Weekend - would you go

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Sailfree

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Intended to leave overnight on Friday from Solent to Guernsey but weather looks F6 reach. Could be exciting but its the start of a 9 day holiday with 4 females on board for the pleasure rather than the sailing.

What would you do
Ans1 - put the girls to bed and go for it.

Ans 2 delay by 12 hrs and go early Sat but loose a day.

Serious question as we don't want to frighten people on 1st day. All have sailed before but SWMBO does not like bad weather and will insist we sail for pleasure.

Appreciate that there is the PC answer - bow to whhat SWMBO wants but what do you do when 2 other men will be raring to go.
 
Sailfree said:
Intended to leave overnight on Friday from Solent to Guernsey but weather looks F6 reach. Could be exciting but its the start of a 9 day holiday with 4 females on board for the pleasure rather than the sailing.

What would you do
Ans1 - put the girls to bed and go for it.

Ans 2 delay by 12 hrs and go early Sat but loose a day.

Serious question as we don't want to frighten people on 1st day. All have sailed before but SWMBO does not like bad weather and will insist we sail for pleasure.

Appreciate that there is the PC answer - bow to whhat SWMBO wants but what do you do when 2 other men will be raring to go.
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You could put the girls on the ferry.

But......

My inlaws have just called to say their fast ferry has been cancelled because of the conditions. F6 to F7 during the day all day will make it nicely sickmaking.

So my answer to "would you go" isn't the one you want to hear. You asked......
 
Calm at the moment but we have a charter boat booked for diving Saturday south of the IOW and it is looking doubtful at the moment. Will be keeping an eye on the conditions in the channel.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/coast/buoy/index.shtml?co_channelbuoy#results

What I have noticed this week is whilst having a smoke in the garden the strong winds during the day have died right down each evening. You might just get a break tomorrow evening, otherwise its shopping in Cowes.

Pete
 
Y not go have a play in the solent if its blowing, that way u can get out at least, and gently introduce the girls to stronger conditions, and as soon as they had enough you can come back in. Might make them more compfrtable next time, or if it comes up unexpectidly whilst out.

Ants
 
Anthony said:
Y not go have a play in the solent if its blowing, that way u can get out at least, and gently introduce the girls to stronger conditions, and as soon as they had enough you can come back in. Might make them more compfrtable next time, or if it comes up unexpectidly whilst out.

Ants
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That would be my approach too. The crew feel they've had some excitment in stronger winds in the Solent but they'll enjoy a calmer Channel crossing later (Monday looks good at the moment). There's still most of a week the other side of the channel.
 
The most interesting thing about this post is that you haven't considered asking the crew what they fancy doing.

...but you have asked a load of strangers on a Forum.

I suspect if any of them had the slightest concern about a brisk crossing they'd have already called you tonight so I'd say it will be a goer.



Anyway, what would I do? I'd ask 'em what they fancy doing. It would be a rather odd group of people who couldn't come to a reasonable solution between them.
 
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I had to read the original post twice and remember it is here and not in the lounge. 4 females on board and one suggestion is put them to bed and go for it..

However, for the sake of 12hrs why get punished as well as losing a night's sleep, not to mention nookie points, if the weather is expected to improve? Gung ho rarely wins fair maidens! You could maybe do a short hop to say Studland to see the seahorses and put a bit more west in before you head off 12 hours later?
 
Would you go

JUst like to reassure people.

I have made my decision based on current forecast. I will review it after tomorrows Met office forecast.

I asked the question to tease out others fellings. I note that no one has gioven an opinion on what the conditions are likely to be F4 overnight or really a F6 -7 .

I have one person on boartd that will be doing this as captain as a qualifying passage for his Yachtmaster and I have on purpose put him on the spot and said its his call to go or not.

I want him to really feel the responsibility of being a captain. He probably realises that as its my boat I will over ride his decision if I thought it unsafe.

