Have you ever turned back ?

[phanakapan]

Yup... we were sailing north from The Azores, on the last leg of our circumnavigation. I was really looking forward to ‘coming home’, it had been a great 3 years but I missed my family. There wasn’t much wind, but we were sailing ok; about 5 days north, 600 nm or so. Suddenly, the starboard lowers became slack- the tang attaching them to the mast had split horizontally across. Luckily, we had a decent length of spectra which we managed to toss over and around the lower spreader, secured fore and aft and winched tight. There was quite strong winds and big wave heights predicted to the north, and zero wind to the south; after a quick calculation of how much fuel we had left, we made the fairly hard decision to turn back to the Azores, 4/5 days motoring away. It was cold, grey, miserable, frustrating- but we did see a lot of whales.

 

[LadyInBed]

I can't remember which year in the 80's heading from Portland to Cherbourg. I was going to do an overnighter but the waves off the Shambles were very uncomfortable for a 22 footer so picked my moment and turned back. We left again a day or so later in better conditions, I wasn't very experienced in those days!
2008 - written up here a cracking sail back
Jun 2013 La Coruna - Camarenas write-up here heading W in a W5 that built to a 7
2018 heading to Cherbourg in NE5 with a dinghy sailing friend, his first time out in open water and he was looking a bit green. I asked if he wanted me to turn back, he nodded and looked relieved. I couldn't make Poole without tacking so I turned for Weymouth, a gentler sailing angle and it would be quicker than tacking to Poole.

 

[pyrojames]

I've turned back quite a few times, strong winds (Red Sea), thick fog (Bass Straight) sea sick crew (southerly buster off Sydney) an alternator failure ( Portimao) and hitting a rock!

 

[Birdseye]

No. I have never turned back. But then I suffer from harbour rot / indecision so by the time I actually do leave in poor conditions I've got to the point of thinking " for gods sake dont be so gutless". And it is never ever remotely as bad as I imagine it is when tied to a pontoon.

I can be "frit" in port but have never the slightest worry at sea.

 

[LONG_KEELER]

No. I have never turned back. But then I suffer from harbour rot / indecision so by the time I actually do leave in poor conditions I've got to the point of thinking " for gods sake dont be so gutless". And it is never ever remotely as bad as I imagine it is when tied to a pontoon.

I can be "frit" in port but have never the slightest worry at sea.

The British Bank holiday weekends seem to be the classic cases.

Great sail on Saturday, nice day dossing about on Sunday. On Monday mornings , with heavier winds than expected, expect to find groups of yotties wandering along sea walls staring out at sea, or congregating near harbourmaster offices with others. To go or not to go.................... Normally the case when you must be back at work on Tuesday.

 

[ProDave]

Set out to do a club race in our little tub in conditions I would not normally have gone in, but my more experienced companion for the day assured me it was fine.

After somewhat of a struggle we aborted and returned to harbour. Later we found from one of the boats with a wind meter, it was gusting to F7. Two of the boats that carried on suffered torn sails and one had a window broken by a breaking wave over the bow.

 

[LadyInBed]

it is never ever remotely as bad as I imagine it is when tied to a pontoon.

And if it is bad, you can always turn back ?

 

[Daedelus]

It was November and a group of us had gone down to Gosport on the Friday and were planning a sail to Yarmouth on Saturday with return on Sunday. However, on Friday evening the coastguard were warning of F9 winds on Sunday and imploring people not to go out then, so we decided to have a nice day Saturday (it was a lovely day) and return Saturday night and go home Sunday after a leisurely breakfast. and watch the England rugby international on TV in the afternoon.
While we having breakfast on Sunday we had the VHF on and heard something like the following (names changed to protect the embarrassment).

-Solent CG, Solent CG, this is Britannia, Britannia, radio check please over.

* (pause and then hesitantly) Yacht Britannia, this is Solent CG, erm, are you going out sir?

- Solent CG, yes we thought we'd go for a day sail/

*(Thoughtfully) Mmmm, have you seen the weather forecast sir?

-Solent CG Britannia, yes, we thought we'd just poke our noses out and see what it was like.

*Britannia, mmm, we can see the Solent from here and are getting around 45 knots plus and the sea is best described as very rough. Where are you, sir.

- Solent CG we are at Ocean village and have cast off from the pontoon and we'll just see what it's like in Southampton water.

*(resigned) OK Britannia, please advise on your return. Over

[a pause of about 10 minutes]

-Solent CG, this is Britannia

*(Hopefully) Yes Britannia, this is Solent CG

- Solent CG, we got just outside Ocean Village and got over 40 knots across the deck, so we've come back, we're now tied up on the pontoons. Over.

* (with combined relief and satisfaction) Thank you VERY much sir. Oh, do enjoy the rugby this afternoon.

Ends

 

[pyrojames]

That reminds me of leaving St Katharine Docks at the end of October, and once clearing the Thames Barrier being called by London VTS.

