lustyd
Well-Known Member
Full sail. Flat calm. F3 W.
Sorry to those reading this at work
Sorry to those reading this at work
Perfect wind
- Thread starter lustyd
- Start date
Pleiades
Well-Known Member
They that go down to the sea in ships.....
Spare a thought dear Lustyd for those whose work involves doing business in great waters, or little waters come to think of it....
this pickie shows the usual state of the UK fleet of hire boats this "summer".
and this more often than not has been the typical whereabouts of working boats and sports fishermen/diveboats awiaiting arrival of a Force 3 from any direction - riding out gales and lashing rain.
Ah the joys of our almost slipped past summer...... but glad you got a wee cruise in between the squalls.
Aye,
Robin
Pleiades of Birdham
MXWQ5
Spare a thought dear Lustyd for those whose work involves doing business in great waters, or little waters come to think of it....
this pickie shows the usual state of the UK fleet of hire boats this "summer".
and this more often than not has been the typical whereabouts of working boats and sports fishermen/diveboats awiaiting arrival of a Force 3 from any direction - riding out gales and lashing rain.
Ah the joys of our almost slipped past summer...... but glad you got a wee cruise in between the squalls.
Aye,
Robin
Pleiades of Birdham
MXWQ5
KellysEye
Well-Known Member
Wow that's low but obviously perfect for you boat. We have heavy displacement steel boat and our perfect wind is 5 and we don't mind 6. Does anybody else have a perfect wind for their boat, if so please say what the boat is.
Babylon
Well-Known Member
4 ideal, 5 very good, 6 well reefed (two in the main and just the stays'l) is just as good.
3 can be rubbish if there's much chop or wake, especially if trying to progress to windward, during which port tack suffers much worse than starboard (maybe the slight s-bend in the mast doesn't help).
Vancouver 27.
Just done a two hour hard motor from the Hamble to Portsmouth to charge up the too-long-not-used batteries, then sailed on to Chi, all plain sail, against an increasing foul tide (see comments above about port tack in a 3).
Still, its SO lovely to be out on the boat for the first time since the last long weekend, now anchored in East Head waiting for friends.
3 can be rubbish if there's much chop or wake, especially if trying to progress to windward, during which port tack suffers much worse than starboard (maybe the slight s-bend in the mast doesn't help).
Vancouver 27.
Just done a two hour hard motor from the Hamble to Portsmouth to charge up the too-long-not-used batteries, then sailed on to Chi, all plain sail, against an increasing foul tide (see comments above about port tack in a 3).
Still, its SO lovely to be out on the boat for the first time since the last long weekend, now anchored in East Head waiting for friends.
Porthandbuoy
Well-Known Member
Nicholson 26, so anything between a 3 and a 7. Mind you, on the nose or over the transom also matters
Pleiades
Well-Known Member
For Pleiades (almost) any wind is quite perfect.....if it is in the right direction - scuttling in to Worbarrow on a nice blowy day...
Robin
Pleiades of Birdham
MXWQ5
Robin
Pleiades of Birdham
MXWQ5
ProDave
Well-Known Member
Well for my little boat, anything up to the top end of F3 is fine.
Beyond that the lumy sea makes it hard to keep my little boat on course and it becomes tiresome.
So generally I don't go out in >F3 as it's no longer fun, but a chore.
Beyond that the lumy sea makes it hard to keep my little boat on course and it becomes tiresome.
So generally I don't go out in >F3 as it's no longer fun, but a chore.
team OSD
New Member
Depends on crew. Perfect wind for Solo; F3 till 4. Hull speed can be reached at 9 kts windspeed. At 'high F4' I can't deploy the genaker and have to reef main. At 5 bft windward I sink the gib, and at F6-7 it's survival mode for me. I guess F8 will be a nightmare on this boat.
The ideal crew weights about 200-250 kg, in this situation the perfect windspeed is 14-22 kts. We don't go sailing when forcasted WS exceeds 28 kts.
Huzar 21, light cruiser 1050kg.
