What's too windy?

Spray_in_the_face wrote:

My P18 actually went out in 30mph winds gusting (constantly and consistently) to 62. All of the older lines snapped, the clew ripped out of the jib, but everyone, and the boat, lived to tell the tale. The Prindles are very tough boats.

Holy cow Yurdle, You are one gutsy guy. I agree the Prindle is one tough cat. I have a Hobie 14 too. I took that out for a half hour. It usually does really well, but the wind was too inconsistent to be trapped out. I can pull it over with my weight. Riding on the trampoline was the better bet, at least for a rookie like me.

Nah, I'm not that gutsy. I stayed on the beach..too windy for me. A couple friends of mine took it out. I dialed 911.

Rob

Nacra 5.2
OKC, OK

 

I am guessing it was a microburst that blew out my jib but what sucked the boat under still has me baffled. The spouts were a couple of miles away so I dont think they had anything to do with it. There was a recent full moon and a wicked tide coming out of the bay (which helped form the waves I was looking for...)but that should not have caused the boat to dorp below the surface

I doubt the boom wrapping around the mast (and sheering the gooseneck) could cause enough downward thrust to sink the boat that deep that fast

I have swamped boats more ways then I can count including torpedoing rouges from time to time and sailing right threw them. Once had a watermark on the H after hitting a wave out of sync and lost my favorite hat. even so, this was nothing like having a boat just drop out from under me. I swear it felt like freefall for a few seconds

just out of curiousity, at what wind speed are you guys able to fly a hull in?

around 8mph wind

I think sustained 25mph winds is the cutoff where fun becomes "reckless" and gear is likely to be damaged. It is very important though to know the wind characteristics and behavior where you sail. Example: obstructions that break the wind's path, or channels where wind is forced through at higher speeds.
As to flying a hull, really depends on the boat but I have done it at around 10mph wind

I dunno... I'm finding that if the wind is much over 20 (most waves capping) the H16 will not head up at all. Forget tacking, I can't even get it to heave to. No chance of reefing the sail. Seems like the only way to slow down is to tip it over. Last time, I had to leave it at a down-wind beach and sail it home the next morning when the winds were calmer.

This concerns me somewhat because 25 mph is just typical afternoon winds here for most of the spring and summer. Have I got something set up wrong, or should I go back to trying to work on my kiteboarding?

PDS624 wrote: I am guessing it was a microburst that blew out my jib but what sucked the boat under still has me baffled. The spouts were a couple of miles away so I dont think they had anything to do with it. There was a recent full moon and a wicked tide coming out of the bay (which helped form the waves I was looking for...)but that should not have caused the boat to dorp below the surface

With big tidal exchanges, I've seen some monster whirlpools form down-current from islands. We almost lost a 26-foot power boat into one of them one time. We were moving away from it, but it sucked us in from about a hundred yards away. We were way below surrounding sea level, but also pretty much tipped over on the beam too. The guy driving pretty much accidentally fell on the throttles and two V-8's powered us back out, after going around the drain in a full circle and a half.

Also, re: 60 mph winds. Some guys went out wind surfing in that last week. One of them didn't come back.

H16 is an overpowered boat to begin with. 25 mph is too much for me (but, I'm not a great sailor... yet).

From what I've read people with newer 16s induce a lot of bend in their masts with 6:1 or higher downhauls to flatten and depower them in heavy winds combined with mast rake. Not sure if there is a difference in the mast setup that lets them do this or if the older sails can even hold up to this type of tension? Anyone?

edited by: Wolfman, Jun 02, 2010 - 11:18 PM

older h16's have almost no downhaul if i recall correctly.
severe mast rake is standard on all h16's from what i know (just about block to block)

Yeah, my downhaul is a 2-foot length of 1/4-inch line and a cleat on the mast. I could rig up a block system, but it might rip the cleat out. And the sails are pretty old.
The shrouds are adjusted to almost the shortest length - same as they were when I bought the boat.

Maybe something for the next boat. [*gasp* Did I say that?]

I grew up on Mobile Bay. All I can say is if you think it is, it is.Everyone has their their own competency level.

But I didn't give a **. Andy was on the wire and I was driving the ** snot out of the boat. The deck of the bow was only an inch from the waterline as a huge 15 foot rooster tail shot off the front of the boat. The wake coming off the leeward rudder was reminiscent of a Baja Outlaw under full throttle.

andrew I was reading this and it brought back great memories of sailing the Dart 18 in 30 mph winds flat out screaming...
I used to work on a charter fishing boat in Montauk we sailed every day unless small craft warnings were up so when we didnt fish I would find someone for ballast out on the wire and we would rip back and forth across the lake in Montauk. yes those were the days....

i have recently (this year) been on a dart20 in 40-45. the girl in front of me was screaming non stop, i was in-between her and the skipper and he was calm as a cucumber. at 1 point he suggested we move back. i said "why, is this cat pitch prone?" he said "no, it just sails more efficiently with the weight back in these conditions. I screamed "EFFICIENT? WHO CARES? WE ARE DOING OVER 40MPH!!!!

we did break 3 battens and 4 batten pockets, but besides that... i was amazed that the skipper could keep the stick pointing upward.

those cats can take some wind!

I screamed "EFFICIENT? WHO CARES? WE ARE DOING OVER 40MPH!!!!

I trust you Andrew, but do you have a GPS readout from this experience. I know over 20mph in a cat is doable and damn fast, but near 40?

Andrew never lets the facts stand in the way of a good story.