"Croix des Gardes, this ins London VTS what are your intentions. Over".
"London VTS this is Croix des Gardes, We are heading for the Medway for the night before proceeding to Ipswich, over."
"Croix des Gardes, have you seen the forecast?"
"London VTS, this is Croix des Gardes. Yes we have seen the forecast. "

We had seen the forecast, which I think was Sou-west, 5-6 increasing 7-9 later, but it was just after 0600 and we hadn't seen the updated forecast. The update was then Sou-west 6 to 8 increasing 8 to 10.

We decided not to stop at Medway but go straight to Woolverstone. It was the fastest passage we have ever had on that route, and we actually made fast in SYH minutes before the rain and the wind came in, in earnest. We watched it all from the Lightship bar.

 

[Birdseye]

When racing fully crewed you just go - like all the other idiots. But when cruising with SWMBO the rule is that we never venture out if the forecast has a 6 in it at any time.

 

[Boathook]

Quite a few times. The weather forecast has been ok but the sea conditions and actual wind had been something else. One was from Weymouth, a very early start. Got back to the same berth. No one had heard us leaving and coming back (so we did something correctly at least!) and surprised when we described the conditions. Next forecast was completely different.
Nothing wrong in turning back in my view. Most people boating know whats its like to turn back and return to a berth. Better safe and sound and a bit more experience gained.

 

[Stemar]

Better safe and sound and a bit more experience gained.

The only stupid thing to do when conditions are worse than you want to deal with is to keep going. Worse than you want to deal with depends on many things. It may be fine to continue when everyone's rested, but not when everyone's knackered or hung over on the same boat with the same crew.

 

[LittleSister]

I've turned back quite a few times, strong winds (Red Sea), thick fog (Bass Straight) sea sick crew (southerly buster off Sydney) an alternator failure ( Portimao) and hitting a rock!

Almost a complete set, then!

 

[Ehecatl]

Coming out of Dartmouth on Oisin a 50 ft catamaran, we heard on the radio that a force 8 was imminent so proptly turned around and sailed down to a mooring by the Ferry Boat Inn for the rest of the day and night and got very drunk

 

[mattonthesea]

A time I would have like to turn back was coming out of Salcombe in a S F6 (on the 'safe' period just before HW). In the wonderful high swell I looked up to see the mainsail parting from its bolt rope. Within 20s the whole top half of the sail was disconnected. Turning in that confined swell, with what would have become a jury spinnaker, seemed too risky so we motored on out before lowering what was left on the mast and tethering it down.

After that the sail under genoa back to Dartmouth seemed quite relaxed. The charter company were most apologetic. We spent the next day on the Dart doing Comp Crew and Day Skipper exercises. Type 1 fun

 

[Saguday]

Twice, as I recall.

Once in our little Leisure23SL, left Shotley Marina to head back down the Wallet to West Mersea. There’d been a couple of days of 6-7’s from the north which we’d sat out and we left eventually in a 3-4 in company with other Leisure owners. Once past Harwich, though, the chop and quartering sea in a small boat were rubbish. Tried sailing, tried motoring, tried motor sailing, all rubbish. First our youngest got seasick, then the eldest and I was thinking p’raps we should turn back, then when my wife sat there holding a bucket I thought that’s it and turned round, sailed effectively single handed. Stayed in Shotley another couple of days and then had a much better trip back in sunshine and flat seas.

Second time was on Saguday, leaving Brighton heading for Southampton. Went out and it was a beat into a medium chop, which was ok, but then the rain increased and visibility dropped to about nothing and we all sat cold and wet and miserable not seeing anything so we just turned round and went back to Brighton. It wasn’t scary or life threatening, it was just miserable and we were supposed to be sailing for fun. Spent the day in the fleshpots of Brighton instead, left when the sun came out a few days later. I know, I know, not very rufty-tufty, but sod it life’s too short.

 

[JumbleDuck]

It wasn’t scary or life threatening, it was just miserable and we were supposed to be sailing for fun. Spent the day in the fleshpots of Brighton instead, left when the sun came out a few days later. I know, I know, not very rufty-tufty, but sod it life’s too short.

I wish I could give this ten thumbs up.

 

[Stemar]

I know, I know, not very rufty-tufty, but sod it life’s too short.

Tends to be even shorter for rufty-tufty blokes...

At the risk of being genderist, it is usually the blokes. Most women have more sense.

 

[mjcoon]

I wish I could give this ten thumbs up.

Only if you were all thumbs!

 

[Buck Turgidson]

Yes. My first trip this year was supposed to be Valencia to Columbretes and take a mooring for a couple of nights but when I got there the forecast NWsterly was now an easterly and the bay was completely exposed to 30kts. One look at the yachts moored in the bay was enough for me to turn round and head back to Valencia. Bet I got more sleep on the way back than I would have moored in the bay.