You don't want reefed sails or storm sails up for a squall, since a squall line can generate winds in excess of 60 MPH pretty easily... especially if there is a microburst associated with the storm system. You want to have your sails down, as cam has said, and heavily secured... you really don't want a furling headsail to come free in a squall. If you can get your bimini and dodger down and lashed tightly, that's probably a good idea too.
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Sailingdog Telstar 28
New England
You know what the first rule of sailing is? ...Love. You can learn all the math in the 'verse, but you take
a boat to the sea you don't love, she'll shake you off just as sure as the turning of the worlds. Love keeps
her going when she oughta fall down, tells you she's hurting 'fore she keens. Makes her a home.
—Cpt. Mal Reynolds, Serenity (edited)
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I'm not sure we even have squalls around here (PNW) compared to what they have in the tropics. Seems like the wind associated with our fronts comes up more gradual and then last longer and we've got lots of places to duck in behind an Island.
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Ray
S.V. Nikko
1983 Fraser 41
La Conner, WA
I've seen two here and only two. One hit me with a 60 knot gust front and hail. It looked like a puff had me in it's sights. The other was just 35 knots or so. both caught me in the open, one on my V-21 with all sails up and no way to reef and the other with the chute up but not deployed. The chute self deployed and made things interesting. Being in the tropics and being able to see one coming would lead me to take action in preparation. Dousing the sails wouldn't be on my agenda but that's just me.
Great response. Thanks guys - this is the first time I have used the SailNet for "chatting". FYI - I personally built a Westsail 32 (20 tons), Rhino, from a bare hull (yeah, I've heard them all "wetsnail", "seaslug") twice, this last time launching 3/06, with new stick, all new rigging and 56 Yanmar, etc., etc. Plan to sail into the sunset and beyond, south by southwest, out of Dana Point, CA March 25, 2009. I suddenly find myself needing hard opinions although I have chartered as skipper out of Raiaetea (sp), Bora Bora, BVI's. A friend sailed to the south pacific and mentioned the squalls that hit in the middle of the night. He was on a broad reach and just tried to keep the boat at that angle - alone on watch, very little or no time to douse sails. As a theory discussion, if little time to react, assuming double reefed main, storm staysail, I thought maybe assuming a beam reach versus broad or close reach would be best - although hull is broadside to wind, sails would seem to me to be in better position (less reactive area) - she's a really stiff boat. Any thoughts? If had the time, I would do as suggested: the sails down, motor on and heading into wind (I want to be conservative - nothing to prove). Finally, in expecting really nasty weather, I seem to want to adopt the Lynn and Larry Pardey tactic - heave too, deploy sea anchor of bow and ride about 50 degrees of the wind. Good tactic in your opinion? Thanks again. Rick Hedrick.
Rick, IMHO, for what it's worth, heaving to is a great tactic when required, especially for boats like yours. I'd rather be on a broad reach than a beam reach in a blow as it's easier to sheet in tight to lessen sail pressure. Just watch out for unintentional gybes. On a beam reach however, you could ease until the leach flogs but the apparent wind would be higher. Ya might as well get some distance outta that wind. Hold a triangle out at arms length and look at the amount of exposed area on a beam reach as opposed to a broad reach. Big difference eh? Sounds like you're almost good to go. Enjoy and don't be a stranger.
Your right. I Did a small scale diagram and it becomes obvious - looking on from a beam angle, the exposure is a significantly less, with less healing (and knock down potential in a mother of all squalls) as fore and aft axis of boat less perpendicular, more downwind and yes, less apparent wind - duhhh (I think they teach that in sailing 101). I think my feeble mind was equating a broad reach with running too much. Maybe spent too much time building versus sailing. Any way, one small nagging question answered. Thanks again and will log in from time to time.
Charlie,
does it ever blow a nice steady fifteen knots by you?
everytime you go sailing the wind is blowing over 30, 40, even 50+ knots.
Yeah, in the Summer about August, we hardly get any wind at all. Last weekend started out at 15-17 and fell off to 3-5. It was sunny so we had a comfortable drift in the afternoon. Today is fairly light and tomorrow and Sat are supposed to be back up in the 20-30's. During any time but Summer we get lots of systems through here with large winds, usually every couple of days.
