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!

Big Freakin' Sails

593K views 3K replies 293 participants last post by  smackdaddy 
#1 ·
Okay - this thread is for people that ACTUALLY LIKE Big Freakin' Sails (note for morons: the verb, not the noun). BFS simply means sailing that pushes limits - whatever those limits may be. And herein lies the rub...and the reason I need to explain a couple of things so people don't start foaming at the mouth right off the bat.

There has been a tremendous amount of hubbub over this "philosophy" in another thread - but that thread apparently "came with a lot of baggage" - to the point that the topic itself got lost in the fog of war. So, this is an attempt to start cleanly.

It must be understood that the love for the adventure and excitement of hard sailing is just as valid and robust in the newbie as it is in the big-sailing old salt. The gap between the two is experience and knowledge. And the goal here is not to fill that gap by quashing the spirit of adventure and excitement with a deluge of cynicism and technicality - but to help us all learn, if and when the time comes, how to better handle that moment when mother nature starts rising beyond our sailing abilities. Because if you keep sailing - it will happen, period. And as you'll see, it can get very frightening very quickly.

For an old salt, these limits will obviously be worlds beyond those of the typical newbie. That old salt will probably snicker at the point at which the newbie becomes terrified - understandably so. Yet, there will inevitably be an even more seasoned salt that will, in turn, snicker at the snickerer when he/she soils his/her own breeches in a blow. It's all subjective and un-ownable.

Therefore, the BFS factor of a newbie experiencing a hard heel and wayward helm for the very first time is just as exciting, important, and valuable (in BFS terms) as the old salt battling a 50 knot gale. It's just about the attitude with which the exploit is approached and remembered - and taken into account as they go back out for more. There are great stories and valuable lessons in both experiences - as well as great opportunities for good hearted slams on the brave posters (which is valuable as well). That's BFS.

So, to be clear this thread is JUST AS MUCH FOR THE SAILING NEWBIE (of which I am one) as it is for the old salt. It's a place to tell your story, listen to others', learn some lessons, and discuss the merits or detractions of Big Freakin' Sails.

The following inaugural BFS stories illustrate what this thread is all about. As I said, I'm a newbie - and you see my first BFS story below. You can then compare that with the other great BFS stories thereafter (sometimes edited to protect the innocent) which I think are great tales from great sailors; they cover the spectrum of "pushing the limits". Then, hopefully, you'll throw down some BFS of your own (either your own story, stories you admire, or stories that are just flat-out lies but with great BFS value - whatever).

Now, let's have some fun...shall we?
 
See less See more
#587 ·
I know Webb Chiles has chimed in on this forum once or twice... and he's definitely has circumnavigated... :) He's also a gentleman of the first class, as I've had the pleasure of meeting him in person.
 
#589 ·
Anyone who can do most of a circumnavigation in an 18' open Drascombe Lugger (technically, it was two of them as the manufacturer sent him a second one when his boat was consficated by the Egyptian government) has got some seriously mad sailing skillz and some big brass ones.
 
#591 ·
IIRC, his one of his Ericsons, Egregious*, had a crack in the hull and he still managed to round Cape Horn with it. :)




*There were two boats named Egregious, one an Ericson 35, the other an Ericson 37.
 
#593 ·
Haven’t been completely around the block but I’ve been to corner and back – Pacific Cup, several Coastal Cups, numerous Spinnaker and Windjammer cups and three years in the Nor Cal OYRA. Somewhere around 5,000 ocean racing miles (I’ve got a log book somewhere at home).

Dremel tools don’t work under water – Cable cutters do

If you think a cheapo bolt cutter is the same thing – take a length of ¼ 316 stainless cable down to Home Depot and try it. Cable cutters work a lot better.
 
#597 ·
If you think a cheapo bolt cutter is the same thing - take a length of ¼ 316 stainless cable down to Home Depot and try it. Cable cutters work a lot better.
Not what their study found. I personally find the cable cutters don't work as well on larger diameter wire, but I still carry both just to be safe.
 
#598 · (Edited)
If that is the case – I’ve circumnavigated Alameda Island in my C34 (they opened four bridges for me to do it!) and my 10’ zodiac. I have also circumnavigated Coast Guard Island in both zodiac and my quarter scale laser (remote control – you try calling “starboard” on a 1:1 scale 40 footer sometime!)

In regards to cable cutters - I've done it and there is no comparison. Bolt cutters tend to chew thier way through, whereas cable cutters cut. I'd be more than happy to sell you a bolt cutter if you think differently (shipping extra).
 
