SailNet Community banner
  • SailNet is a forum community dedicated to Sailing enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about sailing, modifications, classifieds, troubleshooting, repairs, reviews, maintenance, and more!

Knock Downs

104K views 280 replies 90 participants last post by  Barquito 
#1 ·
Being that I experienced a knock down this pass season, was wondering if anyone else has had such an experience. I've always been fearful of such a think, as was told wasn't really experienced at sailing unless had been through one. Well for me it was a real rush once it was over, as didn't really realize the whole experience until it was over. It happened of Cape George in the Northumberland Sound.
 
#149 ·
I got knocked down on one of the first few times i went sailing. I was probably 12 years old, sailing with my dad and our friend travis in his pearson 424. Travis is easily the most experienced sailor I know, he's been sailing for probably 50 years now, owned many sailboats, gone many places and says he's never been knocked down like that. We were sailing in the chesapeake bay.. dodging squalls all day when we got hit by what we think were microbursts. We were motorsailing with just the genoa up in about 7-10 knots of wind (main had a problem and was left on the boom) and I remember it was raining lightly but otherwise no sign of what was about to come. Out of nowhere we got hit by a 60+ knot (in our estimate) gust that lasted about 5 seconds (it felt like 30) and put the boat right on its side. I almost fell out of the cockpit and I remember looking out over the water and seeing the mast about 5 feet off the surface. The boat bobbed back up, and then before we had time to react we were hit by another gust, although this one not quite as strong, maybe around 40 knots.
 
#150 ·
theartfuldodger. that is a great story you shared with us! in 1984 on the sheila yeates ( 50ft on deck topsail ketch) coming from the parade of sail in halifax through the straights of canso heading west. wind was NW at 40 and building.we turned around and went back through the locks with some difficulty. there was a square rigger in the harbor dragging anchor with engines full ahead. we passed a canadian CG coming to help them. as we went east to get behind a hill on the north side to anchor. the wind tore tin roofs off buildings in the area
 
#152 ·
Smack,

Thanks for resurrecting this thread, otherwise I would have missed it. Just got caught up and I'm wishing for more.

Any other knockdown stories out there?

Regards
 
#153 ·
Well

On J24s with the old style fathead chute and the heavy air in Greenport i lost count of how many times we submerged the windex


Now in Northport with the new style chute were they took all the area out of the head and there is so much less wind most of the time just some mild broachs
 
#156 ·
Why wouldn't your Venture 21 count? I was thinking about relating my Victory 21 spinnaker broach.
 
#158 ·
Got knocked down in a creek about 100 ft from 3 shores.Was in front of Tides Inn in Carters Creek off Chesapeake Bay in my Hunter 34.I saw a cloud coming up behind me and turned around and headed for a pole to tie up to.Well did not make the pole by about 30 ft and then it hit.No sails up just motoring.Hail,rain and wind could not see 2 feet.Before its over we were blown about 400 ft and into grass.I look up and there is a house about 30 ft from me.Well had to call Boat US and get towed out.Bill was over 1k.Glad I had insurance.
 
#159 ·
I raced a Heritage One-Ton for 18 years on Lake Erie out of Cleveland. With an 8-man crew we can usually avoid the time lost due to knock down. The only part of a knock down we 'feared' was when it might happen to another boat to leeward. The knock down is always followed by a round-up into a hapless windward boat. We once did a jibe-broach with the main prevented, and a kite and blooper up in 35 knots of wind. the mast was pinned to the water at the lower spreaders until we got rid of the preventer. I rate it as exciting but no big deal. We were always prepared to race. Keep away from things that move; always use a proper fairlead; wear floatation. We also used double sheets and guys with a puller string for take-down of the kite. You can use the lazy guy as a chicken sheet to stabilize the kite if you start the death rolls. Use the lazy guy it to choke down the kite and stall the top of the spinnaker. The load drops dramatically and you can recover quickly when things settle.
 
#160 ·
This thread has been around a for a couple of years now, had never thought sharing my experience would generate such interest. I've been sailing now for 5 years, and look back on that experience and have come to realize that was when I kind of graduated from trying to learn how to sail and what to expect, to sailing and realizing every moment is different and that I deal with it as it comes. I'm thankful for the experience as it also has made me respect the sea and her personalities. Being here on the East coast of Newfoundland these past almost three years, where the sea and weather change in munites has helped as well.
 
#162 ·
My Brother and I experienced a knockdown of our Cal 29 whist sailing from Woods Hole Ma to Nantucket. We were reefed at the second when we left Woods Hole, and when we cleared the lee into the Sound we realized we had made a mistake. The wind was blowing hard 20k with 6-8ft seas and building. We squirted out into the sound like a bullet close hauled, and I thought we could make Vineyard Haven, about 6 miles. When we were about 2 miles from the Vineyard, and relative safety, my brother clambered below to grab something, about the time he was clearing the hatch we were hit by a gust of 40+ knots. We stuck the spreaders in the water, and my bro was pinned to the windows. This scared us bad enough to drop the main, and sail the rest of the way in on the jib and motor.
 
#165 ·
I'd also point out that leaving just the jib up will result in lee helm generally, and if you fall of... you're done.
 
#164 ·
That sounds good, and we'll experiment with it for sure. The only experiece we'd had like this was in a 23' seafarer, and we found that the seafarer sailed easier with just a storm jib when the wind got nasty..Since this incident we've always started with less sail on a windy day and then increased the sail area if we felt comfortable.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top