40 Knots Happy Wife Video... What Sailing is all about!

[Kenomac]

On our way south from Northern Corsica down to Bonifacio sometime during September 2015, I took this video of my wife Pam enjoying some quality time aboard Orinoco cruising down the waves in 40 knot winds under bare poles.

This is what sailing and cruising is all about... Having fun!

Please enjoy the video.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=HAKLm8vaR2k

It's amazing what a difference it makes as to whether we are heading directly into the wind, or in this case... cruising along with the wind at our backs.

Some larger waves towards the end of the video.

[NSboatman]

Nice vid. Are you motoring as well or just sliding downwind under bare poles?


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[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by NSboatman

Nice vid. Are you motoring as well or just sliding downwind under bare poles?

We are sailing along just under bare poles making 9 knots. I do have the 100hp Yanmar running at an easy 1500rpms (maybe 20hp) just to assist my wife with steering if necessary and to charge the house batteries. I had the choice between this set up or leaving the mainsail unfurled to 25%, but setting up a preventer in this case would be a hassle for very little gain... if any.

We need to run either our generator or engine at least two hours per day to charge the batteries, because we live 100% on the hook in anchorages.

[boatman61]

Nice...
Your lady seems to have the 'Lift and Counter' move's on the wheel near enough off pat from her reactions I see..

[Schooner Chandlery]

You mention mainsail. Was the headsail not available on this trip? A bit of jib or staysail out while running gives some lee helm and makes steering downwind easier.


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[Kenomac]

I decided to post this video after reading a recent thread about how few women seem to take the helm. Pam does all the steering during anchoring and occasionally while underway, with the auto pilot taking care of most of the duties. She hates steering while docking, so I usually take care of that. But she's very capable, and one time needed to completely take control for eight hours during a period with large waves last season on our way south from Elba when I became very seasick. She just let me sleep it off.

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by Schooner Chandlery

You mention mainsail. Was the headsail not available on this trip? A bit of jib or staysail out while running gives some lee helm and makes steering downwind easier.

Cruising is all about having fun!

On that particular day, neither of us wanted to hassle setting up a preventer for the mainsail when we turned down wind, so we furled in the mainsail. Setting up either the jib or staysail would have required a whisker or spinnaker pole, otherwise it would just collapse in on itself and continuously balloon out tugging on the sheets (which is not good.). Our spinnaker pole is enormous and requires two adult males to set up.

So on that day, we used the wind and the motor. The batteries needed to be charged anyway.

[exMaggieDrum]

Excellent vid. Always nice to see sailors enjoying the sea, even without sails up. No need to wear out the rags if you don't need them. She seems like she was in great control while she was having fun. Your clip made me smile.

[SaltyMonkey]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

On our way south from Northern Corsica down to Bonifacio sometime during September 2015, I took this video of my wife Pam enjoying some quality time aboard Orinoco cruising down the waves in 40 knot winds under bare poles.
.

Im' sorry KenoMac. I've got to be harsh. This isn't trolling. Having compared this video to the one of you steering in those waves, I'd have to say she is a better sailor.

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by SaltyMonkey

Im' sorry KenoMac. I've got to be harsh. This isn't trolling.

Monkey troll.

[Eleuthera 2014]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

On our way south from Northern Corsica down to Bonifacio sometime during September 2015, I took this video of my wife Pam enjoying some quality time aboard Orinoco cruising down the waves in 40 knot winds under bare poles.

This is what sailing and cruising is all about... Having fun!

Please enjoy the video.

It's amazing what a difference it makes as to whether we are heading directly into the wind, or in this case... cruising along with the wind at our backs.

Some larger waves towards the end of the video.

Good man.. you've found a keeper... she CAN helm!!!

Keep her and take her out for Valentine's day.

[rockDAWG]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

She hates steering while docking,

My wife hates to steer the boat. But I found that she is very good at the helm when docking. I am always up front at the bow get things ready, and handling the lines and fenders. A few hand signals as needed. No screaming and no yelling, complete silent as we PARK the boat. No drama !!!

[Polux]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

I decided to post this video after reading a recent thread about how few women seem to take the helm. Pam does all the steering during anchoring and occasionally while underway, with the auto pilot taking care of most of the duties. She hates steering while docking, so I usually take care of that. But she's very capable, and one time needed to completely take control for eight hours during a period with large waves last season on our way south from Elba when I became very seasick. She just let me sleep it off.

Lucky you. My wife only takes the wheel when I say it is absolutely necessary and that pretty much is never

Not that she can't, just she does not like it. The most I manage is having her doing some practice, including bad conditions just in case some day it will be necessary and she does that rather well and after 20 minutes of impeccable steering she says: Can I go now

She has a point, she says that I am the one that likes to sail, she likes to be on nice places at anchor...and she knows that I can sail the boat alone.smile:

[Dockhead]

Great video!

Downwind in those conditions is fun. As others have said -- you are a very lucky guy to have a wife who full shares the sport with you, and is capable


Next time you are in conditions like that, try letting out just a bit of your yankee jib. Not the staysail. You would never let out just a little bit on any other point of sail, because it will have no shape, but downwind it doesn't need to produce any lift, so it works.

You will find you will have zero problems with the sail collapsing when the wind is this strong, and you won't need a pole, even DDW. Just don't put the sail by the lee even a little. Better set the pilot on wind mode 5 degrees off DDW.

You'll find it gives great stability and will stop the boat from yawing, make her easier to steer, and reduce any tendency to broach. That's because the headsail is exerting force well ahead of the center of effort of the keel. If you imagine an arrow pointing into the wind, with the feathers stabilizing it -- that's this. Your stern is the arrowhead, pointed into the wind, and the yankee is the feathers, holding the boat so that the stern is pointed into the wind, where it belongs. Get rid of the mainsail when the wind gets up in that range.

[SaltyMonkey]

She looks like she is having a blast. Good for her. Smiles all around.