Thunderstorm While Coastal Cruising. What do you do?

[mikepmtl]

There is a Moody 43 at the yard right now that lost his rudder in the ICW. It tore a huge hole in the boat. When they tried to drag it off the sand bar it started filling up very quickly. They had to get several pumps on board and to get her to a lift.

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

User ignore.

that's a good use of time while hove to, work on your ignore list

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by mikepmtl

There is a Moody 43 at the yard right now that lost his rudder in the ICW. It tore a huge hole in the boat. When they tried to drag it off the sand bar it started filling up very quickly. They had to get several pumps on board and to get her to a lift.

YOWSA! Where on the ICW, and what did she draw? (I can see what she draws now ... )

[Therapy]

OH GAWD!

The poster with the cruise ship chairs flying was most likely in a Microburst. IMO. More likely than a tornado.

Lots of thunderstorms in FL in the summertime. Lots. Not that many tornadoes really.

Summer sailing in West FL sucks. Is it better on the East coast OP? Here (West FL) it is farkin' hot with no wind and high humidity. Then the land breeze starts - ahhh - that feels good. Then the thunderstorms can come. But I have been awake and watching them for a long time. "Popping up in 10 minutes" is pure horse schnit. So is them coming at you at 30mph.

If you have to have one go by where you are then do a few (or all, or just one) of the suggestions here. Whatever. Then you can go back before dark.

If you are going to stay out it is great as most the "regular" afternoon "summer pattern" storms move West, hit the coast and just die right there. They just die. Fun to watch. Great for pictures while you sit in little or no wind sweating.

I have been watching this schnit for 40 years.

To the OP -

Reef down and prepare the boat. After a few of them you can learn to read them a little. Kinda like picking a fight - Just how big and just how wide is that dude anyway??
You have been awake and watching it form right?

I am jealous of those with radar. Have only been on one boat with it. Had lots of knobs and things.

[mikepmtl]

Not sure what she draws. But I would guess about 5'-6'.

It was somewhere near Ponce Inlet.

I grounded big time as well at Ponce Inlet last year trying to avoid the boat that was dredging the entrance!!!!

My rudder got buried in the sand very quickly and really made me uneasy. I manage to bounce her off with the waves after emptying all the water tanks and lowering the dingy and putting the anchors out. Not fun at all. A good 2 hour ordeal overall.

[hlev00]

Originally Posted by hlev00

Sorry if it's already been mentioned but don't forget about the boom vang (aka kicker). In addition to letting the main out, if you happen to have a sail up, release the vang. I was a crew on a J144 that got hit be 60 knot squall. The main was down to the equivalent of a 3rd reef. The boat heeled way over and boom was dragging in the water. I let the vang off and boom came up out of the water. The main flogged pretty hard but the boat came back under relative control. We bore off and had a hell of a ride.

I should clarify my post. The winds were 60 kts and it was from a frontal system, not a pop-up thunderstorm.

[SailFastTri]

Originally Posted by Ann T. Cate

SailfastTri,
In any event, "screaming" in bold type at the folks who are not seated near their computers must be a waste of time?

Ann

Sorry Ann

I thought all-caps is screaming. Italics is differentiated text for emphasis, and bold or bolt-italics is emphasis for those who are visually-impaired because they read on smartphones.

Will try to tone it down, but honestly those people who say thunderstorms are merely occasions to break out the bucket and brush haven't really been in a storm, or they're BS-ing with hubris. JMHO. They remind me of Captain Walbridge of The Bounty.
"In an August video interview with Belfast (Maine) Community TV, Walbridge told a reporter, “We say there’s no such thing as bad weather. There are just different kinds of weather.” He went on to explain: “We chase hurricanes. You try to get up as close to the eye of it as you can, and you stay down in the southeast quadrant. When it stops, you stop. You don’t want to get out in front of it. You want to stay behind it, but you also get a pretty good ride out of it.”

How well did that strategy turn out? See article in following link, look for quote about "jousting with hurricanes". The Loss of the Bounty

PS: Note constructive use of italics

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by Therapy

OH GAWD!

