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First storm in a sailboat; lessons learned, advice wanted.

33K views 80 replies 43 participants last post by  bobsaxet 
#1 ·
Hello all, posted a long time ago regarding getting a sailboat and learning to sail. Well, over the past year I have taken US Sailing classes and purchased a 1977 Catalina 22 (on the advice of sailing friends who said start small and with something you can sail now). Spent three months rebuilding her, upgrading rigging and such, and have now spent the last few months sailing her off the coast of Tybee Island, Ga. Fun little boat and some really relaxing days sailing around. However, yesterday we got caught in our first storm on a sailboat. Let me describe what happened, what I did, what I think I did wrong, and the outcome. Maybe some of you with experience can critique my actions so that I can learn from them.
First off, I fully understand that the Catalina 22 is not designed for any kind of heavy weather or even use in the ocean. After yesterday I may be looking to sell her and purchase something more suited to the area in which I sail. Now on to the story;
Yesterday started out perfectly, marine weather forecast called for partly cloudy, winds 10-15 knots, seas 2-3 feet with a 20% chance of a thunderstorm late in the day. Actual weather was sunny, 5-10 knot winds with 2-3 foot waves. We sailed out about 2 miles from shore tacking every half mile or so trying to make it to Saint Cathrine's island. Somewhere around 1530 hrs we noticed thunderheads a long distance away appearing south. I decided to turn around and run North back to Tybee and the protected inlet of the Savannah River. We were making good speed until suddenly all wind died. The sun was still out and the storm, though closing, was still far on the horizon. After about 35 minutes, the wind resumed at around the same speed as before. Now, I am running a 150 Genoa and a full Mainsail, the only sails I have as my working Jib fell apart from age. After running for about an hour, the storm started filling the sky behind us. The wind started picking up though not dangerously. I started thinking about reducing sail but because we were making good speed I decided to hold on a little longer.
This I believe was my first mistake, because about 10 minutes later, the wind started gusting to about force 3-4. The boat began to surf and seemed to plane. I told the girl to hold the tiller and keep the boat pointed downwind as I went forward to wrestle down the genny and secure it. I managed to do this without to much fuss though the jib halyard broke free and flew around near horizontal for the remainder of the storm. (at this point we could not turn into the wind to take down sail as it would have capsized us)
Once the genny was down the boat became controllable again and we continued to run under full mainsail with the sheet all the way out. I had never reefed the main before and couldn't find any line small enough to do so but I kept thinking that I needed to reef NOW!!!! We were at this point about a half mile from the turn into the Savannah River. Suddenly, the storm winds hit, wind indicator showed sustained 37mph with gusts to 48. The waves became taller than the cabin of the boat and salt water filled the air. Mistake number 2, I should have dropped the main before the winds hit. Though I thought we could make it. Again I told the girl to hold the tiller (which at this time had so much weather helm that it was almost impossible to keep the boat straight. It would round up to port even with two hands pulling the rudder and bracing against the cockpit. She was screaming that she couldn't hold it but I knew I had to drop the main. I waited until we were in between waves and jumped up, released the halyard and wrestled the main down, wrapped it around the boom and secured it with bungee cords. We were now running under bare poles and it seemed to be somewhat more comfortable. Though she still had amazingly strong weather helm and waves were boarding over the transom. (Cockpit lockers are water tight and secured, additional drains have been installed in the cockpit and I had put the companionway boards in earlier so they were draining quickly and to me posed no real threat).
Now, on to my biggest mistake. What I think I should have done is maintain sea room and continue to run as I had control, I was watertight and the storm was fast moving. What I did was try to turn into to Savannah River inlet and make it to the protection of the cove.
First let me describe the inlet. The Savannah River inlet is about three miles wide, has submerged rock jetties dividing it into two channels. A major shipping lane goes through the southern side. Massive sand bars line both sides and run right up to the navigational buoys. The tide was outgoing against the wind and the water depth goes from 40' to 7' very quickly. Basically, 5-6 foot swells become 6-7' breakers very quickly.
By turning to port under bare poles I lost steerage way and began taking large breaking waves on my beam. I started the outboard (useless as it was out of the water most of time) and tried to make some sort of headway. I kept trying to run a bit and then turn to port to make it the half mile or so to get behind the island. After doing this for the longest 35 minutes of my life, and having one particularly large breaker lift us up, roll us over till the starboard windows were submerged and then slide us down the wave (thank god the keel was down) we began to get shielded by the island.
Suddenly, the wind stopped, the waves dissipated and the sun came out.....it became the most beautiful time yet on the water. Dolphins were playing, gulls were circling, it was almost surreal. As if we had just passed a test and this was the reward...
Now, I would like to say it was my actions that saved us that day but I know it was pure luck. I made some near fatal mistakes yesterday that could have cost me the boat and possibly our lives. Though this may seem petty to those who brave mid ocean storms with 40' waves and 60 knot winds. Our little gale with 6-7 foot breakers in a 1900 pound 22' boat seemed serious enough to us...
Now, what could I have done better? I have been in worse storms in a small Boston Whaler that seemed safer than this sailboat. This boat was all over the place, weather helm was so strong I thought the tiller would break.

