Quote:
Originally Posted by jeanathon
No ocean sailing is not the same as lake sailing, but neither is one patch of the ocean the same as another patch of the same ocean. They all present unique challenges, but also similarities that build on the whole thing called experience.
One thing I learned on a lake is that thinking you cannot reduce sail because you are single handing is dangerous thinking. Best to turn up into the wind earlier(before you break stuff) to reduce sail rather than later when single handing.
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Sure but I was sailing in the lee of the land with a
forecast of only 22 knots.
I pulled anchor circled in to shore and raised the main with my one reef which is all it has.
After clearing the cement ships I set the autopilot then unfurled the
jib and started cruising home. This at 0730.
Pretty soon though the waves were nearing 7'-8' and the wind gusting over 30 knots as soon as I cleared the protection of the land. I had to get away from the bridge so I was headed SW on a broad reach.
After the waves started breaking over the side, I was holding on to the
winch to stay onboard. Soon the autopilot was over powered so I had to steer by hand. Also during this time I had to reach below to get a couple
hatch boards to put in and my harness.
Some time during this period the
dodger frame got broken by a breaking wave.
As soon as I had enough room to turn DDW I did and furled the jib which was tough in those winds. Got
rope burns.
About that time a tanker was coming in so I had to
head a bit SE to let him pass.
After that it was just holding the boat at DDW but I couldn't see any buoys I guess because of the wave height and spray.
By this time there was no way I could turn into the wind in those conditions. The boat would have taken a real beating if I had.
I was also worrying about my near 20 year old
rigging and loose tiller (which later I found was just the bolts needed tightening)
So I crossed the two
shipping channels where the worst of the waves were and it was wind against tide. By the time I was in sync enough to
record the video things were starting to lay down a bit and I was nearing my creek. By this time it was somewhere around 1000.
All I had to do was split the two jetties which again put me on a broad reach. I came in sideways due to wind and strong tide on the windward side just in case something broke.
Soon as I got a bit of cover I set autopilot then went forward to lower the main. The boat was still flying along....
A 55'
racing boat was the only other boat I saw. It was from my
dock and they too had underestimated the wind. One of the crew said the waves were breaking over the bow and back to the
cockpit. He said a few of them got brutally seasick. They were sailing sort of upwind with jib only but they soon turned back
Fishermen were telling each other the wave were 10' and coming in. They were probably on the ocean side of the bridge and still in the protection of the land somewhat
Repairs were
dodger frame, tiller bolts, and bow lights. The bow must have been under water so much they stopped working.
In video below, Winds gusting to 29 knots here (different day) but just had a bit of jib up. Autopilot steering.
Sometime after this video I crossed between two 40' plus sailboats headed into the wind under reefed main and jib . One looked like it was on rails. Really going to windward well.....I was quite envious and immediately went to YachtingWorld to search for a similar boat when I got home.