Got caught unprepared in high winds again

[capn_billl]

I was sailing offshore full sail in light winds, <5kts.

And going nowhere fast. I idly thought of ways to increase sail area, but I knew thunderstorms were predicted, so I decided to stay put.

Then suddenly a 20kts gust came out of nowhere, and began ramping up.

I immediately released the jib sheets, and it began flogging like a madman, and the pressure on the main weathercocked me into irons..

I started an engine to get steerage, and forcibly furled the jib. (it took some cranking to get it in)

The main was now parallel to the wind, so I didn't worry about it except it was very gusty, and not always from the same direction.

I also noticed the sky was getting dark, and spits of rain, and crackle of thunder.

SO I dropped the main to the first reef, and let out half the jib, and went back to sailing. Gusty, but manageable, and put the electrodes in the water.

Then after half an hour the storm moved ahead of me, and toward shore where I could see heavy rain bands, and active lightening hitting the water.

Then after an hour the wind dropped back to 5 kts, the sun came back out, and it was all good again.

I guess just another typical sail.

[TheOffice]

Perhaps you should look to the west to look for approaching storms.

[LittleWing77]

Originally Posted by capn_billl

...full sail in light winds and going nowhere fast. I idly thought of ways to increase sail area, but I knew thunderstorms were predicted, so I decided to stay put.

Then suddenly a 20kts gust came out of nowhere, and began ramping up.

Originally Posted by TheOffice

Perhaps you should look to the west for approaching storms...

Increasingly, I think we'll be encountering situations like this with the trends toward unsettled weather that we're seeing because of global warming.

One thing I learned from the RYA is that a good skipper will always have a number of questions circulating in her head; one of which is "what are the approaching dangers?"

In this case, it was expected weather (you said T-storms were predicted). By their very nature, we never know precisely 'when' a thunderstorm - or the edge of such weather - will creep up on us.

Recently, I had a similar circumstance where I could see the black clouds - which seemed quite a ways off. It was the end of our sailing day and it was still roughly an hour to a safe harbour, so we furled the headsail, started the engine and motored at a higher RPM than usual. My goal was to be on the dock before the T-storms hit.

It was a close call. Just as we got her secured, the big splats of rain began; almost immediately afterwards, big gusts, thunder and lightning. I was SO grateful for my bit of forethought. Especially because the crew could see the black clouds, too. To them, however, the weather looked a long way off and was not something to be concerned about. All my battening-down-the-hatches requests seemed like overkill.

I think ultimately, Bill, you'll get a feel for this. Use a weather prediction service to estimate times when you'll encounter severe weather. (www.windy.com or www.predictwind.com). As that time approaches, heighten your weather-awareness. Did you not feel a drop in the air temperature just before the 20-knots-out-of-nowhere? Reef earlier (remember the sailor's maxim: "reef as soon as you think of it ").

In the case where the weather doesn't turn out as bad as predicted, you can easily shake out the reefs and continue, but when any severe weather is approaching, you always want to get out ahead of it.

Hope this is helpful,
Fair winds!
LittleWing77

[Hudson Force]

Originally Posted by LittleWing77

Increasingly, I think we'll be encountering situations like this with the trends toward unsettled weather that we're seeing because of global warming...................

Certainly, global warming is a serious threat to weather conditions and our survival on this precious earth; however, it's summer in Florida.

Sudden and short "pop-up" thunderstorms led with strong winds are the most common afternoon event in Florida during the summer throughout written history. They might come on fast, but if you are observant, you will always have a least fifteen or twenty minutes to prepare. 'just expect them!

[tilostahl]

Admittedly my experience in Florida is limited, but I remember distinctly that at 3:55 pm we would pack up our tools and go indoors, because at 4:00 pm the thunderstorm would hit. EVERY BLOODY DAY. So furl your sails at 3:55 and you'll be right, mate.

[zstine]

first, a flogging sail is harder to furl then a controlled luff and it is bad for the sail. There is no situation where you ever want to flog the sail, unless you have equipment failure. the easiest way to furl is to turn downwind until the main begins to shadow the jib and then it is easy... even in 40+ knots. you should never use a winch to crank in a jib. the furling system is designed to operate with a few hundred pounds max. cranking in with a winch is a good way to break something and be in a lot bigger trouble! furling upwind in 20knts is usually possible by pinching up a little and easing the jib a little to get a gentle luff, furl a little, ease the sheet, repeat... pay attention to the weather and wind on the water so you have more warning, or perhaps invest in radar.