I know how I think but unsure how he will and i though fellow formites would prepare me for his possible decision.

It is a reach, boat is well equiped 43' out of curiosity would you go with a F6-7 reach cross channel if it was 3 men that are up for it?
 
It's a holiday, (for SWMBO and family, as well as you and your gung ho mates), and you should always go at the pace of the "weakest" member. You wont be losing a day, you'll be sleeping this side of the channel, and spending a day crossing it... all part of the holiday.

Similar principle to - If you're thinking about reefing, just reef. If your thinking about shaking it out, give it half an hour.
 
Notwithstanding your reassurances, (which we dont actually need :) ), you dont seem to want the answers your getting. You said F6, not F4. If it's a Force 4, then go - it will be a nice comfortable sail. If it's a F6, dont go - end of as far as I'm concerned.

Not sure you should have given your skipper the chance to be overuled. If he says go, suggest that he may not be considering the welfare of all of the crew. If he says dont go, congratulate him on being a good skipper.

Hopefully it will be a nice F4, and it becomes a non issue.
 
Richard10002 said:
If it's a Force 4, then go - it will be a nice comfortable sail. If it's a F6, dont go - end of as far as I'm concerned.
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Hang on, I think the crew should be considered here.

I can't think of any reason why you can't cheerfully reach all night in a F6 in a f**king huge boat. It'll only be dark for a few hours. Everyone on the boat has sailed before. Therefore the decision comes down to crew welfare alone, yet the decision is being made here without actually asking what the crew want to do!
 
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no I wouldnt. I go out in anything racing with the lads on board but have a golden rule with family of not going if the forecast mentions a 6. Forecatst have tolerances and a 6 can be either a 5 or a 7.

TBH I never go with the family if the course is to windward and its more than 15 kn . downwind, 20 or so.

ask yourself why most men sail without wives / partners. its because they have chanced it , had a rough passage and frightened off the sensible sex.
 
delay. You can always play around in the Solent with eth boys for a little while. No point in spoiling the beginninng of your holiday.

I'll be in the same situation in two weeks time... remind me of what I told you
 
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I would probably not go to Guernsey on the forecast of F6 unless I had total confidence in all the crew enjoying it.
Chances are you'll end up diverting to Cherbourg to avoid the rough water if the weater comes in. Possibly better to have a short shakedown sail to Yarmouth, then have a nice crossing a day later. Maybe Cherbourg would be good, as it gets you within striking distance of Guernsey with the short weather windows we seem to have of late? It's an easy place to enter etc, crossing should be a blast with no dramatic stuff at the end?
Really depends on your reading of the forecast. The forecast for Saturday keeps changing it. Is it going to be F5, occ F6 or solid F6 with lumps of F7 in? Depends on your boat too.
NOAA weather looks nicer than Met Office. I'd look at the French lies too!
 
Just had a look at the synoptics and it looks as if you'ld be getting around 40 knots or so around midnight.

Seems to me that the sea will be very lumpy and the wind more than hoped for. SWMBO was told by one of her instructors that he wouldn't go if the forecast had a 6 in it as his missus wouldn't be happy. After the odd occasion when we were caught out in a 7 without meaning to she decided that she too would adopt this principle. The logic being if a 6 is forecast it is likely you'll get more than that at some point.

However, your boat is bigger than mine so situation may be different.
 
Sympathise with your predicament.
Going through the similar mental debate at the moment - tend to err on the side of caution. We have other issues of 'tidal gates' that mean it's go on Saturday morning or scrap the trip.

Smart money would be on the 'play in the Solent' option and postpone the departure. Set off with a reef in and the moment it gets to a second reef then you head for home.
Avoid what HID calls the 'tippy- tippy' moments and keep them warm and happy - demonstrates that you have thought of their requirements.
May well impact how long you spend sleeping in the garage or on the sofa.

The lads will appreciate it, eventually because the girls will be happier and more confident if it does blow up later.
 
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