The poster with the cruise ship chairs flying was most likely in a Microburst. IMO. More likely than a tornado.

Lots of thunderstorms in FL in the summertime. Lots. Not that many tornadoes really.

Summer sailing in West FL sucks. Is it better on the East coast OP? Here (West FL) it is farkin' hot with no wind and high humidity. Then the land breeze starts - ahhh - that feels good. Then the thunderstorms can come. But I have been awake and watching them for a long time. "Popping up in 10 minutes" is pure horse schnit. So is them coming at you at 30mph.

If you have to have one go by where you are then do a few (or all, or just one) of the suggestions here. Whatever. Then you can go back before dark.

If you are going to stay out it is great as most the "regular" afternoon "summer pattern" storms move West, hit the coast and just die right there. They just die. Fun to watch. Great for pictures while you sit in little or no wind sweating.

I have been watching this schnit for 40 years.

To the OP -

Reef down and prepare the boat. After a few of them you can learn to read them a little. Kinda like picking a fight - Just how big and just how wide is that dude anyway??
You have been awake and watching it form right?

I am jealous of those with radar. Have only been on one boat with it. Had lots of knobs and things.

You're right. Could have been a microburst.

[SailFastTri]

Just to add to my prior post: the main point is that hubris is a dangerous attitude, when it comes to storms. Just because they're small in area or of short duration, doesn't mean they're not dangerous.

[theoldsurfdude]

I have been stuck like that a bunch of times. First of all reef if ya can, you will have plenty of time. The wind will shift just before the rain, it will be cool and refreshing. The storm will not last long enough for the seas to build to any great size so don't worry bout that. Oh and there is that pesky lightning that is going to scare the living hell out of you.
Let me say at this point that I have been sailing off the coast of Florida for over 40 years and I have NOT been hit. (Knock on wood)

[Snore]

Originally Posted by SailFastTri

Just to add to my prior post: the main point is that hubris is a dangerous attitude, when it comes to storms. Just because they're small in area or of short duration, doesn't mean they're not dangerous.

+1. Well said, tried to make that point a few pages back...

[cfarrar]

Some folks have discussed reefing and various methods to depower the sails. That's fine for your basic tropical squall or smallish area thunderstorm. However, if it's frontal, or even an area of storms that coalesces into a line, or if there's a dark roll cloud or other nastiness, I drop the main, lash it down, and reduce the jib to a tiny scrap at best. I start the engine and head downwind.

I'd hate for anyone to be under the misunderstanding that if they simply take a reef or two then they can handle any thunderstorm that comes their way. Their first 60 knot gust front will be a rude wake-up call.

[hlev00]

Originally Posted by cfarrar

Some folks have discussed reefing and various methods to depower the sails. That's fine for your basic tropical squall or smallish area thunderstorm. However, if it's frontal, or even an area of storms that coalesces into a line, or if there's a dark roll cloud or other nastiness, I drop the main, lash it down, and reduce the jib to a tiny scrap at best. I start the engine and head downwind.

I'd hate for anyone to be under the misunderstanding that if they simply take a reef or two then they can handle any thunderstorm that comes their way. Their first 60 knot gust front will be a rude wake-up call.

+1 a very humbling experience.

[mikepmtl]

I agree. I want almost no sail at all in those storms. Once it hits you, it's not time to be trying to reef a sail anymore.

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by cfarrar

Some folks have discussed reefing and various methods to depower the sails. That's fine for your basic tropical squall or smallish area thunderstorm. However, if it's frontal, or even an area of storms that coalesces into a line, or if there's a dark roll cloud or other nastiness, I drop the main, lash it down, and reduce the jib to a tiny scrap at best. I start the engine and head downwind.

I'd hate for anyone to be under the misunderstanding that if they simply take a reef or two then they can handle any thunderstorm that comes their way. Their first 60 knot gust front will be a rude wake-up call.

Serious question here: my boat is markedly bow-tender and has a lot of freeboard. Would it be likely that I would need a little more headsail than a boat that was less tender/responsive to wind? Just in case.

I've seen such a storm but not been in it myself.