I have come up with my own conclusions that I would appreciate comments on;

1) If you think a storm is approaching and the weather report confirms this, if you can take refuge in the nearest leeward cove or behind the lee of an island, do it. If you cannot,
2) Seriously reduce sail area well before the winds hit, in a small boat like the Catalina 22 this may be all sails down and secure.
3) If you get caught in the storm, maintain sea room and stay the hell out of harbors and river inlets until the storm passes. Wave heights in these areas are astronomical.
4) Never take waves on the beam, if your running continue to do so.
5) Outboards are useless in a seaway.

Being that we survived this, I am taking this as a stern lesson from the sea. Apparently she is not a theoretical teacher. She teaches you in ways that force you to learn and if you fail, you don't come back.

What should I have done differently?

The situation was very scary in this boat, is this boat really so bad in these conditions that I need to look at buying a different boat?

Would a heavy displacement, 27' boat have made a difference or was it simply my inexperience that made it so scary?

All in all I am amazed at how quickly the sea can become dangerous and though it was quite terrifying, I look forward to the next sail... Alan.
 
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#3 ·
Some thoughts

I think that both your description and analysis indicate that you have a really good handle on things. I agree that with sailing the exam often comes before the lesson. I think most experienced sailors (I have been doing it for 40+ years) can well remember such scary experiences.

I think your conclusions are valid. Perhaps your two biggest mistakes were not having the reefing gear setup beforehand (and not practicing with it) and trying to enter the inlet at the worst possible time. Were you listening to weather radio? Might they have had reports of advancing T-storms that would have given you more notice and time to duck into cover?

A bigger, heavier boat would be more comfotable in sich an experience but chances are you could still encounter slightly worse conditions in a bigger boat because you might push it harder and be a bit less careful. Buy a bigger boat if you want it and can afford it, but basically keep doing what you are doing - sail a lot and analyze your experiences.
 
#4 ·
Alan, You did well, considering the limitations of your boat and sail inventory. I sail a C22 and have found it more seaworthy than I am.:D

Good that you battened down your hatches, secured your lockers, and installed the bigger cockpit drains on your boat. I learned that lesson the hard way.:eek:

I would recommend investing in a new 110% jib and a heavy weather sail. I have used the heavy weather sail to good effect in high wind when I've needed to maintain control and a degree of comfort. You definitely need a smaller headsail when the wind is more than about 15 knots. Where I sail, I'm usually off the water before I would need a second reef in the main, but you might consider adding a 2nd reef to yours.

