Whats the heaviest weather you have been caught in

[Gludy]

What is the heaviest weather you have ever been caught out in?
Please give the wind force and the boat that you were in plus how well it coped.

I have only been caught in a force 5 so far and the boat (Princess 385) coped no problem but I have been caught in some very hefty overfalls that dwarfed a f5.




Paul

 

[BrendanS]

I'm not sure the wind force is relevant, I've been out in force 7 where the conditions were almost benign, and went out to the Needles, in almost flat calm, and planing at high speed.

On other occasions, have come home in a rough force 6/7. Simply slowed down, probably 5-10 knts most of the way from Hamble to Lymington with drysuit on, and was exhilarating rather than scary.

First time I ever went out at sea on present boat, I was going my first club meet, on the Hamble, from Lymington, solo. That was interesting as I was falling off 10 foot waves with black holes below in places. Then could plane for a while, then all rough again. I seriously wondered if boating was for me. When we all headed out of Hamble later in the day I felt like an idiot as it was relatively calm. Later found out that experienced members called off the trip cross channel they were planning, as they were enroute to Needles, as it was roughest water they had ever been in, at the same time I was on the same stretch of water heading the other way.

This year during another club trip, I had to escort a boat back to Port Solent from Weymouth. New girlfriend was on board. As we left Port Solent for Lymington, quite late in evening, after an already long day, the Solent had blown up hard.Wind over tide made for the most difficult conditions I'd ever been out in. Ever at 5knts, I had to zig zag up and down the waves, and even then it was uncomfortable. Funny thing was that the sun had come out for the first time that day, and it was probably one of the most enjoyable trips I've been on. Girlfriend wasn't worried because I wasn't ( I had an almost full tank, so would have happily taken hours if necessary). The relief from the wind as we came into calm water in the entrance to Lymington was tangible...we spent 20 minutes looking at the calm water in the near distance which only slowly came closer.

Been through overfalls several times, St Albans Head, St Catherines, Portland, before I learnt that it's good to plan ahead.

Needles Channel (and North Channel once coming back on another club trip when we just powered through very close to the beach stunning the anglers on the beach who we could almost touch) where I've learnt that no planning seems to make any sense at all, as it's often smooth when it should be rough as hell.

Boat is only 21ft, but it's always got me home, and I've never felt unsafe or uneasy, even if it gets a tad uncomfortable...just slow right down.

 

[DepSol]

8th August 2002 Alderney to Guernsey a F6-7 hit us as we left the large overfalls in the swinge (took inner route to avoid them) and set off for SPP. 3 mins in the weather front hit us (unforcasted as phoned met office an hour before!!) could not keep my heading for SPP so tacked across the weather to the casquets.

Got south of the casquets and made a reverse tack to the humps north of Herm. Could not look properly at the chart at this time as saltwater was stinging my eyes and pelting me so I was stuck in my seat. Made a calculated guess as to when to make the turn from experience, even thort of going down west coast of Guernsey and leaving the boat in a bay til the weather cleared. Things were getting rough and I thort also about calling out lifeboat but pulled myself together and made a tack based on gps position and headed for Herm. Made some good headway keeping a speed of 14 knots till i hit a hole or a big wave then adjust coarse and get going again. Wave height was difficult to say but we could not see land most of the time until we got to the top of the wave, just vey big!

Made it to the North of Amphroque and came in the channel behind it for shelter (this where local knowledge comes in) then proceeded down the east side of Herm trying to get close in to Herm for shelter but the weather was still so strong it was pushing me to wards Sark. Managed to make a last tack in past the Fourquies between Herm and Jethou where we saw a sailing yacht sheltering from the weather just outside Rosaire, we all waved with big smiles on our faces (cos we knew we were close to Home) and I pushed the boat up to 25 knots in the shelter of Jethou as we zoomed passed the yacht. They must have thort we were nutters!!

Saw the Herm Trident heading towards SPP so stuck in its afterwake and caught up with it, over took it again with an inane grin and made it in to SPP wher the FIL was sitting on the pier looking out for us. Called in all ok to SPP radio and moored up soaking wet cold and knackered.

journey took a little over 1 and 3/4 hours which normally takes us 3/4 of an hour.

Boat as most know was my sportscruiser Jeanneau Leader 805 (26'). Worst I have been out in ever. Found out later that day that Condor and Emmeraude had cancelled all their sailings on there passenger vessels.

That is my limit and will never try to top that one not in this boat.

Dom

Merry xmas and a happy new year

 

[kingfisher]

F8-9 NE, from Ostende to Nieuwpoort. But mine is a ragie, so it was actually quite fun. In hindsight. Was actually my first broach.