[Nauticus]

Originally Posted by tilostahl

Admittedly my experience in Florida is limited, but I remember distinctly that at 3:55 pm we would pack up our tools and go indoors, because at 4:00 pm the thunderstorm would hit. EVERY BLOODY DAY. So furl your sails at 3:55 and you'll be right, mate.

We must be a similar age. I too remember this growing up with my grandparents in Florida.

[gonesail]

Originally Posted by LittleWing77

I think we'll be encountering situations like this with the trends toward unsettled weather that we're seeing because of global warming.

really .. are you blaming south Florida wind gusts on climate change? ever sailed in that area in the summer? it's why we like heavy displacement boats.

[LittleWing77]

Originally Posted by LittleWing77

Increasingly, I think we'll be encountering situations like this with the trends toward unsettled weather that we're seeing because of global warming.

Originally Posted by gonesail

Really .. are you blaming south Florida wind gusts on climate change?

Yes - really. As you'll note, other posters have noted it as well (tilostal #8, landsend #9) that afternoon thunderstorms used to be predictable - now they are not. Pay attention when you're next out sailing.

Originally Posted by gonesail

Ever sailed in that area in the summer? It's why we like heavy displacement boats.

Yes. I ran a 125' privately owned Feadship that regularly cruised from Ft. Lauderdale to Naples. I also was a Charter Skipper for the Moorings, as well as Delivery Skipper in and out of Ft. Lauderdale every few months. For now, I recently returned from a delivery through the St. Lawrence Seaway.

Hope that meets your qualifications standard. How 'bout you? Have you sailed much? Recently?

LW77

[Flagfish]

Originally Posted by LittleWing77

Increasingly, I think we'll be encountering situations like this with the trends toward unsettled weather that we're seeing because of global warming.

LittleWing77

Oh, ok. Global warming, eh? And here I thought sailing had always been like that.

[Group9]

Originally Posted by Flagfish

Oh, ok. Global warming, eh? And here I thought sailing had always been like that.

You know if the Fastnet disaster happened again today, someone would be using it as an example of global warming.

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by Group9

You know if the Fastnet disaster happened again today, someone would be using it as an example of global warming.

Why , it wasn’t an exceptional storm for that area at all.

[Stormsignal]

Originally Posted by LittleWing77

Increasingly, I think we'll be encountering situations like this with the trends toward unsettled weather that we're seeing because of global warming.

Hope this is helpful,
Fair winds!
LittleWing77

My dear Little Wing who thinksGlobal Warmingis the cause of tricky weather.

Get thee to a library and read up on nautical history.

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by Stormsignal

My dear Little Wing who thinksGlobal Warmingis the cause of tricky weather.

Get thee to a library and read up on nautical history.

Couple of comments:

I wonder how those chaps back in 1703 measured the wind speeds? I suppose they might have had an anemometer on a spire of Westminster, but then I wonder who calibrated it? Seriously, bandying about numbers like that for an event some 400 years ago is kinda specious. Yes, it was a really bad storm, possibly with even higher wind speeds, but I don't see what that has to do with thunder storms off Florida today. Winter storms are a bit different in origin than TS or rotating storms (cyclones).

Which leads to my second comment: Thunder storms are thermally driven events. Without reference to anthropomorphism, there is no doubt that worldwide temperatures are rising... huge amounts of data to support that. This leads one to believe that there are more thunderstorm genesis situations than in recent previous times... just as LW has posited.

Jim

[Tanqueray]

When I get caught in a blow, I usually run down wind some...takes a huge load off the sails, makes the run way easier on the crew, and brings some great speed.

Certainly if you are in a potential broach, you may need to cut the jib sheet loose and then clean things up after the winds die down some...

But for me, I tend to head downwind if I have the seaway and things can stay under control...

I was out once and I was expecting a big weather shift when a front came through...I said out a ways and everything was great. I tacked around to head home and thought it was going to be a great sail, with the wind just behind a beam reach....should have been a great, easy sail back.

But after I tacked, with wind from the south, I noticed that ahead of me, winds were hard from the north (I could see low clouds at the water level blowing hard from the north), wind and waves developing very quickly and fog along the shore (that I could not see and which was going to quickly be a lee shore).

Like you, I dropped the sails as quickly as I could, but not before the wind shift pushed the boat in a circle. I fired up the Yanmar and motored out of the storm...

No seaway in this case to run downwind, and in 30 knots, not sure I would have wanted to run that hard down wind....

Always a learning experience!


Greg