Where are they going and why?

[Nickel]

Thought 'what the hell?' Persuaded SWMBO 'What the Hell?' Even persuaded the kinder. Then the stuffin engine wouldn't start, and when it did much coaching later, it started to choke on the waves in the entrance to Pompey Harbour this morning. Thought, stuff it, turned about.

45 minutes later looking out over the entrance, things had got even worse, visiblity down, wind F7 gusting 8 over tide, [F8 included as a forecast in all adjacent sea areas, F9 predicted soon to the West] so a horrible short choppy sea, and 2 yachts were motoring out - I just had to wonder where were they going?

In conditions like today's what's a good reason for going out? Am I missing something? I'm genuinely searching for some enlightenment here.

<hr width=100% size=1>Nickel

Being paranoid simply means - having all the facts.

 

[longjohnsilver]

Well you should be able to answer your own question as you appear to have also been going out if it wasn't for enjin problems....................................

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[Nickel]

Ah well, good point ..... but in my defense I was heading out in a brief period when the wind had dropped, and it was still pretty horrible.

I was glad the engine had made the decision for us, when I saw how the wind came back up and strengthened soon afterwards.

<hr width=100% size=1>Nickel

Being paranoid simply means - having all the facts.

 

[Twister_Ken]

Maybe somebody had the thought "There's only one way to learn how to sail in high winds..."

<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.writeforweb.com/twister1>Let's Twist Again</A>

 

[alant]

Could be a YM Prep Course or Pract Exam.
Do forumites have any thoughts on wind strengths which should limit sailing schools?

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[duncan]

I thought that was what they trained instructors to consider

re going out in those conditions I suspect it was for the most important reason of all - lunch somewhere.
probably not going far adn they will have searched hard and found a forecast for light winds later and of course there's only small tides...................

<hr width=100% size=1>madesco madidum ..../forums/images/icons/smile.gif

 

[Zeewulf]

I should imagine that they were Joint Services boats... military crews always going out when everyone else is heading in!

As for limiting wind strengths for sailing schools, surely skippers and makee learnees need relevant experience under a knowledgeable skipper to be able to base judgement on experience. Perhaps limiting schools to wind speed would cut down valuable learning experiences. After all, where they are sailing and tide are surely as important as the wind speed?

<hr width=100% size=1><P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by Zeewulf on 24/10/2004 10:59 (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[Oldhand]

From my observations, it is mostly charter yachts which go out in bad weather. I guess they feel that having paid for the charter they have to use the boat and sitting in a marina isn't an option.

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[Gunfleet]

I'd have thought part of a YM's skill is the nouse to know not to *leave* port in a force 8. You are risking f10 in the gusts and everyone knows it takes a strong boat well crewed to claw offshore in these conditions. Where is a port if not next to the shore? This attitude explains why boating disasters often have 'two of the crew were yachtmasters' or something similar in the report. I'm thinking of those poor young men who wrecked their delivery boat (one drowning) at Sables d'Olonne.

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[Peppermint]

Re:To be honest

It depends which way your going and whether your coming back.

It's rare to find weather in the Solent that causes much concern. There are areas where a bit of wind over tide gives a bit of spite to the conditions but generally it's not a real worry. Most passage distances are short and if you put up with an hours nastiness you can get a bit of shelter from a land mass. The main concerns are the leeshore opportunities that are all around you when leaving and entering places.

The enemy of all but the smallest end of the cruising yacht is waves not wind. The biggest waves in the Solent are not that big.

The other consideration is family crew. If you want to cure them of sailing for ever, scaring them will do that.

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[Stemar]

Re:The biggest waves in the Solent are not that bi

Maybe not, but I got a Westerly Chieftan (Centaur with a boot) heeled to over 60 degrees a mile from Gilkicker once. It was blowing a hooley from dead astern and a wave broached us. An interesting experiance, and I'm sure it was character building, but next time, I'll pass thank you very much...

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[jeanne]

I have lots of sympathy. I spent years doing that before I found out what was wrong. Your problem is that you are living in the wrong country. You are at 50+ degrees north, and boats work OK at that latitude , but they aren't much fun.
You have to move about a thousand miles south, then it starts to make sense.

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[cgull]

I have been out there this weeked..Falmouth...Very wet and windy but i think quite safe and experience building ,fully reefed down, lifejackets etc,. 30+ kts wind ,bigger gusts, but running downwind up the Fal was good. Nobody about. Scuttlebutters yacht "Sabredancer" still bobbing around near Malpas. Had a good night in the pub and a wet and windy ride back Sunday am. Excellent weekend!

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[martinb]

I was one of those out on Thursday pm/Friday am in similar conditions with the same forecast, taking my YM exam, and enjojed some good sailing in the Central Solent and Southampton Water. I have to take issue with the posters who think setting sail in these conditions is foolhardy and agree with TK, the only way to know about sailing conditions in an F8 is to experience them, as we all shall oneday, whether intended or not.

Martin


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[martinb]

As I understand, the incident you mention involved setting out in reasonable conditions that unexpectedly worsened, the crew had no accurate weather forecast etc, not setting out in a F8. I will concede that I have read of many incidents that occur with YMs on board in bad weather, but usually because they have achieved YM without encountering anything above F6. I know sailing in the Solent in a F8 is not like an F8 mid channel, but surely it is better preparation than never going out. As I said in another post, we all will encounter conditions like these and experience is the only real preparation.

Martin


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[iangrant]

We were out - went to Itchenor first though because the Chichester bar was boiling in the morning. Came out of the harbour about 1600 hrs for a fast bash to Cowes the vis went to about half a cable in the squalls but averaged about 7 knots from ryde onwards dark by then. Fantastic sail back on Sunday morning beam reach sunshine great stuff at 8 knots.
As Pepermint says the Solent is pretty much sheltered our only sticky bit was the Chi Bar.
Ian


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[Cantata]

Some years ago I did a coastal skip exam in the Solent in F8-9, out of Lymington with 3 other candidates. Despite our misgivings, the examiner clearly was ready to go, so we did. In fact the whole thing turned out to be completely drama-free. We were on a Westerly Falcon so a good solid platform, and the whole thing was just good fun! We all passed and my own confidence was given a boost.
However..... a few years down the track, I sail mainly with my wife (and not in the Solent), and we don't generally go if it mentions F6 in the forecast.........

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[tome]

Agree with others that Solent is a great place to go out and experience a hard blow. It's a good opportunity to get heavy weather sail handling practice without any of the dangers of big breaking seas. Good fun also!

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[cardinal_mark]

<F9 predicted soon to the West so a horrible short choppy sea, and 2 yachts were motoring outt>

Or perhaps they were just reversing back in after a nasty surprise???

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[Dougie_the_Mate]

Last week in nasty conditions a number of yachts from different schools were working in and around Rothesay Bay. At the time I thought - rather them than me, but thinking more on it - with a good instructor you could learn a lot about boat handling under pressure, certainly more than in a nice breeze and bright sunshine.

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