Overnight cruise

[capn_billl]

I did my first over 24hour crossing a while back.

The sun set with low wind, and clear sky. The weather report for the next 3 days also predicted moderate wind.

I reefed the main at sunset out of habit and set in for the long night watch.

It went well for 4 hours, so I turned the helm over my not a very good sailor wife, and tried for a nap.

Unfortunately I barely dropped off when the tail of a frontal system crossed into the Western Gulf outside my prediction area.

Suddenly huge rollers slammed into the side of the boat scaring my wife AND me, but the wind was moderate as predicted.

So a scary night, too dark to see the waves, it became overcast.

It was weird to have huge waves, and so little wind. The waves were big enough to launch us sideways, and airborne on the peaks followed by a crash and flying water in the next trough.

Each wave caused the mast to whipsaw, and the sails to bang as they filled, dumped, and filled the other direction.

I tried changing course and sail trim and nothing really helped.

I finally reefed them more, and over trimmed until they were more staysails than propulsion.

This at least quieted things down, and we were still making plenty of speed.

It was pitch black, and my instruments were blinding bright even on "night" setting so I turned them off except the compass that had a dim red led and radar. which was a black screen unless it saw something.

The waves continued, I could hear a roar as they approached and broke.

It was a long scary night.

The sun rose on serious slop.

Daytime wasn't any better, but at least I could see the waves before they hit.

Again, changing direction and sail trim didn't help. I finally dropped the sails completely and ran on engine.

It still didn't help either, but there was less issue with turning into the waves.

Long scary voyage, and lesson learned, when checking weather, a system a long ways away can send significant waves hundreds of miles.

[boatman61]

Yup.. that's the early warning that nature sends you, it's the warning I heed to make a bit of Southing on my W to E Transats...

[ChrisJHC]

You say that you tried changing course - was this a large change in direction or 10 - 15 degrees?
You will find that a relatively small change in course will make for a much more comfortable ride.

Also, were you on autopilot?
Manually steering allows for you to work with the waves rather than bashing through them.
It does make for a long night!

[capn_billl]

Originally Posted by ChrisJHC

You say that you tried changing course - was this a large change in direction or 10 - 15 degrees?
You will find that a relatively small change in course will make for a much more comfortable ride.

Also, were you on autopilot?
Manually steering allows for you to work with the waves rather than bashing through them.
It does make for a long night!

I tried 5 degrees at a time. up to 40 degrees.

Further than that would put me too far off course.

There were plenty of angles that made it worse, so I was already at minimum bumpage.

The size of the waves wasn't a problem, more when they broke against the boat caused a sudden lurch that was disorienting, and loud.

As I approached the island the next day, I kept expecting the waves to diminish once I got close, but they split, ran around the island, and recombined on the other side. Bummer.

[Snore]

Welcome to the Gulf of Mexico! Home of the square wave. Where there is rarely a rogue as they never come from a consistent direction.

Also, take to time to READ the manual and learn your instruments. Every manufacturer has a manual dim setting. Lowering them will keep almost all your night vision while allowing you to see wind speed and direction. If properly networked, adjusting one should adjust all.

Also, as much as possible, be sure to trim the main with the traveler. It keeps the boom from slamming.

[capn_billl]

Originally Posted by Snore

Welcome to the Gulf of Mexico! Home of the square wave. Where there is rarely a rogue as they never come from a consistent direction.

Also, take to time to READ the manual and learn your instruments. Every manufacturer has a manual dim setting. Lowering them will keep almost all your night vision while allowing you to see wind speed and direction. If properly networked, adjusting one should adjust all.

Also, as much as possible, be sure to trim the main with the traveler. It keeps the boom from slamming.

Good suggestions, but unless I'm running close hauled the boom is well past where the end of the traveler would be.

I've considered several times rigging a clip on spring line from end of boom to chainplate. It would require more adjusting, and remove, and reclip each jibe or tack, but that's the only solution I can think of for broad reach or down wind.

With swept back shrouds this boat is only designed for downwind using spinnaker.

[Dehler98AK]

If I understand this correctly, you want to stop the boom swinging around. Rig a preventer line to the boom. This works really well. You can easily find diagrams online how to do this.