Strom Tactics

[casual]

You are a 1000 miles off shore a slow moving weather system catches up to you. Your boat is a full keel 35 to 42 ft sloop or sloop cutter. Wind is 25 to 30 gusting 40 plus. Okay you heave too . Not getting it done sea size has increased to 15 ft plus and frequency has shorten. Next you turn down wind as wind and seas get larger you deploy a Drogue. Now you have done all you can think of and hunker down to ride it out. After a duration as the weather system is passing you get a 180 degree wind shift. All of your preparation is for a following wind and sea. Now what you still have a following sea but now a head wind. This has been going thru my mind today. I know there many experienced Ocean Voyagers on the Forum perhaps you have encountered such and could pass on your experience. Many Thanks

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by casual

You are a 1000 miles off shore a slow moving weather system catches up to you. Your boat is a full keel 35 to 42 ft sloop or sloop cutter. Wind is 25 to 30 gusting 40 plus. Okay you heave too . Not getting it done sea size has increased to 15 ft plus and frequency has shorten. Next you turn down wind as wind and seas get larger you deploy a Drogue. Now you have done all you can think of and hunker down to ride it out. After a duration as the weather system is passing you get a 180 degree wind shift. All of your preparation is for a following wind and sea. Now what you still have a following sea but now a head wind. This has been going thru my mind today. I know there many experienced Ocean Voyagers on the Forum perhaps you have encountered such and could pass on your experience. Many Thanks

Start your engine , scrap of main , jog into the waves at low engine revs. Great tactic on modern boats.

, ps 25 to 30 gusting 40 on a 42 footer , I'd be reefed and sailing fast towards my destination. Lol. Why in hell would you put out a drogue in that

Dave

[minaret]

Strom Thurmond? Didn't like his tactics at all....

[ozskipper]

30-40 knots is "sailable" although somewhat bumpy. So no real reason to heave to unless waiting on a tide to enter a port ( but that's another discussion).

But for the sake of the argument, ok we are hove to and the conditions reverse. All hove too situations are with the boat pointing into the wind- slightly. If conditions reversed, it would simply be a matter of turning the boat around. While the swell may be behind, the "sea" will be back on the nose and the boat will be pointing into the new breakers created by the localized conditions. The waves will most likely "stand up" somewhat and one would have to be prepared for a bumpier ride than the previous situation.