You probably would have done better to run off, as you said. In a small boat like the C22, big beam-on waves are a bigger concern than the wind. But there are lots of C22s sailing in coastal waters like yours, and a fair number sailing to the Bahamas from Florida, given a good weather window. So don't rule out your boat as inadequate for your waters. Just be aware of what it's capable of and what it is not.

Good summary.
 
#5 ·
K sailor, thanks for the reply. Yes we received the weather warning but I figured based on an average run speed of 5 knots I could make it into the inlet before the storm hit. And I almost did, 35 more minutes and we would have made it. You are 100% correct, we hit the entrance to the river at the worst possible moment. Funny how that happens. Next time out we are going to explore the three sounds in our sailing area so that I am familiar with places to hide. I'll mark good spots on my charts along with notes regarding the channels leading into them. If I had decided to do a beam reach into Wassaw Sound we would have been comfortably on the lee side of Wassaw Island when the storm hit, relaxed with two anchors out, but then I wouldn't have gained any experience....I am working on a reefing system today. Though I think even a reefed main would have been to much. I think the lessons learned in a tender, light small boat will pay off immensely if applied to the bigger boat that I will get eventually (would really like to stand up below deck...) In addition, I'm going to have my sailing instructor teach me how to heave to during my next lesson. I think the ability to do this is paramount. Though I am unsure if the Catalina 22 will heave to properly. I don't think there is enough keel under the boat but we will see..Alan
 
#28 ·
[snip] 35 more minutes and we would have made it. [snip]
"The searchers all say she'd have made Whitefish Bay if she'd put fifteen more miles behind her."

-- Gordon Lightfoot, The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald

The rule of thumb is the first time you think about reefing is the time to put in a reef. The first time I did it on my boat (a Newport 28) I did it with sail ties at each reef point. It didn't look pretty, but Lordy, the difference it made in handling the boat. I already had the small jib up, so that kept the trim balanced and we had zero weather helm.

The question I always ask myself whenever I'm making a decision is "What if things don't work out as I planned?" When you decided you could beat the storm in did you ask yourself "What if I don't beat it in?" You made your plans based on a steady five knots -- did you ask yourself "What if I can't make a steady five knots?"

Contingency plans are vital. "Hoping for the best" is not always a viable plan. But you did good by surviving to sail another day.
 
#6 ·
Storm Management

What a great experience! Welcome to the world of sailing. If you spend time on the water you will get in caught in bad weather and have to deal with it. An approaching storm requires constant attention.

You closed up the boat in preparation for the storm. That was perfect.

The outboard is a major problem. In large waves it has a tendency to get submerged and stop. This is a problem I have experienced as I have a 25 foot O'day with an outboard. Only real solution here is to get a sailboat with an inboard. I have been able to manage with my outboard OK, not great but OK.

Here are my recommendations:

Reef the sails prior to the storm (Your item 2). I would never strip my poles. If and when the engine quits you have very little control without sails. A fully reefed main will provide plenty of control even in high winds.

Start the engine prior to the storm.

Don't go into a channel during a thunder storm. (Your item 3)

Don't ever strip you poles when going into a channel.
 
#7 ·
She needs new sails anyway so I may get three reefs installed in the new sail. Definitely need new headsails including a storm jib. The area I sail in is quite volatile and it is very likely that this is not the last storm I will get caught up in.
 
#12 ·
Don't go overboard on new sails



Look for used sails (from Bacon or someone similar). I am familiar with Bacon's rating system and anything from Good to Excellent would do the trick. If you get a new main consider two reefs but perhaps each a bit bigger than the standard size. With three reefs you end up with a lot of lines on board. Better to have a two-reef system that works really well. I can't imagine that you would ever need a true storm jib for a coastal cruiser since you can avoid the conditions where this would be used - by not going out when there is anything over 30 knots forecast. We just finished a 6400 mile cruise including 11 days from the Chesapeake to St Thomas and I never even 'thought' about using either my storm jib or storm trysail. If you have a larger genoa and a working jib (~100%) that is all you will need.

