OMG ! Clawing Off a Lee Shore in a Gale !

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by SV Demeter

I dont believe you. Upwind in 50kts with an 80% jib and a double reefed main? Sorry I was following with interest the debate over auxiliary diesels but the OP's story here is nothing more than pure ********.

Ahhh... but he is naming it as reported wind speed... 3 miles inland at that...
It could have been in an acceleration zone and he was only experiencing 30 at sea...
Hard to tell heading inshore as the sea build up is minimal compared to a sea breeze... noise level aint that much different...
Just a thought...

[SV Demeter]

Originally Posted by boatman61

Ahhh... but he is naming it as reported wind speed... 3 miles inland at that...
It could have been in an acceleration zone and he was only experiencing 30 at sea...
Hard to tell heading inshore as the sea build up is minimal compared to a sea breeze... noise level aint that much different...
Just a thought...

Gotcha makes perfect sense. BTW Im posting my ad for a particular bridge in the classifieds right now...

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by SV Demeter

Gotcha makes perfect sense. BTW Im posting my ad for a particular bridge in the classifieds right now...

It must be a tall one.... its way over my head....

[kaimusailing]

I got hit with a microburst from a lightning storm off Jupiter Inlet in Florida about 10 years ago. I was singlehanding overnight and had sailed around a similar storm in the afternoon by heading toward the beach. The wind was very light and I slowly tacked away from the shore. After dark I saw the lightning storm approaching and tried to start the engine, it did not start. The microburst hit with a big whoosh and that carpet of streaming foam effect when the wind is way up. I had full main and jib up. There was no time to do anything with the sails. The main traveler let loose from the jam cleat and let the main out to its limit. That spilled the main. I feathered the jib and kept the boat from falling off or going into irons. It lasted less than an hour, but the boat held its own. Later I found the fuel line had become loose at the engine and after securing it, the engine ran normally. I don't know what would have happened if the main traveler hadn't let go.

[Randyonr3]

Originally Posted by SV Demeter

Gotcha makes perfect sense. BTW Im posting my ad for a particular bridge in the classifieds right now...

I'll take that bridge, and raise you two islands in the south pacific.
(I Call)

Odd thing it is that anyone of any age can join this forum and post "almost" anything without being accountable for it..
A couple lines in and you can tell he's (or she for that matter) is full of "BS" but it was funn reading..

[kaimusailing]

The problem with the bridge you want to sell me, it wasn't on my charts, so we called over to a marina and they said, "Oh, it's 65 one span and 75 on the other span". It turned out they were describing a different bridge. When I arrived at about 0130 going downwind in a gale, I hit it, but I was amused by the optical illusion that you weren't going to clear that bridge, it doesn't look that high... I recovered and limped back up against the wind and anchored for another day. I've got better charts now and I could go that way and take the outside bridge, Lots of clearance there, but this knowledge is good for the newbie's who hopefully won't hit your bridge.

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by Hogan

Look - I'm just curious:

What percentage of sailors have ever been caught on a lee shore in a storm so severe that thier storm sails (you do have those and know how to use them right?) and ground tackle (You do carry an oversize storm anchor with at least 400 feet of rode so you can set and hold the hook in deep water, and you know how to use it, right?) that the only thing that saved your boat was motorsailing?

I've just replaced my gas outboard with a smaller electric one, and you should hear the crap I get about it!

LEE SHORE!!!

GALES!!!

What were you doing near a lee shore under such conditions?

Did your engine give you the (over?) confidence to head out or close land when it would have been more prudent to stay put or stand-off?

Heck, did it even start after getting water from those following seas up your tailpipe?

....

In "The Long Way" as Moitisessier approaches the Horn, he stands off over 100 miles to give himself and his wife sea room, just in case his celestial navigation is off and the wind foul. His "Weather Forecasts" were the British Admiralty charts with the little gale squares...

He had an engine as well -

It was 7 hp, and capable of pushing Joshua at all of 2 knots in a dead calm. It was not for clawing off lee shores.

So really - how many sailors are saved by thier powerful "reliable" diesels, and how many end up in deeper trouble because of the complacency they foster?

You did remember to use biocide, bleed the fuel lines, and kept that starting battery topped up, right?

The raw water intake is clear and the impeller is in good shape...and that water separator and vented loop - you stay on top of those yes?

Your tank has enough fuel in it that it wont suck air when you are knocked down 60 degrees in the hurricane, right?

