Thunderstorm While Coastal Cruising. What do you do?

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by Therapy

Rack,

You missed an important part of the question.


Different part of the year = different type of answer eh?

I'm not sure what you're asking, but in March and April, "impressive" storms are more likely going to be associated with a front -- and so, more predictable. Is that what you meant?

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by mikepmtl

I'm not sure how deserved it is, but she does have blind faith in my ability. Most likely from her inability. When we talk about that specific storm it's funny since at one point I did look down and just saw here there with one hand on the table not to roll off of the settee and the other with a book in it.

I'm say something "You have no idea what we are going though huh?". And she just says something like "Ya I know it's raining."

I felt it was better to just leave it at that.

But we could not have been at any further opposites on how we were feeling. She was calm and relaxed and I was, at least internally, freaking out when the gusts were rolling us (not over but more degrees than I like).

That's when I gave up our course and went into the wind and things got more comfortable.

Well, I don't have as much experience as you, and if I'm in a storm destination sailing has ended until the storm is done with us. I would take that stance in even a moderate thunderstorm, because in one I was in (in late April, but not front-related), it was building as we moved through it.

We were very close to our destination and the guy with me had turned out to be domineering but clueless (he wanted me to move the boat closer to shore, for instance) and I stuck to our destination, but if we'd still ben out to sea I would have tackled him when he wasn't looking, hogtied him, and then duct-taped his mouth, which never stopped.

Other than that, it was a lovely sail.

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by Blue Crab

I couldn't stand it. I've read the whole shebang, and one post really stood out for me. First was Dockhead's comment that a tiny bit of basic
seamanship would get you thru the kind of T/S that springs up every summer afternoon in S Fl. That was my only point. DH's other essential comment went to the willingness of one to learn something.

Lastly, I read some stuff about over-confidence and the like. Please reread paragraph, above. I've been sailing my whole long life but never claimed to be anything more than a coastal cruiser. At least not while sober.

My daughter story just went to the point that I'm not macho as much as uncaring, hollow, no longer give a fig about anything. No further condolences required. Death of my baby girl two years ago at 15, just changed me, and not in a good way.

I knew you'd read it, and you're right that it's about sailing skills. Unfortunately there's only one way to get them ... You can't read your way to good sailing.

So have you looked at any boats yet?

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by daddle

Okay. That clears it up. Nice to know a Raymarine wind instrument survives 81 knots. I would have thought not. I've never felt anything close to a 80 knot gust, that I know of.

Half of me now wants a wind instrument quite badly. The other half of me knows that if it had been me and I had seen 81 knots -- even if I had handled it brilliantly -- I would have lost my nerve.

Like when I learned to ski -- the third day, the instructor took us down an expert slope, and considering my mild CP I was doing really well. Shorter skis, but handling it. He warned us -- "If you fall down, don't look up the hill!"

Well, when I did fall, about half way down, what did you think I did? I looked to see where I had been. Ye GODS that slope was steep! Then I lost all my nerve, and fell every 30 seconds. I think better that I not know.

[mikepmtl]

Good stories.

Thanks!

[mikepmtl]

A very typical SW Florida Afternoon Storm. This one at anchor showing the boat that hit me. I pulled a guy out of the water that was floating past me towards the inlet. He was chasing after his pontoon boat that also came close to hitting me. I got caught in 3 storms that day. Florida afternoons can be a pain in the butt in summer

Hopefully this will embed.

https://www.facebook.com/video/embed...51147043575042

[theoldsurfdude]

Guys,Guys
The point is that if you think you may have to reduce sail, you better damn well do it. Somehow you lost the point in some kind of "I found a hole in your story B.S.

[mikepmtl]

At this point in the thread it's just a bunch of boat guys shooting the bull around.
Would be a lot nicer with a beer in our hands in someone's cockpit.

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by theoldsurfdude

Guys,Guys
The point is that if you think you may have to reduce sail, you better damn well do it. Somehow you lost the point in some kind of "I found a hole in your story B.S.

Really, you think that? I think it was said multiple times.

[Sindbad]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

.........Sorry for the long story; it was intended not just an answer to the question about intentionally going out into storms, but also an illustration of the amazing power of running off.

Excellent post, Dockhead. Thanks for the story.

[sartorst]

The original thread said THUNDERSTORMS and COASTAL which in MY OPINION changes one strategy!

[daddle]

Originally Posted by theoldsurfdude

Guys,Guys
The point is that if you think you may have to reduce sail, you better damn well do it. Somehow you lost the point in some kind of "I found a hole in your story B.S.

Yeah. Yeah. That's ancient well known advice. As one who has been out here in squallville for a while my updated rule is:

Reef 5 minutes before you first think of it. Simple in concept. Tougher in practice.

[Therapy]

OVER AND OUT

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by Therapy

OVER AND OUT

I guess that means I didn't answer the right mystery question.

[mikepmtl]

It would be cool to have a feature (not that hard to make actually) that if a certain percentage of people that have participated in a thread choose to close it it gets closed.

I think it would prevent a lot of dead horses from being whipped.