I have no idea if your boat would heave to well or not. Best thing is to experiment. Try it in 10 knots and see what happens; if it works, try it in 15 and work your way up the scale. The basic idea is pretty simple, tack the boat without letting go the jib sheet. Beyond this there are lots of possibilities, like how much jib is best, how much main, are you better with board up or down, how will you keep the tiller at the right angle. It is fun to experiment. You will not stop the boat in one place. It will forereach at a knot or so but should be pretty comfortable compared to bare poles in a squall.
 
#9 ·
I think you did well and where you made mistakes you recognized them and learned from them. You can't expect much more of yourself than that.

One of your comments about having small enough lines to reef does give me pause. The main is reefed in a number of different ways on different boats but ultimately there is a cringle on the luff (reef tack) and one on the leech (reef clew) that are pulled down and in the case of the reef clew aft. The small grommets in the sail between the reef cringles only have the function of allowing you to thread small lines ("bunt lines") through to secure the rolled up bunt (the part of the sail pulled down by the reef. In no way are they intended to actually hold the sail down into the reef. In fact, a common cause of major sail tears is a failure of the reefing line that holds the reef clew down and aft which loads up the bunt lines and tears the sail.

As I recall the C22 I spent most weekends one lovely summer on with the quite lovely owner the reefing is straightforward. You ease the halyard until the reef cringle is down to the boom. Put the cunningham hook in the reef cringle and take up the halyard. Pull down on the cunningham. The clew reef I think was a line cleated on the boom. Pull that in tight as you can and cleat it back. Done. You can practice on a light-air day in your slip. You should be able to get the time down to about a minute at the dock. In real life while you are bouncing around it will take three or four minutes. Reef early.

In point of fact tying up the bunt is not critical on most boats. It's tidy and reduces the chance of snags. If reefing in extremis I wouldn't bother - get off the cabin top and back in the cockpit.
 
#10 ·
Apparently she is not a theoretical teacher
Nope, but think about all the money that you saved in classroom time! :)

A few comments:

1. You did great. The crew was uninjured, the boat was not broken, and you didn't hurt another boater. A successfull and entertaining cruise by any measure.
2. Don't sell the boat. While a heavier boat will be more comfortable, this one (and her crew) proved their worthiness. You gained enormouse experience is a single day. You now have vastly more experience in weather than 95% of the powerboaters on the water. Not to disparage them, but a powerboater's method for dealing with weather is to run.
3. Never, ever think that you can outrun a summer squall. You can't. It's also very difficult to gauge their direction. I have been sailing for 42 years, offshore, racing, etc, etc. and last summer I though that I could slip below a squall line. Couldn't, didn't, and I scared my guest crew. Prepare for heavy weather when you first think of it. NOT after it hits.
4. I didn't see anything about putting on lifejackets. If you don't have an auto-inflatable jacket, buy one and put it on before you reef.
5. You already learned this the hard way, but you need to practice reefing. We can execute a reef on Victoria in under 5 minutes. Many years ago, off Montauk, my father and I were in 25kts surfing 8'-12' seas in his Catalina 30. We should have reefed but weren't very good a it so we didn't. We did an accidental gibe and blew the gooseneck apart and tore the mainsail luff 4'. I learned to reef and sew that day.
6. You need a preventer for the main. When you said that the main was way out, I pictured an accidental gibe and someone being injured. Buy a boom vang kit and attach one end to the bom and the other to an eye at a stanchion or on a eye on the genoa track.
7. LAST BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY... you started the single most important habit of boating. A post-incident inspection of your actions. You will have more of these experiences. This is why we go on the water in the first place. Learning from each incident makes you a vastly better boater.

Ya done good.
 
#13 ·
All of the above posts pretty much cover it. Having been out on a V-21 in 25 knots, I can relate to how wild your ride was. If you'd had the jib and doused the main, there would not have been any weather helm but the issue with the inlet would've been the same and you would've suddenly found the meaning of lee helm when ya tried to come up. Get the new working jib and run sail controls to the cockpit. The housetop or side deck of a C-22 is NO place to be in a Gale.
 
