down while you go up and take 2 or 3 reefs in the main. It's fully worth taking out 5 minutes from battling towards your destination for the sake of getting everything under control.
I'm probably teaching my grandmother to suck eggs, and it may not have been appopriate in the situations mentioned in this thread, but I think it's worth mentioning for those cases where there's a downwards spiral, especially one exacerbated having too much mainsail up.
oldharry
Well-Known Member
[ QUOTE ]
The conditions in the video show the bottom end of a F7 - and we were having a great time then.
The account may sound dramatic, but that was how it felt. 44kts over deck and a more than half submerged boat... both of us had a mental brown trouser moment
[/ QUOTE ]
F7 - I thought so! It looked too good to be a trouser staining sea. Didnt mean to be blase about it, and your right, the first time it tops the big 40 is as much risk to the trousers as the boat!
Did I say first? Truth is, its EVERY time.... /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif
The conditions in the video show the bottom end of a F7 - and we were having a great time then.
The account may sound dramatic, but that was how it felt. 44kts over deck and a more than half submerged boat... both of us had a mental brown trouser moment
[/ QUOTE ]
F7 - I thought so! It looked too good to be a trouser staining sea. Didnt mean to be blase about it, and your right, the first time it tops the big 40 is as much risk to the trousers as the boat!
Did I say first? Truth is, its EVERY time.... /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif
Koeketiene
Well-Known Member
Simon,
Considered - briefly - heaving to.
However, off Rough Towers there was a lot of big ship traffic into Harwich.
On they were too close for my liking as it was.
At the moment - Ramsgate - Wind: 2-4 Variable
Looks like a high pressure till the WE
Wind - either too much or too little or from the wrong direction.
And when everything's just right - the sun's in your eyes.
Considered - briefly - heaving to.
However, off Rough Towers there was a lot of big ship traffic into Harwich.
On they were too close for my liking as it was.
At the moment - Ramsgate - Wind: 2-4 Variable
Looks like a high pressure till the WE
Wind - either too much or too little or from the wrong direction.
And when everything's just right - the sun's in your eyes.