Whats the worst weather you have sailed in?

Sympathise. For a reality check, recent actual sustained windspeeds can be found <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/Maps/United_Kingdom.shtml>HERE</A>.

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Makes one wonder why we do it, Jeffro! On the other hand, I remeber a trip from Boulogne to Dover in a steady force 8 with a surpizingly calm sea during a sparklingly clear night, lights twinkling on both shores & ships clearly visible. We simply screached along and had to triple check marks as we approached Dover because we couldn't believe what good time we'd made - nearly beat the ferry!
Now THAT's sailing . . .

<hr width=100% size=1>Khyber
 
We had both been out in Force 7 (gusting 8) then last week HWMBO went back up to Troon on his own ................ and will I ever hear the end of his stories about Force 9 ??

Mind you it's worth it when you see the picture of him, taken just after the automatic lifejacket went off. He says a bathtub full of water dropped on him then he hears a hissing noise. In the picture it looks like it's going to strangle him.

Ruth

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Thought it was just wussies like me that dive for the north channel when anything remotely lively is blowing in from the SW.

Worst conditions, nothing of note really. 42knts on the nose, wind against spring tide, but in the Solent and a lovely sunny day, so not too rufty tufty.

<hr width=100% size=1>Think I'll draw some little rabbits on my head, from a distance they might be mistaken for hairs.
 
Top of Skye, Moody 336, 56knts of wind, made a decision never to be out in that again?? It took a whole bottle of gin to calm the crew down once in port /forums/images/icons/wink.gif

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I wish I'd been born rich instead of good looking ?
 
Fog in the Channel

More precisely - Fog in Calais.

I am sure there will be plenty of people to tell me how we could have done it differently but it seemed to be a good idea at the time (those famous last words....).

We departed from Calais in March 2003 in a 25m Dutch barge at dawn with 1M visibility steering by GPS (there was no compass, it wasn't my boat and I didn't find out about it until the fog closed in).

Before we reached the shipping lanes the fog closed in to < 25m (it wasn't difficult to measure, the skipper on the helm could hardly see the crew keeping a lookout on the foredeck).

We turned round and steered back to Calais staying out of the approach channel to avoid the ferries.

We nearly hit a port mark for the channel as we approached from the South. A barge is not very good at tight turns within its own length while underway; we nearly hit the harbour wall on the Eastern side as we arrived in Calais and missed it by a few metres. We were fortunate in having a VERY shallow draft; we got ourselves completely lost inside the harbour entrance and ended up lying astern of a ferry called the Pride of Provence. We couldn't see it very well and didn't even identify it as a ferry until it was about to leave and the propellors started turning.

We were all very glad the ferry had a good lookout on the stern because someone saw us there and complained to the harbour master.

The mission was aborted for a few days while we all recovered from the fright we had given ourselves.




<hr width=100% size=1>Jeanette
 
In a ship : winter storm in the North Atlantic which broke the ship's back. Worst ever crossing by the captain (later commodore of the fleet). Three weeks to cross Atlantic after breakdown.

In my boat : Force 8 with 60 knt squalls. Literally tore the metal in the hanks on the storm jib. Had previously been moored in Port Tudy harbour with the dinghy tied alongside. In the morning it was in the cockpit.

John.

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Nothing much really, though did have a gust that registered over 50knots on the anewindythingy from astern when coming in to berth at Levington once. Had the 1GM full in reverse and just managed to avoid mounting the pontoon.

kim


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Not windy, but heavy heavy fog...

Was in a 28' 1970's home built rather crude wooden thingy, holding station off the end of the start line for the tall ships leaving from Plymouth a few (actually quite a lot of) years back when weather closed in.....

Seriously scary knowing that these huge ships with very average maneouvreability were sailing down on us, with visibility down to 100'...

But will never ever forget for the rest of my life the experience of watching a square rigger appear out of the fog, and disappear gracefully away just a few seconds later...... ghostly, yet awe inspiring.... the crew all commented afterwards that they felt like they had been timewarped....