#14 ·
It's always good to live to tell these stories..
You got your ship and crew home safely...so kudos!

I concur with a working Jib...a 150 is more often than not imo too much headsail except in light winds.

install Double reefs in the main. Practice reefing. You can reef a mainsail from a hove-to position, so you don't have to start the engine and put her in irons.

Reefing early is always wise, but I completely understand that you wanted speed to get you in ahead of the storm...sometimes you win that race..
Once you realize you are losing the race..it's best to stay well outside the inlet and turn into the weather imo.

If it's a line squall, I usually double reef the main, drop the jib or furl the genny and start my engine. Turn into the wind and fore-reach following the wind shifts. You want just enough speed to hold you to wind and give you steerage. Usually, as in your case the storm is short lived and there's not enough time for the seas to build that much. Once the storm passes, you can head for home.

As Charlie mentioned...I might have doused the main and ran before the wind ( broad reaching ) with the genoa. The main is what kept heading you up.
But then if you don't get in ahead of the weather..you're stuck with the big headsail up and lee helm and no way to hold you to weather..with a small outboard. So it's a judgment call as to who's going to get there 1st.
 
#15 ·
"The housetop or side deck of a C-22 is NO place to be in a Gale" .......Yes, I found this out the hard way. Should have won a medal for the gymnast actions of holding myself to the boat, holding the boat to myself and wrestling the sails, tie down lines and such.

My boat is as basic as it gets, no proper cunningham, no boom vang, not even a proper outhaul. Oh and no topping lift, pigtails are used throughout. I am working on this though I like the simplicity as I don't race.

Big funny looking orange life jackets were on the minute we reduced sail. I really need some better vests.....

Its interesting reading about keeping some sail up in these blows. Instinct said to take it all down. The reef point on the main is only about 2' above the bolt rope. Does that 2' really make that much of a difference?

I spent some time today reading about reefing methods and it seems on my boat it is a lot simpler than some of the drawings make it out to be. Being that I have no outhaul and the foot is attached with a shackle. I can simply have two lines, pre measured and ready to go to attach the foot and clew to their respective shackles. Small bungees will hold the other grommets and excess sail in place. I'll test fire this theory this week. Thanks for the replies, Alan.
 
#16 ·
I agree with Tempest and Charlie. I usually drop the main first , then the jib. For us, it's usually, Reef 1, Reef 2, no main, then shorten jib. I find that the little bit of lee helm that we experience with just the jib is far preferable to weather helm which is so tiring to combat.
 
#17 ·
The 2 feet for the first reef makes more of a difference then you might think for a couple of reasons. First of all, it is on the widest part of the sail, so it reduces the area disproportionately. I am not sure of your sail size, but if you go back to your basic geometry and do the sail area, I would be surprised if even the first reef did not reduce the sail area by 15% or more. Equally important, when you reef, you move the center of effort of the sail down closer to the water. Lowering the center of effort reduces the heeling moment, thus stabilizing the boat.
It sounds like you did a pretty good job. One thing you may want to work on is heading up. You said that you were unable to head into the wind for fear of capsizing. Next time you are out in less terrifying circumstances, practice turning into the wind. You will usually find that the boat heels quite a bit until you reach a certain point, then it straightens up completely. You need to spend time with the boat to understand how much heeling it can take. You may be surprised at how much it can take. Also, with a smaller boat like yours, the distribution of crew weight is critical. Set yourself and the crew as outboard as possible to counteract the heel and it will help quite a bit.

As many others have said, you ended up doing fine, and more importantly, you are thinking about the lessons learned to do even better next time.
 
#18 ·
From reading this thread, I feel that you did very well; learned some valuable lessons and have received excellent advice from the other posters.