The ideal crew weights about 200-250 kg, in this situation the perfect windspeed is 14-22 kts. We don't go sailing when forcasted WS exceeds 28 kts.
Huzar 21, light cruiser 1050kg.
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Lakesailor
Well-Known Member
Perfect wind for me is a Westerly.
If you haven't sailed on Windermere this may not be obvious.
North and South involves a hell of a lot of tacking in one direction.
Easterly is an evil wind.
Westerly is a reach whichever way you go.
If you haven't sailed on Windermere this may not be obvious.
North and South involves a hell of a lot of tacking in one direction.
Easterly is an evil wind.
Westerly is a reach whichever way you go.
Seajet
...
On this last Friday we set off for Cowes from Chichester; straight into a north Westerly, so we said 'knickers to this' and went into Bembridge.
During the night the wind did a 180 so we were straight into an Easterly for the trip back...it would have been perfect for Cowes but my Dad had picked up an injury so we cut the trip short.
My boat likes a F4-5, below that she's a little undercanvassed, above that she's happy but my cowardice chip begins to kick in.
During the night the wind did a 180 so we were straight into an Easterly for the trip back...it would have been perfect for Cowes but my Dad had picked up an injury so we cut the trip short.
My boat likes a F4-5, below that she's a little undercanvassed, above that she's happy but my cowardice chip begins to kick in.
onesea
Well-Known Member
Perfect wind?
One boat 3 stories.
SWMBO Sister F2 enough to make the boat move without engine but never rushed.
SWMBO F3 Enough to make sailing fun but no danger of reefs or stress.
SWMBO Sisters son F4 not enough to scare his mummy to much but fun.
MY Daughter F5 She likes to see SWMBO getting wet
but not scared.
Me Anything up to a F6 but below 5 knots its a bit slow..
One boat 3 stories.
SWMBO Sister F2 enough to make the boat move without engine but never rushed.
SWMBO F3 Enough to make sailing fun but no danger of reefs or stress.
SWMBO Sisters son F4 not enough to scare his mummy to much but fun.
MY Daughter F5 She likes to see SWMBO getting wet
but not scared.Me Anything up to a F6 but below 5 knots its a bit slow..
Iliade
Well-Known Member
SWMBO - F3, just enough to make the auxiliary redundant.
The kids, >F7 & sunshine - only fun if the decks are being swept by greenies...
Me - whatever makes the crew happy & prepared to do it again.
The kids, >F7 & sunshine - only fun if the decks are being swept by greenies...
Me - whatever makes the crew happy & prepared to do it again.
maxcampbell
Well-Known Member
One that's not on the nose on the way there, then changes for the same back.
Force? 2 to 6, if i've got a choice
Force? 2 to 6, if i've got a choice
westernman
Well-Known Member
If on the nose, then F6 is just perfect. Less than that we are slower. More than that we are slower as well. In F6 we get 7.5 knots over ground with minimum leeway with optimal VMG. We can ease off a bit and go faster, or pinch a bit and sail close to the wind but slower. For optimal VMG we do about 105 degrees between tacks over ground (i.e. taking leeway into account). Less wind than that and our speed is lower, the tacking angle over ground only marginally better for optimal VMG. More wind than the upper end of F6 we could do with a reef in the main, and we are making a little more leeway and the VMG is lower even if the speed is not. Upper end of F7 we should have the second reef in, speed is lower (windage starting to take effect), leeway higher and we are doing more like 115 degrees over ground between tacks. More wind than that, and VMG to windward is depressingly slow, so we will go somewhere else. Going to windward with the 3rd reef in the main is no fun and a waste of time.
If from behind the beam or just a little in front of the beam, then anything from F3 - F9 is perfect. (Obviously not much sail up for F9 - we will do over 4 knots with no sail up at all!). F3-F4 we will put up the huge reaching sail - 1200 sq ft. I have not been out in more than F9.
I can't make way to windward against a F9 - either under sail or under engine. Might just scrape to windward well reefed with triple reefed main, storm staysail and engine at the same time (not tried that yet). But I doubt it will be much fun and we would get the deck wet. But going the other way in the same conditions is fantastic fun (been there, done that and the deck stays dry).....