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Re: Strangely enough

I've sailed in 60knot plus winds a few times. Once, in the N.Sea crossing from Schavenigen to Harwich was the worst sail of my life S.Easterly. Another time in similar conditions but sailing from Crookhaven to Kinsale was the very best sail I've ever had. S.Westerly.

The difference was the seas, the wind direction in relationship to course and most importantly the boat.

You always know when it's too windy. You've got the place pretty much to yourself, well in the upwind direction anyway. I once took a 24ft Achillies from Yarmouth IOW to Poole. in 16hrs. I've no idea how windy it was but the only other boat in the Needles channel was a Ocean Youth Club ketch under storm canvas.

Don't be seduced by seeing lots of other sails out there already, either.

In the late 70's I owned a car topable dinghy called a Bobbin. Following the 3 hour drive to Sandbanks we were encouraged to see plenty of sails out in the Harbour at Poole so we rig and sailed. Out of the shelter of the boatyard we picked up speed and it became apparent that returning was out of the question. Shortening sail was out too as we had a sleeved main. We powered up Poole Harbour in a welter of spray, noticing that the dinghies we'd spotted earlier had FD on the sail and many of them were broken. We hit Long Island, the fetch had increased as we proceeded and steering around it seemed out of the question. My brave crew stepped of to starboard in ankle deep water, I piled out on the portside to find "no bottom". We carried the boat across the island, relaunched and headed for Arne. Ate our sarnies and I went to find a taxi to take a wet bloke to Sandbanks. My mate took the boat apart and found the warden so we could drive into the reserve.

Quite a good day really.

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Re: 8 tonnes?

Well unless I'm mistaken the My Sigma and my girlfriends Sigma both have nice wooden plaque which reads 8tonnes and 9/10ths. This is a British built boat none of that foreign rubbish thats built for a F3 :-)


Sorry for the delay I'm sunning it up for work in Phoenix, Arizona - No sailing here :-(




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On ships - 70+ knots sustained on several memorable occasions. Only frightened once (flat bottomed ship with bridge right forward and tiny bow - I was convinced the bridge lights would be carried away) otherwise great fun.

On yachts open seas- 45 knots sustained with some big gusts and matching seas. Once with wife 50k with gusts to 59 but sheltered waters. Biscay 40+ knots and seas just carried on building. Emsworth mill pond saw a radio-controlled boat overwhelmed by 6 inch waves in almost 15 knots...

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Re: 8 tonnes?

That's almost certainly Thames tonnage that you have on a plaque, which is a measure of volume and cargo carrying ability, not weight. If you're Part 1 registered for example you have to have the Thames tonnage carved into a bulkhead/plaque.

For example, a Contessa 32, which weighs about 4,500kgs, has a Thames tonnage of 8.88 tons. The Thames tonnage has little to do with the weight of the boat.

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mmm funnily enough the worst sea state I have experienced was a confused sea off the North Coast of Scotland.. the underlying NW swell topped off by the remains of an Easterly and very little wind.. v v v v v v lumpy and no particular direction to the sea.. not enough wind to sail and keep the boat steady.. reeeeeeeeeallly orrible I succomed to projectile vomiting around 2am uuuggghhhh


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Here it is...

10s.jpg

...well, I wasn't there really...
Just thought you might be interested in <A target="_blank" HREF=http://tv-antenna.com/heavy-seas/>this</A> site, if really bad sea conditions is what you're interested in...

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From Poole the North Channel is the more direct route to the Solent anyway and doesn't need the buoy hopping as if using the Needles Channel, plus if you are taking the favourable tide stream you will arrive with enough water not to even need to go round N Head buoy and and can go direct to a little north of Hurst (ie don't stray south of the track over the Shingles). Similarly if heading for Poole you can go directly for it from a position just inside N Channel (say 500yds) if you are leaving with enough favourable tide to make Poole, since that would be above half tide at Hurst. The advantage is most useful in a SW wind since it helps to lay Poole Bar Buoy or No 3 buoy on one tack.

The Needles Channel in strong wind over tide conditions is not a good place and provides a lot of business for Yarmouth lifeboat, there have been many fatalaties over the years.

<hr width=100% size=1><font size=1>Sermons from my pulpit are with tongue firmly in cheek and come with no warranty!</font size=1>
 
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