My only comments are that a good reefing system is worth its weight in gold. Second, when you start thinking about putting in a reef, it's time to actually do it. Finally, it is a lot easier to shake out an unnecessary reef than it is to put in a reef in bad conditions.
 
#20 ·
Good story & well played. Also some thoughtful responses on this thread -- thanks!

Having been caught in 50kts on a SJ21, I understand how small a boat can feel in those conditions. But the fact your boat made it through undamaged suggests you haven't yet plumbed its limits. We focus on our shortcomings and let the boat do its job. So far, it hasn't let us down.:)

Where you sail, you may benefit from two reefs in the main -- a shallower one for balancing the sailplan on "steady 18kt" days, and a deep one for storms. The first should be maybe 18" and the second 36" above the boom. A 36" reef on a C22 will remove almost 30% of your mainsail area & substantially lower your center of effort. A well-designed jiffy-reefing system will also severely flatten the mainsail, giving control in gusts while keeping the boat moving and stabilized. We have one deep reef (32"), because the wind here is either ON or OFF. We can reef the main in under 30 seconds, without leaving the cockpit or companionway.

The jib is problematic. C22s employ large Genoas and are balanced for them, but a 150% is frankly a drifter sail. The material and tie points are too light and the CofE too far aft to perform in heavy air. Upwind it will flog, and downwind it is a broach looking for a place to happen. You should be able to find a good, generic used 110% for $150 or so; headsails are pretty flexible moving between boat species, tho you will need inboard sheeting for a blade jib. Another possibility is roller furling; our CDI FF2 has its shortcomings, but we can Make The Jib Go Away in five seconds w/out performing the deadly Foredeck Tango.

For us the sequence is: reef main (15-18kts); furl jib (~25kts). Our boat sails slowly-but-well on reefed main only. Some don't. Once you have balanced your sailplan & matched sail area to windspeed, the boat will take care of itself and you can focus on the bigger danger to our little craft: sea state. Running free is attractive but there is the danger of pooping, broaching, and surfing combined with vastly reduced steering control. You may find taking the waves on the quarter yields more control. Close reaching -- even just a bit above a beam reach -- can be surprisingly comfortable. Our boats don't heave to worth a darn, but they will forereach. We like to point 10 degrees above the beam through the worst blows. It's wet, and it pounds a little, but it allows the boat to sorta "march in place", an important consideration where searoom is lacking. It also keeps the pointy end into the crud, which it's good at. And you always have the option of bearing off. Once you are surfing down a deep heading, it can be hard to head back up.

Finally, I know what it's like to feel as if every job has to be yours. When a gale rips thru, I find myself grabbing for control lines, running forward to dog the hatch, steering with my toes, etc., because my girlfriend lacks experience. We have agreed to teach her two bad-weather jobs that will be strictly hers to do, and we promise to drill until she is automatic and fast. She will furl the jib and secure the companionway. That way, I can focus on the mainsail and steering. We hope as time goes on to invert these roles. But multi-tasking is too much to ask of new crew, so instead we tend to ask nothing of them and do it all ourselves. That is dangerous for everyone.

You did brilliantly, you have a great story to share, you extracted sharp lessons from the day, and I'd sail with you anytime.:):) Thanks for the story, and thanks everyone for responding with constructive and positive critiques.
 
#21 ·
One more thing to point out...<O:p</O:p
suddenly all wind died.
For me and my experience, this is usually a good indication that things are going to get nasty very soon. The dreaded calm before the storm, those with meteorologist experience can probably explain why, but I think it's because the two systems are colliding and the stronger one prevails.

During the collision there is dead calm, which to me means, get everything ready because the stuff is about to hit the fan.
<O:p</O:p

I would think that after this you would find a new respect for your boat, often times the boats bail us out instead of the other way around. Keep sailing and listen to your boat. The C22 will teach you a lot.
 
#22 ·
Your story brought back lots of memories as I owned a vintage 1973 C22 for many years and had been caught a time or two in winds that I out not to have been in. I think that you mostly did the right things and you should be commended for keeping a cool head. If anything, you need to do just a little bit more in the arena of boat preparation.

