Does anyone ever choose to weather storms offshore anymore?

[Westcliffe01]

Many factors have to be considered before one tries to weather a blow offshore, not least of which is what your alternatives are ? Off the South coast of South Africa one has a fast moving current which flows in exactly the opposite direction of the usual storm winds which are mostly South Westerlies. A strong SW blow will make for a nasty chop, just like people would expect in the gulf stream.

But sometimes the wind will blow unabated for 4 days. Given enough fetch and enough time, the swells produced by wind against current can be spectacular. Wave speed will develop to half wind speed approximately, or 50 mph if the blow is sustained at 100mph. Under those conditions, the waves are huge, fast and breaking. 30 large ships were either sunk or damaged to the point of needing a tow in a 10 year period on this coastline. There are also very few places along this coastline where one could make a safe landing. For the most part it is all steep rocky shoreline plunging into deeper water.

A slight shift of the SW wind to the South also puts you up against a most formidable lee shore over a considerable distance, one of the reasons this coastline was so feared by the early Mariners. Anyway, suffice to say this is not the place to be trying to weather a storm offshore, and if one somehow got caught in the washing machine about the best thing to do was head further offshore to get out of the high speed part of the current.

[B23iL23]

45 kts is big weather no matter what boat you're in - You're going to be down to a scrap of sail never mind the first reef. I've been in 55+ gusting mid 60s off North West Spain and it's something I never care to experience again. I don't mind the wind so much as the seas - they are what get you in the end.

Heading out into weather is a big decision and not something you do lightly. You need to know your boat and your own skills and be comfortable with both.

Originally Posted by Na Mara

I absolutely agree with this. I have never seen a true storm either and long may that continue. Worst I’ve had was a three day gale crossing the North Sea (40-45 kn) which came in over the stern quarter. The North Sea is shallow so it cuts rough. Wave heights were 4-5 m, steep and breaking, the boat was a Hanse 370. We just sailed through it under a scrap of foresail. My 60kn experience was more of a protracted squall just as we were coming into a harbor on the west coast of Ireland. Made for an interesting arrival I can tell you. Neither of those come close to a proper storm.

I also call BS on 45 knots not being bad weather. Even running before that in sheltered waters is not for the faint of heart.

[Na Mara]

Originally Posted by Kd9truck

So many vessels not stripped down for storms, Every year I shake my head, usually the same guys that stiff the launch .

That is just such bad seamanship! You are endangering not only yourself and your own vessel but also everyone around you. Imagine someone up checking for chafe at their bow and a solar panel from an upwind yacht coming loose and hurtling toward them at 100knts. That person is now a dead person.

Really really bad seamanship. It’s people like that that are a big part of the reason why I gravitate toward weathering storms at sea as opposed to crowded anchorages.

[Gaia]

In the case of a multi day storm I would want to be well offshore when heaving to. How do we define offshore? I might feel comfortable say 100 nm off and that is normally too far when leaving an anchorage solely to avoid the storm hitting there imho.

Best normally to tough it out with good ground tackle but there are always exceptions.

Jim sv Gaia

[Na Mara]

As long as you have more than 24hrs warning, getting 100nm offshore should be doable for most any cruising sailboat. 8 hrs to get her storm ready. 16 to get her stationed. Job’s a good’n.

[iGrf]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

Old days = pre-grib, pre-marina facilities, pre-insurance, pre-diesel auxilliary.


b.

And pre-GPS if you only know your position within a 50 mile radius .....

[Na Mara]

Just to be crystal clear, and to head off any angry partners of people who head offshore to weather a storm and never come back.

The absolutely safest thing is to park your boat somewhere secure, strip it down on deck and leave it to weather the storm without you as you prop up the hotel bar well inland. If you stay with your boat during a storm you do so at your own risk and it is a real risk to life and property no matter how you do it. My sole point is that if you are staying with your boat and you are confident in your own and your boat’s ability to handle rough weather hove to ( with or without drogues or sea anchors) then it’s not clear to me that staying in a crowded/dicey anchorage is a safer option than heading offshore.

Whatever you do when the feaces hits the fan, you as skipper are ultimately responsible for your own life, the lives of those around you, and your vessel. If in doubt, park the boat, strip the decks, and go ashore.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by Na Mara

Just to be crystal clear, and to head off any angry partners of people who head offshore to weather a storm and never come back.