Group of people on the pontoon: skipper is the one with the toolbox.
http://sirocco31.tripod.com

 

[Gludy]

Brenden - I planned my trip to avoid the overfalls but then met up with an experienced friend who told me to follow him!

My boat was larger than his and all I can say is that the seas were chaotic, no one direction and huge drops and climbs in every direction.

As it happened my better half did all the helming through it and I have to say did a very good job and whilst she had very large eyes as the next big one hit us - she stayed in control. I let this happen because had I helmed I knew she would have given me a rough time and been far more worried. So my experience on that occasion actually worked out OK.

We were getting very wet on the flybridge and the other boat alongside us just a few hundred yards away was really managing some volumes of spray over it.

When we were through it - I learnt from the other skipper that it was the worst he had encountered there and had he known, he would have never taken that route!




Paul

 

[byron]

I'm not sure the wind force is relevant, I've been out in force 7 where the conditions were almost benign,

So so true. I've been out in a force 11 but only popping across from hamble to calshot to drop someone off... the water was only moderately choppy.
Sea conditions depend on many factors, wind over tide, depth of water, wind direction. In my view its a question of how long is a peice of string.
The worst I have seen is a F12 in the South China Sea but I was aboard a super freighter but even so there was no hot food for 36 hours. /forums/images/icons/laugh.gif

http://www.alexander-advertising.co.uk

 

[Bejasus]

The worst I have seen is a F12 in the South China Sea

Saw the same here in the North Sea(Hurricane F5) October 1999 and October 2000

5 mtr seas inside Esbjerg Harbour in 1999. Ship had to slacken ropes & sit on DP inside harbour. 4 killed in town. Flattened most of the trees in Denmark. Were clearing them away for a year. Kept stacking them in the harbour area. Huge piles of them, for shipping.

In 2000 we were at sea. Best roller coaster ride I ever had. Watched it all from the bridge. Enormous seas.

 

[mtb]

The biggest storm I've enjoyed was on a ferry from Hook to Felixstowe.
Don't ask me why they sailed !!
The ship was all over the place you could not stand up ha my mate and I were the only ones in the pay once and stuff as much as you can restaurant .We had spent the weekend at a show in Jarbars getting pissed for four days as you do .The staff looked on in disbelief as we devoured all the expensive grub , every wave sent more plates hurtling across the place but we kept eating :-}.

I just had to go see you know up on deck, cos this was a real storm , I had trouble opening the door against the wind but WOW ferocious wind, and the waves , the noise was deafening. The way the ship rolled !! I loved it.

The best on one of mine was a 7 from the east variable se, out in the middle of the wash in the tug , we could not stand up and I had to time it right to turn between the waves to chicken out and head back to freemans channel I opened the throttle full and pushed it hard around the water came over the side as the thing leaned over.

Mind you on a run from Ipswich in am ex life boat it got quite bad even had to wait in between the waves to make good my course. I didn't mind that one as I was on my own .

Had se6 when bringing Danbrit through The Wash but in a boat like her that was nothing !! apart from the tons of water that built up in the forward sections when the engine driven bilge pump packed in , then she did some big rolling :-{ .
Cheers
Mick

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://homepage.ntlworld.com/boats/>http://homepage.ntlworld.com/boats/</A>

 

[burgundyben]

I was on board a flemming 55 coming from Kristiansand to Dover Straight and onto Hamble in 1992, we got 72 knots of wind, really big waves, rolling and breaking a bit, boat coped really well despite massive green ones coming over the front. Only problem was the hull flexed on some of the landings and broke up some of the furniture in one of the cabins.

Coming home from cork week 2000, sailing a 40 foot J120, Irish sea lovely, turned the corner at lizard and had 45 knots coming down the channel, yuk, seas big and could not see the waves as middle of night so was a bit uncomfortable, I decided to motorsail, made our track 10 degs higher so saved loads of time, couple of boats lost rigs that night and a friend got taken of his boat (28foot) by CG.

"Who was he?"

 

[milltech]

I think where also counts, the potential for seas to build due to the bottom or the fetch has as much effect as the wind. Personally I don't regard any bad weather as something to be enjoyed as suggested by some respondents, rather something to be avoided if possible and endured if not.

I've been in a 9 reducing over 12 hours to an 8, but it was SW in the Moray Firth so we were pretty sheltered at the start. Some hours later with the wind down to maybe an 8 off the Firth of Forth I was reduced to throwing up for hours on end, sat on the heads sole cuddling the bog. It was the first time a found out I get sea-sick in weather after 8-12 hours at sea so now I take something.