Can you supply me with a little more background information? Do you primarily trailer sail or is the boat kept in a slip? What are the frequency of storms in your area? How much are you willing to spend in boat prep for windy conditions? Can you provide a photo or two of your boom's clew and tack? And perhaps the mast base and a general rig photo? And most importantly, what are your intentions for your boat? The kind of upgrades you can do to your boat can get expensive in a hurry and you will not recover the cost when you eventually resell the boat.

<O:pFrom a sail point of view, you really only need the standard, single reef in the main. The mainsail luff on a C22 is pretty short to begin with and single reef will depower it significantly. You really need a 110% working jib as your #1 is way to big when the winds are in the teens and above (with the exception of a broad reach or run). The big downside is you need time to change a head sail. Besides Bacon's used sails, try the Sail Warehouse website (They're physically located in Monterrey, Ca.) as they specialize in Catalina's and have pretty fair quality as well as a used sail inventory.

Your big issue is running rigging. You really need to rig an adjustable outhaul. When the wind pipes up, you really need to stretch and flatten the foot of your sail. You will want to rig the (new) clew line so it cleats off near the mast so you can do all the reefing functions at one time and at one place. You can attach the new tack to a Ram's Head or use your Cunningham tackle. For the jib/genoa you want to rig a downhaul by adding a turning block at the base of the headstay and a cam cleat further aft. You attach this line to the jib halyard shackle and pulling on it alleviates the need to be on the bow to take down the jib. On my 22, I ran my halyards aft so I could drop sails from the cockpit. The traveler on the older C22's is almost non-existent and you absolutely need a Boom Vang to keep the mainsail flat. By keeping the sail's leech taught, dumping the mainsheet will change the sail's angle of attack without causing it to "belly" and catch more wind. It also has the benefit of keeping the boom down during a gybe and not hanging up on the back stay.
 
#23 ·
I told the girl to hold the tiller and keep the boat pointed downwind as I went forward to wrestle down the genny and secure it. I managed to do this without to much fuss though the jib halyard broke free and flew around near horizontal for the remainder of the storm. (at this point we could not turn into the wind to take down sail as it would have capsized us)
I think turning would have been a mistake even if you could. You did this just right in my opinion. If you head down wind enough to blanket the sail with the main it is much easier to drop and contain the genny. If you turn into the wind you do three bad things: 1) Lose the protection from the wind the main provides 2) increase the apparent wind by ~10 knots (which can easily double the forces on the sail) 3) make the motion of the boat much more erratic, which makes foredeck work harder.

I would also ask if you ever were really in danger. It is scary and uncomfortable, but as long as you do not fall off the boat or run into anything, the boat should do fine in most conditions [although unlike most keel boats, a swing-keel Catalina 22 might never come back up from a knockdown]. The key is to not fall off the boat. Tie yourself to the boat and wear a life jacket.
 
#24 ·
It's been said before, but congrats. I have sailed a Cat 22 from time to time and I learned early on to practice reefing. I always reef early, as I feel no embarrassment in taking the reef out if it turns out not to have been necessary.

My only other thought would be to make sure you are tethered to your boat. In the weather you sailed through, it sounds to me that should you go overboard, the other person on board was in no condition to perform a person overboard maneuver. And the last thing you want to see is the boat sailing away from you in such weather.

The Cat 22 is a good little boat, and your post-incident review seems pretty complete.

Eric Read
 
#25 ·
My V-21 came back up from a knockdown just fine and it's a swing keel with less ballast than the C-22. I got hit with the gust front of a big thunderstorm, had to be 60+, an the masthead was in the water. She shook it off, stood up and hauled to wind. Wind alone won't capsize a keel boat, even a swing keeled boat. Sliding down a wave beam on surely will though. He got real lucky there...
 
