When do you refuse to sail?

[Nostrodamus]

Only you know if you should go or not. You have checked the weather, used your erxperience and knowledge to mke your best guess at what the tides will be doing in relation to the wind and used that knowledge to decide. If it feels wrong then it no doubt is wrong. For you it was the right decision. Staying put is sometimes the brave decision especiallyif you see othe boats going out.

 

[snowleopard]

Staying put is sometimes the brave decision especiallyif you see othe boats going out.

At the re-start of ARC Europe from Bermuda in 2002 the organisers had flights booked so insisted on a start into a forecast F8. 2/3 of the fleet went out and had a rough time the first night including one who had to come back with steering failure. Those of us who didn't go were under quite a lot of pressure.

 

[snooks]

Staying put is sometimes the brave decision especially if you see othe boats going out.

We were in the Solent this weekend, we didn't go out. Bramblemet was 24-28 knots most of the time, but 10-25 in the marina.

We sail out of Portsmouth and my conclusion was that:
We've been out in worse, so we know we could handle it.
If we wanted to go west it would have been wind against tide to get anywhere
To go east we'd have had to go to Chichester, and I hear the bar can be fun in strong winds from the WSW and we'd have to come back
It was cold
We didn't have to go out
There were two of us
I don't completely trust our engine (no current basis for this, but it seems to enjoy letting me down)
We wouldn't have enjoyed it.

So we went to the cinema on Saturday instead

Much more comfortable than a 6 against the tide in the Solent

 

[Csail]

I have to admit to being a fair weather sailor when at all possible.
As a live aboard with my family I have to think about them as well.
The forecast for today is of high winds so I shall stay nice and snug, batten down the hatches, put the kettle on and do some repairs, read the forums or generally find something to do.
There are those who enjoy sailing in high winds and find it exhilarating but at what point does the fun stop and it becomes dangerous?
At what point do you decide not to go out or if you are out when do you decide to head for that bolt hole?

I used to go out in pretty much anything up to f8-9 but now with kid about 7 max.