Boat is 30 tonne, 52 ft gaff rigged Pilot Cutter replica.
If from behind the beam or just a little in front of the beam, then anything from F3 - F9 is perfect. (Obviously not much sail up for F9 - we will do over 4 knots with no sail up at all!). F3-F4 we will put up the huge reaching sail - 1200 sq ft. I have not been out in more than F9.
I can't make way to windward against a F9 - either under sail or under engine. Might just scrape to windward well reefed with triple reefed main, storm staysail and engine at the same time (not tried that yet). But I doubt it will be much fun and we would get the deck wet. But going the other way in the same conditions is fantastic fun (been there, done that and the deck stays dry).....
Boat is 30 tonne, 52 ft gaff rigged Pilot Cutter replica.
rotrax
Well-Known Member
F4 OK- on a reach good speed. F5 or 6 perfect with our new 100% Yankee, just about anywhere. The 135% jib was too much above a five, and gave poor visibility. When reefed a bit it set like a bin bag. Boat is an Island Packet 350. Less than 8 knts of true wind its quicker to use the Iron Jib- unless we fancy a bit of fishing.
ProDave
Well-Known Member
Just to continue this thread, I crewed in a race yesterday on someone elses boat (a Hurley 22)
Judging by the sea state I would say it got up to a F6. the sea was very rough and we were frequently getting soaked in the cockpit even with a sprayhood.
Sailing in this I found an uncomfortable chore. Yes it was good to experience it, but it wasn't something I would choose to do. It's not my idea of fun enjoyable sailing.
What struck me was nobody reefed their main sails. Everybody was heeled over at absurd angles and all the boats, big and small were bouncing all over the palce.
At least 3 boats retired. One split his genoa, one had a failed roller furling and was left motoring home (struggling to maintain course) with a half unfurled genoa that he couldn't retract, and we retired when one of the jib winches packed up. What a chore that was getting the main down in those conditions.
Reading the above posts, I find it strange that some don't seem to enjoy their sailing unless it's an F6. I guess some people just don't like comfortable easy sailing then?
My skipper agreed. He normally sails single handed and said he would have retired much sooner on his own.
Judging by the sea state I would say it got up to a F6. the sea was very rough and we were frequently getting soaked in the cockpit even with a sprayhood.
Sailing in this I found an uncomfortable chore. Yes it was good to experience it, but it wasn't something I would choose to do. It's not my idea of fun enjoyable sailing.
What struck me was nobody reefed their main sails. Everybody was heeled over at absurd angles and all the boats, big and small were bouncing all over the palce.
At least 3 boats retired. One split his genoa, one had a failed roller furling and was left motoring home (struggling to maintain course) with a half unfurled genoa that he couldn't retract, and we retired when one of the jib winches packed up. What a chore that was getting the main down in those conditions.
Reading the above posts, I find it strange that some don't seem to enjoy their sailing unless it's an F6. I guess some people just don't like comfortable easy sailing then?
My skipper agreed. He normally sails single handed and said he would have retired much sooner on his own.
Resolution
Well-Known Member
Sailing is mostly done for fun. Even when racing. Your skipper should have followed his insticts and retired when he felt he should. Be sensible enough to know when the boat is overpowered, and be man enough to admit when you are a wimp!
Athene V30
Well-Known Member
+1 and keep the sea state down with no wind over tide
However over the years I have come to the opinion than there are usually 3 types of wind - too little, too much and wrong direction!
KenMcCulloch
Well-Known Member
This is a very peculiar but common practice among racing persons. I think the logic is that when the wind eases between gusts the full main gives some advantage over any boats that have reefed to maintain an optimal sailplan for the strionger winds. I don't think it is a practice that necessarily wins many races.
machurley22
Well-Known Member
I presume you were going upwind since the Hurley is a joy in F6 with the wind anywhere from a close reach aft. It's all about sea state when going to windward in a wee boat (or any boat for that matter) and it's the waves that stop us every time.