#26 ·
I'd have to dig up my old C22 files, but I'm sure that the C22, like other swing-keel trailer sailors have a point of vanishing stability of somewhere between 90 and 100 degrees. My biggest broach was somewhere close 80 degrees as I was standing on the side of the lower cockpit seat (and my crew hanging on for dear life on the high side) when I released the mainsheet. IMHO, way before you challenge the point of vanishing stability, you will be subject to down flooding and sinking. There are no bulkheads to speak of and even a lazarette hatch flopping open could be terminal. We were pretty lucky insomuch as the next wave righted us (you are right - you do not want to beam reach if at all possible) and our main sail did not go under water. It is heart stopping to see the boom end skipping along the water. We were not so lucky on my second broach, although not as severe from an angle standpoint, we did break the headstay. The gods were again smiling on us as we had our #2 up which had a wire luff that kept everything together long enough for us to jury-rig the spinnaker halyard.

Swing keel trailer Sailors are really made for more calmer conditions. Your best bet is to run for cover at the first hint of trouble, or better yet, listen to the NOAA forecast before you go out. Yesterday, we had winds up to the low-mid thirties on Bay. On the way home in the Estuary, we encountered a Macgregor 25 with a badly bent mast and a couple of broken shrouds. I don't know what happened (could have been a broach or very bad gybe) but a replacement spar and rig could exceed the scrap value of his boat (if he even had insurance). So let's be careful out there!
 
#27 ·
GeorgeB, At this point I primarily trailer sail, though I am tiring of the setup and take down so a slip may be in the works in the near future. I.m very hesitant about keeping a swing keel boat in warm salt water for any extended period of time. Working that issue separately.
We get storms here in the summer a few times a week, mostly late in the day. They do come up quickly though. As I gain experience I will be able to see the onset of them though, plus a barometer will soon find its way on board.
I am willing to spend what is necessary to ensure the safety of myself and my crew. Though a bigger boat is on the horizon- for no other reason than the ability to stand up inside and to get rid of the high maintenance swing keel. The trade off in draft is worth it to me given the fact that I can sail here near year round, basically the boat needs to be able to be stored in the water most of the year. Swing keel boats are not designed for this, to many moving parts to get fouled up.
I am going sailing tomorrow so I will take some photos of my basic setup.
As far as the boat goes, I have already replaced all standing rigging, installed backing plates to everything and upgraded all the eyebolts from 3/8 to 1/2. I have sealed all hatches and lockers, installed four locking hatch dogs on the forward hatch and the poptop. I have also installed locking tabs for the crib boards so that when engaged, the boards will remain in place upside down. Everything inside is secured with hold downs and straps. If the boat turtles, I believe the only things that will fall are my charts and the cushions. In addition, I have installed thicker seals on the cockpit lockers so that they have to be compressed to close. This ensures that they remain locked to operate the boat. If i forget to secure them they sit open about 2" as a reminder. My headstay is attached to my bow eye so it won't pull out of the deck. Basically, every safety upgrade noted by Catalina and Catalina Direct has been applied. I am now installing new running rigging, and as many of you pointed out, justifiably so. I can't rely on my outboard to get me out of trouble (prop out of the water) so being that it is a sailboat, she is being set up to sail out of trouble.
I just ordered a Harken single line reefing system, internal outhaul and a boom vang. Should be here next week so I'll have some new hardware to learn how to use. I like to sail alone sometimes so I am working on running everything to the cockpit. I think jacklines are overkill for my small boat so I'm rigging up a tether to my tiller. That way if I fall off, my weight will overcome the tiller tender and force the boat to turn back towards me...at least in theory.
From what I have seen, there are not a lot of sailboats sailing in my area. Though there are hundreds of them tied up at the marinas. Most seem to stay in the sounds. Guess I'm one of the few fools sailing my Catalina 22 3 miles offshore. I find it peaceful out there and worth the risk. More to follow, thanks for the advice- it is all well taken. Alan
 
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