BFS on the Bay?

[PalmettoSailor]

Looks like a good sailing weekend brewing, with a fresh breeze out of the north all weekend.

What do folks have planned? I'll be heading down to D'ville in a few hours and will go where the wind favors, probably over to Onancock Friday, then back across and up the Rappahannock to Urbanna on Saturday so we have a short sail home on Sunday.

I'd like to head for Solomons or Norfolk but its probably not a great weekend for long slogs N-S on the bay.

[Stillraining]

Small craft warnings are up again for us.....but were not to go out in thoes so my report of it..."not"...will be just a LFS in 8 to 10.

My oldest starts her Plays production I think this Friday so It might be a non sailing week again anyway.

Have fun

[WouldaShoulda]

The forcast for Saturday keeps getting better for the CB but I'm going to the beach!!

[PalmettoSailor]

Originally Posted by WouldaShoulda

The forcast for Saturday keeps getting better for the CB but I'm going to the beach!!

We'll the forecasters missed the mark a wee tad. Friday, instead of 30-40% chance of rain, we got 100%. Instead of winds 10-15, we got 20-25. Actually, the sailing Friday was not too bad, except for the rain. BFS point 1, the sustained wind was too much for my aging genny and we got a pretty good tear going. It got us across though. We sailed from D'ville over to Onancock, but got a late start and arrived well after dark. BFS point 2, my first night landfall/creek navigation. The track on the GPS tells the tail of how hard it was spotting the ATONS, but we made it in fine.

BFS point 3, Good foulies are good to have. I've been happier but I was at least warm and fairly dry even after 5 hours in the steady rain.

Saturday's winds were forecast to be a bit higher, but to decrease later in the day. We got a decent start in the AM intending to motor back across since I knew the headsail would not hold up to any more abuse.

BFS point 4, a particularly large wave caught us quarter to, on the starboard beam and sent everyone in the cockpit tumbling. When everyone was situated again we saw that the dingy had been flipped. We quickly got to work and righted it, but the plates with the registration number and the seat bag with the foot pump were claimed by Neptune. Going forward we will figure out how to carry the dink on the foredeck in anything but the calmest conditions.

BFS point 5, the winds did not decrease as forecast. Instead the built as we neared our destination reaching nearly doubled the forecast with gusts as high as 35 knots. We'll definitely be working with our sailmaker to make sure we have our reefing plan down pat since you never know what you'll get. We were motoring this time but learned a bit about the unpredicabilty of weather.

BFS point 6, our arrival was noted so we'll probably be the topic of some discussion around the marina. Working on that reputation as the guy that will go out in most anything! lol

[WouldaShoulda]

Good thing I went to the shore!!

Indian River inlet was ripping!!

The tide was all the way up the new dunes built at Bethany. In the summer I was walking down the 30ft trough and 40 yards to the water, but Saturday it was all angry white froth!!

[zz4gta]

Had a good 22 mile sail in 15-20 gusting to 25 on the Potomac river. Full main and 110 up. Only saw one other boat out there the entire trip. Had to dump the traveler and main more than once. Had a blast though.

[dell30rb]

I'm glad I saw this thread! I went out Saturday afternoon in my pearson coaster. Saw about 25 sustained and max of around 30. It sure was gusty. Got water up to the coaming more than once due to a strong gust. Real wet ride too, no dodger on the boat yet. Had to eventually put two reefs in the main and roll the 135 up a bit.

Went out sunday around noon in the beneteau 423 and saw a little stronger winds. I saw one gust shoot the anemometer to 37.4 apparent on a beam reach. No kidding. Even hit 9 kts GPS speed once, which is really fast for that boat (shallow draft version).

FYI I started both trips at my house on indian creek... and went out for a little while in fleets bay, then cruised out to the ships channel in the middle and back into indian creek.

[chef2sail]

We went out Sunday with a full main and a reefed 155 and made it to Whorton Creek and back in 51/2 hours. Hit 9.4 of the broad reach coming home. Was like riding a bike down a mountain.

[T37Chef]

What is BFS? Seriously, I'm not kidding?

[PalmettoSailor]

Originally Posted by T37Chef

What is BFS? Seriously, I'm not kidding?

As defined in a thread in the General Disussion forum, BFS is a Big Freakin' Sail. That doesn't mean a large sail, but a sailing experinence that stretches the limits of the individual sailor.

What is a BFS for me, might not be a big deal for some Sailnet members while others would likely never leave the dock in those conditions.