John
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.allgadgets.co.uk>http://www.allgadgets.co.uk</A>

 

[whisper]

Wind Speed :- WSW 8 to 10 from kyle of Lochalsh to Isleornsay in 36ft raggie - had difficulty making any headway through Kyle Rhea under power even with the tide helping slightly. BUT wave height no more than about 3 metres in Snd of Sleat so quite enjoyable when able to sail.
Sea State :- 4 metres just outside Salcombe Bar with S5/6 over Spring Ebb tide. This was in a 20' outboard powered walkaround and was very interesting - scary at first, then exhilarating. Boat handled it superbly. Would have been dangerous if waves had been breaking heavily and I wouldn't have tried it. Nor would I have wanted to go any distance in these conditions as concentration required on the helm would have been beyond me.
5 metres + off NE coast of Mallorca - wind NE 6/7. We were on 42' Bavaria and were going with the wind & swell. Good fun but a bit awkward to helm at times. Same height of wave looked majestic when sun was out but grim when it was cloudy. Would have been a real pain if we had been trying to go to windward.

When deciding whether to go coast-hopping by motor boat, sea state is always the deciding factor for us. Wind speed is almost irrelevent though if it is blowing hard, directly on shore, I tend to travel an extra mile or so out to sea in case of engine problems.

 

[byron]

<font color=blue> The worst I ever experienced in a small boat was with Pheran. We were on the Serpentine and Pheran had a bad case of wind. At one stage he bent over and let one go over the stern, this caused our boat to shoot forward at a great rate of knots, what was worse was all the other boats were blown about causing several to sink and others to be driven up the bank indeed in one instance a rowboat ended up in the entrance of the Dorchester Hotel and another landed in the 2nd floor window of the Hilton Hotel.

http://www.alexander-advertising.co.uk

 

[jimg]

Thats interesting cos the same thing happened to my old Fleming 53. Enroute to North Wales from Dartmouth she fell off a big wave off Lands End and the hull flexed and wiped out the furniture in the port cabin. Funny enough she was enroute to take part in filming for that BBC series called Lifeboat

 

[billskip]

This question is like asking a fisherman about his largest fish..but on passage across biscay f10 and bloody big seas one of the crew was so scared he wanted to get off and walk..I told him he wouldnt make it as there were too many hills to climb... boat was sunlegend 41 "icarus"...also 60kts+ wind from N.Africa to Gib..not big sea but visability almost zero due to sea spray..one of the crew suggested we put up more sail!! the boat was a rival 38..if any of the crew on these occasions is reading this they will confirm also it would be good to hear from them again

Bill
www.aegeansailing.co.uk
www.iggedo.com
www.macsyachting.com

 

[Dave_Snelson]

What an amazing feat (or was that fart). It has me in mind of a verse.....

The shipmate's name was Carter,
By 'ell 'e was a farter,
When the wind wouldn't blow.
And the ship wouldn't go,
They used Carter, the farter, to start 'er

Madoc Yacht Club
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.madocyachtclub.co.uk>http://www.madocyachtclub.co.uk</A>

 

[Bergman]

Heading south for River Humber. Wind started W 4-5 then SW 5-6 About 3 or 4 miles north of Outer Binks suddenly backed SE and increased in strength. In half an hour 40+ knts Everything from Outer Binks to Donna Nook was white, like looking into washing machine. Didn't measure wind or waves, looked once and saw 56knts on meter, that was enough. Waves bloody big and confused.

I turned and fled, landed in Scarboro hours later and completely knackered, apparently 3 boats had been sunk in the harbour.

This was in a 31ft raggie.

 

[Dave_Snelson]

I have to say I'm impressed Dom. I like the Leader 805 and its kinda on my shopping list for my next boat, along with the Beneteau Flyer and Salpa Laver. Good to hear sea-worthy stories like this one though!

I know you are hardly likely to knock a boat that you own but are there any positives / negatives on the 805 that you could tell me about. You always get better info from an owner than the sales rep

Cheers and have a good New Year

Madoc Yacht Club
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.madocyachtclub.co.uk>http://www.madocyachtclub.co.uk</A>

 

[DepSol]

The negatives are if you go out in a heavy sea you will get wet. Also need to fit trim tabs I think and not enuf room for a big chartplotter.

Great all rounder for a 26 footer.

Dom

Merry xmas and a happy new year

 

[lanason]

I'll ask Shane. !!


Adrian
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.arweb.co.uk/argallery/kelisha>More Pics of Kelisha</A> /forums/images/icons/smile.gif

 

[Dave_Snelson]

Thanks Dom.

Madoc Yacht Club
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.madocyachtclub.co.uk>http://www.madocyachtclub.co.uk</A>