Getting into her stride

[Badger]

I don't know if anyone else has had this experience but whenever I go out in heavy weather, for the first 15-20 minutes the yacht always seems to be making heavy going of it, appearing hard pressed even when reefed. Miracously, about half an hour later they always seem to have settled into their stride and everything is OK. Anyone else experience this and have any explanations.

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[Aeolus_IV]

Yes, skipper just relaxing into the swing of things and not fighting the boat. Always take me a few minutes to get the feel of how the boat is going to ride, and get into sympathy (right word?) with it.

Jeff.

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[AndrewB]

The entrance to harbours

These are often areas of confused water, specially outside artificial habours like Brighton and Dover, and specially in the English Channel where strong tidal currents run by and maybe collide with river currents. Ariel photographs can be very telling.

One mile out and you are past it.

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[Twister_Ken]

Completely misunderstood the title of the thread.

I'll leave now. Disappointed.

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[Badger]

You dirty old man... I always thought "Twister " owners were above all that.Maybe I will come to the Twister association annual dinner after all.

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[graham]

Re: The entrance to harbours

Fully agree that is the reason. Also shallower water produces steeper seas closer together.

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[Rob_Webb]

I agree with the others about the skipper & crew acclimatising to the motion and the water near the harbour entrance/exit being a bit more turbulent - and I also think that engine might be another factor i.e. as you depart you are often under engine as well as sails and the boat is probably being driven a bit harder than she feels comfortable with - once you switch off, (relative) peace descends and boat gratefully finds her own rhythm!

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[jamesjermain]

Strapped

You may also suffer from my infirmity, which is, at the start of a passage into a stiffish breeze and lumpy sea, I tend to haul everything in tight, flatten sails to boards and point as high as I can. When poor old Sweet Lucy baulks at this I just wang on a bit more back stay tension, haul the mainsheet to weather and try to point even higher.

By this time SL is bouncing up and down in the same trough going nowhere so I learn once again to flacken everything off, ease sheets, sail for speed first and pointing second. All at once she bounds off at 6+ knots easing comfortably over the waves and actually making a better course to windward than the leeway-ridden flollop I was doing before.

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[charles_reed]

Re: Strapped

I'd be inclined to agree with James' observation.

Those extra couple of degrees off the wind make all the difference if there's a sea running.

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[kds]

Re: Strapped

Don't the cricketters call it "getting your eye in".
It certainly does happen - one good reason not to arrive on the start line without time to have a sail first.
I also find it on my bike - have to fight her round every corner for the first 10 miles - after that it seems to ride itself.

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[Aeolus_IV]

Re: Strapped

Even when there is no sea, pointing as high as you can is rarely the fastest ways to sail to windward. We can point to nearly 30 deg off the wind, but seem to get best results at about 40. Something to do water flowing over the keel rather than stalling it... But you all knew this already so I'll sneak off and hide again.

Regards, Jeff.

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[Mirelle]

Re: Strapped

I do that too. The silly thing is - I know why I do it. Two reasons, really:

First, a fresh wind makes me worry about losing ground down to leeward so I point up too high (thereby losing ground to leeward...)

Second, and possibly more logical, I sail, either singlehanded or with wife and small children (= even more singlehanded!) a fairly heavy old boat with just two (primeval) winches. Knowing that getting the headsails and the mainsheet in, should I need to, will be hard work, I tend to graunch everything in hard whilst still in shelter.

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