The absolutely safest thing is to park your boat somewhere secure, strip it down on deck and leave it to weather the storm without you as you prop up the hotel bar well inland. If you stay with your boat during a storm you do so at your own risk and it is a real risk to life and property no matter how you do it. My sole point is that if you are staying with your boat and you are confident in your own and your boat’s ability to handle rough weather hove to ( with or without drogues or sea anchors) then it’s not clear to me that staying in a crowded/dicey anchorage is a safer option than heading offshore.

Whatever you do when the feaces hits the fan, you as skipper are ultimately responsible for your own life, the lives of those around you, and your vessel. If in doubt, park the boat, strip the decks, and go ashore.

The storms these days are not like your Daddy's storms.

Also folks back in the day were caught in storms because they couldn't "see" the weather the way we can today.

There is no doubt. It's always wrong.

With the equipment we have these days to predict weather, if you intentionally sail offshore into a storm, you are quite foolish or very inexperienced.

I just hope some young person doesn't see this and think it might be "cool" to sail offshore do deal with a storm so the boat doesn't get damaged at the marina or the possible beaching

[RiverRat37]

Originally Posted by thomm225

In a real storm, no one would choose to go offshore to deal with it.

If you would even contemplate it, you haven't seen a real storm.

Unless you are on a large ship.

"A real ship" ....you mean like the 'Edmund Fitzgerald'? If she'd only put 15 more miles behind her she'd have made Whitefish Bay (and safety).

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by RiverRat37

"A real ship" ....you mean like the 'Edmund Fitzgerald'? If she'd only put 15 more miles behind her she'd have made Whitefish Bay (and safety).

No like and aircraft carriers or other navy ships built to handle it.

The Edmund Fitzgerald was an ancient old ship that had crappy instruments.

I thought we were talking last 30 years or so

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWCysC_OzlU

[Westcliffe01]

Link to a related story also from the 90's of a yacht rolled by a rogue wave off the southern coast of ZA with the loss of 2 crew https://www.yachtingworld.com/specia...r-sea-106135/2

[Donald Bryden]

Just a thought. Not to many years ago weather prediction was not as efficient as it is today. Also, boats (yachts) didn't carry a means to get up to date weather forecasts when off shore or in remote areas. So perhaps back then sailors weathered storms at sea because they were caught out in them, not by choice, but by chance.

[Westcliffe01]

Some examples of rogue wave damage

[RaymondR]

Another factor which may have convinced pre-modern seafarers that they were safer riding out heavy weather at sea was the quality of moorings compared with what is available today. No nylon or poly ropes, poor quality chain, poor design of anchors etc.

[Moonflow]

Originally Posted by philiosophy

First of all generalizing does little good as each circumstance must be considered on its own. There is no replacement for good seamanship and common sense.
That said in my opinion this conversation has great value. The advent of GPS Chart Plotters has bred to some degree a different sailor then in times past. I am a huge fan myself and now carry few charts. Proper seamanship which depending on where you are could at some point leave you with a decision whether to make for the Deep Sea( I am talking outside the Continental Shelf with plenty of sea room. I opine thusly with the caviot " this situation can be mostly avoided by cruising in the right area at the right time of year".
What I find sad as well as poor seamanship is the ever increasing number of Mono Hull Sailors mostly on Production Coastal Cruising boats whom have little or no respect for people like Lin and Larry Pardey or say Skip Novak. Both of whom had probably more experience than the whole lot of us on this forum! Both of whom were advocates of Heaving To. Skip Novak said while he did have a Para Drogue aboard " He would only put it out in anger" When All else failed.Larry believed you Heaved To then if that wasn't sufficient put out the Drogue My past ten years of slow cruising limited as it is having only managed Seattle to Tasmania I find few who even have the requisite Three Reefs or Storm Tri Sail to utilize what I consider to be the most important Storm Tactic. BTW I have used this tactic a number of times in up to 55 knots. Definately breaking sea and swell. They think Predict Wind, or a untested Parachute Drogue, quite possibly their masterful understanding of Marine Weather or being secured in Marina's will be sufficient to keep them safe from the topic of this discussion. Most get away with it. Few indeed are true Men or Women of the sea. No matter days of yor or present times.

Great discussion. The ".. Deep Sea( I am talking outside the Continental Shelf with plenty of sea room.." in fact very deep 3km+ is our preference if already at sea.