Still not dead.
I have gone sailing three times this week. The first two times (Saturday and Sunday) it was really windy. Reefed-main-only windy. I should have just accepted two awesome days and not pushed my luck.
It blew so hard yesterday that I could barely control the boat. Here is what the wind map looked like: this.
The day started out warm, sunny, and comfortable. I left the dock at about 10:30, using a new technique of shoving off that is much more controlled than my usual back up and spin around method. It's sort of a bobsled push with the tiller tied hard over to counter the strong current. It worked well. I was happy. I put up all sail and went down the waterfront to pier 40, where I docked up and went to Red's for lunch. Then I took back off again and noticed that the wind was mostly mellow, but with occasional gusts that kept me from putting the main back up. I cruised down to Alameda, where the wind died and shipping was going in and out heavily, so I spun around and headed for home. I barely had enough wind to get under the bay bridge, and then all hell broke loose. A fresh breeze came up, and I had to tack out of the way of a container ship, and then the wind REALLY started blowing. Single handing Star Splitter is enough work, but with that much wind it's all but impossible. Swells started breaking over the deck and I was getting gusts will into the 30's. The shock of one of the gusts caused my mizzen to snap it's boom topping lift. I couldn't tack on account of the strength of the wind and the large swells that would check my progress before I could get the bow across, and I couldn't get the mizzen in enough to risk a jibe, so with no other options to choose from, I just put the old girl on her beam ends and fairly shot across the bay to the lee of Angel Island. My plan was to anchor and wait for the wind to settle. Once I got there and put on some dry clothes (even with my foulies I was soaked to the bone) and pulled in my mizzen and secured the boom, I decided to just race back the other way and hide in the shadow of pier 45 to pull down the jib and then motor into the marina.
R2D2, my little autopilot, is worth it's weight in gold. I set a course for the marina and that little sucker tracked it, despite the huge swells and us spending half the trip at well more than a 45 degree tilt. It gave me a chance to hide in the companionway and get warm. I shot past the nose of pier 45 at about six knots into a perfect calm. I yanked down the headsail and fired up the engine and circled around back into the wind to motor up to the marina. And here is where I get to illustrate the force of that much breeze: I couldn't motor upwind. My first attempt was a near disaster. I got upwind of pier 45 and started to turn and the wind just shoved me off course, even with the engine going full throttle. I had to slam into reverse to keep my bow from being smashed to pieces on the corner of pier 45 as we went hurtling sideways downwind. I seriously considered putting the jib back up and heading to pier 40's guest dock, but gave it one more try. I motored upwind carefully, never presenting the wind a chance to spin me to one side or other and nosed right up against the sea wall. Once I got the where I could reach out and touch it, I turned and motored at top speed along it's lee, and then spun into the marina (where it was gusting like crazy, so I had to keep the speed up) and into the slip. I noticed that the coast guard had their RIBs tied up at the pump-out station. I guess they were tied of trying to fight it out too.
Things I learned: 1) Jib-only (unreefed) is good up to gusts of about 35 kts. The boat shook like a wet dog a couple times and I saw the lee standing rigging hanging almost slack a couple times which scared the hell out of me, as if I would have lost the stick I would have lost my VHF capability to call for help. I probably would have wrecked on Treasure Island before anyone could have come to my aid anyhow. Anyway, jib-only worked well. I could have reefed or hanked on my storm jib, but I made it as comfortably as could be expected, so I guess it was okay. 2) Commercial shipping guys aren't just trying to run you down. One container ship altered course, I am almost certain, to avoid me. They came under the gate, and looked to be heading for the Charley/Delta span, but instead went under Alpha/Bravo and then turned to head to Oakland. Another ship on it's way out came close to check me out and got within maybe 300' and then turned out to sea. I demonstrated my inability to tack out of their way and they were kind in not asking for a more painful/expensive demonstration.
I go to Maui tomorrow. Hopefully I can find a boat to charter for a day there :-)
It blew so hard yesterday that I could barely control the boat. Here is what the wind map looked like: this.
The day started out warm, sunny, and comfortable. I left the dock at about 10:30, using a new technique of shoving off that is much more controlled than my usual back up and spin around method. It's sort of a bobsled push with the tiller tied hard over to counter the strong current. It worked well. I was happy. I put up all sail and went down the waterfront to pier 40, where I docked up and went to Red's for lunch. Then I took back off again and noticed that the wind was mostly mellow, but with occasional gusts that kept me from putting the main back up. I cruised down to Alameda, where the wind died and shipping was going in and out heavily, so I spun around and headed for home. I barely had enough wind to get under the bay bridge, and then all hell broke loose. A fresh breeze came up, and I had to tack out of the way of a container ship, and then the wind REALLY started blowing. Single handing Star Splitter is enough work, but with that much wind it's all but impossible. Swells started breaking over the deck and I was getting gusts will into the 30's. The shock of one of the gusts caused my mizzen to snap it's boom topping lift. I couldn't tack on account of the strength of the wind and the large swells that would check my progress before I could get the bow across, and I couldn't get the mizzen in enough to risk a jibe, so with no other options to choose from, I just put the old girl on her beam ends and fairly shot across the bay to the lee of Angel Island. My plan was to anchor and wait for the wind to settle. Once I got there and put on some dry clothes (even with my foulies I was soaked to the bone) and pulled in my mizzen and secured the boom, I decided to just race back the other way and hide in the shadow of pier 45 to pull down the jib and then motor into the marina.
R2D2, my little autopilot, is worth it's weight in gold. I set a course for the marina and that little sucker tracked it, despite the huge swells and us spending half the trip at well more than a 45 degree tilt. It gave me a chance to hide in the companionway and get warm. I shot past the nose of pier 45 at about six knots into a perfect calm. I yanked down the headsail and fired up the engine and circled around back into the wind to motor up to the marina. And here is where I get to illustrate the force of that much breeze: I couldn't motor upwind. My first attempt was a near disaster. I got upwind of pier 45 and started to turn and the wind just shoved me off course, even with the engine going full throttle. I had to slam into reverse to keep my bow from being smashed to pieces on the corner of pier 45 as we went hurtling sideways downwind. I seriously considered putting the jib back up and heading to pier 40's guest dock, but gave it one more try. I motored upwind carefully, never presenting the wind a chance to spin me to one side or other and nosed right up against the sea wall. Once I got the where I could reach out and touch it, I turned and motored at top speed along it's lee, and then spun into the marina (where it was gusting like crazy, so I had to keep the speed up) and into the slip. I noticed that the coast guard had their RIBs tied up at the pump-out station. I guess they were tied of trying to fight it out too.
Things I learned: 1) Jib-only (unreefed) is good up to gusts of about 35 kts. The boat shook like a wet dog a couple times and I saw the lee standing rigging hanging almost slack a couple times which scared the hell out of me, as if I would have lost the stick I would have lost my VHF capability to call for help. I probably would have wrecked on Treasure Island before anyone could have come to my aid anyhow. Anyway, jib-only worked well. I could have reefed or hanked on my storm jib, but I made it as comfortably as could be expected, so I guess it was okay. 2) Commercial shipping guys aren't just trying to run you down. One container ship altered course, I am almost certain, to avoid me. They came under the gate, and looked to be heading for the Charley/Delta span, but instead went under Alpha/Bravo and then turned to head to Oakland. Another ship on it's way out came close to check me out and got within maybe 300' and then turned out to sea. I demonstrated my inability to tack out of their way and they were kind in not asking for a more painful/expensive demonstration.
I go to Maui tomorrow. Hopefully I can find a boat to charter for a day there :-)
posted by Thomas Cannon at 11:13 AM
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