#603 · (Edited)
Thanks Charlie. Just ordered it.

Okay - so we've talked about sail inventory, general things to go over on the boat itself for prep (haul-out, rudder/steerage, keel, rigging, tackle, lashing down the sandwiches, etc.) - and we've talked about snot gear like warps and drogues, and we've talked about emergency steering techniques. All great stuff.

What haven't we covered in terms of the inventory of essential stuff you've GOT to have on board? For example, I've been looking through the auto-helming threads and see many different schools of thought on the types of systems one should have (vane, etc.). What are the thoughts on this? And what are the obvious items still missing from our discussion?

Now, let me qualify these questions:

None of the above is essential to BFS as defined in this thread. You can have a BFS in a dinghy on a pond in a stiff breeze if you're starting out. No question.

I've just been intrigued by Ronnie's unfortunate journey - and instead of tearing him down, I'd like to see if we can talk about what one should do to prep for a major passage like that. For example, in a typical haul-out, what's inspected - what's not? What should I be particularly worried about - or not? What's the minimum inventory of big weather gear?

Now - I know everything above depends. It always does. But let's just go over the generalities so we have a starting place.

If there are other threads that you guys know of that cover this, that's cool, I can do the legwork. I'm actually looking anyway - it just takes forever to wade through a lot of it. Man are you guys longwinded.

(PS - Charlie, I just ordered several other books that have been recommended here. I'll have to get my mom to read them to me, but I bet they'll be cool.)
 
#605 ·
I've just been intrigued by Ronnie's unfortunate journey - and instead of tearing him down, I'd like to see if we can talk about what one should do to prep for a major passage like that. For example, in a typical haul-out, what's inspected - what's not? What should I be particularly worried about - or not? What's the minimum inventory of big weather gear?

Now - I know everything above depends. It always does. But let's just go over the generalities so we have a starting place.

If there are other threads that you guys know of that cover this, that's cool, I can do the legwork. I'm actually looking anyway - it just takes forever to wade through a lot of it. Man are you guys longwinded.

(PS - Charlie, I just ordered several other books that have been recommended here. I'll have to get my mom to read them to me, but I bet they'll be cool.)
First thing I'd do is throw Ronnie overboard. So much of sailing is dependent on the sailor. Ronnie couldn't have made that trip if he had been on a new Valiant. The guys a light weight. Frankly smacky- you, right now, are far more prepared for such a journey.
 
#604 ·
I went on ronnie's sight and kind of liked him having two children that age makes it easy to understand him a bit


BUT getting to gear most of the boats i race on are OLDER get raced HARD up to Bermuda distance


They ALL get pretty heavy matiance right down to pulling rudders to do bearings because it sucks breaking stuff during a race and things like standing rigging get changed a lot more than a lightly used boat


The saftey stuff required for any ocean race is easy to find in the entry forms and is very compleat


BUT for example the local second place J44 came apart on the way home after finishing bermuda this year and while they made it home safe it had to be nerve racking seeing the deck lifting off the bulkheads for a few days
 
#606 ·
Woohoo! I'm leaving for Nova Scotia tomorrow on the 85 YO Chinese Ferrocement Junk I just found. Sweet! Haul-out-schmaul-out.

Seriously, though, had the weather been fine - he could have easily made it. Even an idiot with no clue at all how to sail can do that. At least that's what this newbie has learned lately.

BTW - so now we've got warp, drogue, and Ronnie on our list...is that right?
 
#612 · (Edited)
Something tells me that BFS is up to us southern sailors at this point in time. With these northies settling in for winter, the pickin's are looking slim.

Jody, study Pain's stuff a bit. You've got a lot to learn about funny. BTW - what's the big sail gear inventory on your boat? Besides the BBQ.
 
#616 · (Edited)
BTW - what's the big sail gear inventory on your boat? Besides the BBQ.
We can sail all year up here usually just have to have the right foul weather gear onboard..

Big sail inventory - Code 2A, 4A, Code 1-5 S, blooper, storm, 155 genoa...

Pretty much a sail for every condition. Code 0 is will be on purchase in a month or so as well as new carbon main and genny.

Besides both BBQs she also has 18 auto inflatable PFDs fully decked with whistles, mirrors, strobes etc , mast mounted Epirb, 2 PLIRBs, Raymarine Lifetag MOB system, Dual E-120 displays, backup C-70, 3 lifeslings (2 Type II - 1 - type III), MOB pole, 5:1 man overboard hoist, and all the regular VHF etc - equipped is an understatement because the safety stuff I take pretty seriously and spare no expense on it.
 
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