Oops - you say the wind is 30 knots, you were just out for a daysail and forgot to check the forecast, your 200 yards off the beach, a lobster pot is wrapped around your prop, you dont have storm sails becuase you ordered self tailing winches instead, your roller furler jammed, and your bow anchor is a danforth copy undersized for a standup paddleboard, and besides, you never leave the cockpit at sea, because the foredeck is SCARY....

hmmmmmm.....

Can I have your selftailing winches from what's left of the wreckage after the tide goes out?

They're pretty. I can sell them on Craig's list and buy another anchor...

So let me get this straight -- you're asking if people have ever made a certain mistake and then already jumping them for it?

Have you ever met someone with less experience than you? Maybe everyone is less skilled than you ...

You've held a whole debate with other imaginary people in one post!

[Hillbillylad]

I have a long trip ahead of me soon, hopefully sooner rather than later. I'm in a rush to get to the Bahamas and am massively inexperienced. However, if I end up getting swept onto a lee shore it will probably because I'm sat below reading this thread. At least I'll be up to date on where I went wrong and how to sort it so thanks fer that....aye

[hummingway]

Originally Posted by Hillbillylad

I have a long trip ahead of me soon, hopefully sooner rather than later. I'm in a rush to get to the Bahamas and am massively inexperienced. However, if I end up getting swept onto a lee shore it will probably because I'm sat below reading this thread. At least I'll be up to date on where I went wrong and how to sort it so thanks fer that....aye

Note from Mgt.:

We do not endorse sitting down below reading the forum while putting your boat on the rocks and take no responsibility for said actions ... however, should it happen please immediately start a thread telling us about it.

Thanks.

[Hillbillylad]

Originally Posted by hummingway

Note from Mgt.:

We do not endorse sitting down below reading the forum while putting your boat on the rocks and take no responsibility for said actions ... however, should it happen please immediately start a thread telling us about it.

Thanks.

i have a feeling it'll be uploading the youtube link when I get in bother. I'll remember to give the forum a good plug though as I go under

[Capt Phil]

I'm in agreement with many of the old salts responding to this thread. Having cut my teeth towing black oil barges from Cape Scott to Cape Beale on Vancouver Islands west coast, in over 50 years at sea, I never got caught on a lee shore. Learned very young that whether working or cruising, they were to be avoided at all costs. On deliveries from the PNW south, I always headed about 50 miles out past Cape Flattery before turning left and kept about 50 miles out the whole trip except I occasionally cut the corner at Pt Conception but only headed south. Going north always out 30-40 miles.
Lee shores are not a sailors friend and are to be avoided like bad company. Capt Phil

[downunder]

Lee shores are possible more of an issue for a cruiser & would mostly occur at an anchorage with wind shift situation which is when an oversize anchor is useful.

I hear watch weather.

[cal40john]

I've never been in a serious lee shore situation. I have dropped off my racing crew at a marina that getting back out was into the wind in 25 knots of wind. The outboard on the Islander 26 spent more time out of the water than in and could not leave the marina. Went back behind the breakwater and put up some mainsail and motorsailed out with no problems, other than the engine over revving while out of the water.

The Atomic 4 in a Cal 34 makes good upwind progress motorsailing in conditions gusting to 50 kts. Motoring alone was very slow, sails alone worked, but mainsail along with the motor had a much better pointing angle and much better speed and vmg.

I believe I read in a Pardey book in their description of the Cabo disaster that the last boat to successfully leave was a Cal 40 that sailed out. Many of the boats that tried to motor out either ran over anchor lines and fouled their prop or the engine overheated because of all the sand stirred up clogged the water intakes.

My current boat is a Cal 40 with a 27 hp diesel. Motor sailing has worked well for me on this boat as well.


John

[TassieBloke]

Originally Posted by hummingway

Note from Mgt.:

We do not endorse sitting down below reading the forum while putting your boat on the rocks and take no responsibility for said actions ... however, should it happen please immediately start a thread telling us about it.

Thanks.

...preferably while it is happening, so we can enjoy the live feed, and at the same time give you much helpful advice such as 'why are you in this situation at all?' or ask helpful questions, such as 'do you have a Rocna deployed? If so, you cannot possibly survive, so change immediately to a Manson Supreme.'

[downunder]

Originally Posted by TassieBloke

...preferably while it is happening, so we can enjoy the live feed, and at the same time give you much helpful advice such as 'why are you in this situation at all?' or ask helpful questions, such as 'do you have a Rocna deployed? If so, you cannot possibly survive, so change immediately to a Manson Supreme.'

You have been reading too many Rocna threads Bloke

Time for a Cascade.