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Thunderstorm in Chesapeake Bay

19K views 93 replies 33 participants last post by  pdqaltair 
#1 ·
Fairly to new to sailing in the Chesapeake. Interested in knowing what other sailors do when they see thunderstorms approaching. I sail out of Herring Bay.
 
#2 ·
As usual, it depends. If you sail long enough on the Bay, you'll get to experience a few of them. A couple notes:

- if anchored somewhere, let out more scope, secure all canvas, stuff on deck, etc. Take note of any boats anchored around you. Think through action plans in case you or others drag.

- if underway, shorten sail, don foul wx gear, harnesses, etc. Take note of other vessels in the area, take careful note of how much searoom you have to maneuver and plan ahead for actions as the wind hits and changes through the storm.

Most t-storms on the Bay are pretty short lived. Only time we got a little concerned was when our dinghy went airborne and started pinwheeling on the painter. Was a little disconcerting. Then the storm passed and the CGG showed up looking for a boat that had called mayday.

BTW - we're at HHN in Herring. Would love to chat more. Will be at the boat this Sat finishing up the stanchion rebed project. :-(
 
#3 ·
My SOP is to furl all sail and start the engine the moment I hear thunder or see lightning. We also put the hand-held VHF and cell phones in the microwave to protect them if we are struck by lightning. If it is clear that I am going to be caught by the storm, I immediately head for the deepest/widest water I can. Once I was halfway through the Solomon's Island entrance when I saw a bolt of lightning on the south side of the Patuxent River. I did an immediate 180 and headed toward the center of the river - was glad I did cause the storm hit us in about five minutes and I could not even make out my bow for a while in the worst of it.

I furl the sail because you have no idea what direction or speed the wind will be under the t-head. I start the engine because 1) the sails are furled and 2) I want the engine running if we are struck by lightning. Electronics in the microwave should be safe from EMP in the event of a lightning strike.
 
#5 ·
Andre,

Will try to look you up and say hello. If you need a break from the painting, we're on C dock.

I heartily agree with JohnyQuest's advice to head for open water. If you can't get tied up or anchored, then give yourself lots of room to maneuver.

BTW - in the summer, the AM radio can give advance warning. Lightning crackles on the AM band. And if the Orioles are playing, listen to the game. Will give you about 45 mins warning from the time they roll out the tarp to when the squalls hit the Bay. Yes - personal experience on that one. :)
 
#6 · (Edited)
If you sail on the Chesapeake you will sooner or later be exposed to a lightning storm. The advice already given is pretty much what I do.

The only thing I can add is to realize that you are not going to be outrunning any TS you can see on your sailboat. If its in sight, you'll just have time to reef or secure the sails and maybe get your foulies on before its on top of you. It can be tempting to try to make it through that narrow entrance channel to a safe harbor, but its more likely you will get caught in high gusty winds, near zero visiblity and high adreniln from the lightning striking around you at the worst possible time. Its much safer (on the Chesapeake) to weather a summer storm in an area where you have room to manuver in any direction the storm dictates. Its also very hard to tell if the storm is going to hit you, which is likely why there are so many tales of sailors waiting too late and getting spanked. Better to take the precautions while you can and if the storm misses you, great go back to what you were doing.

I just moved from HHS to Shipwright and wouldn't be too thrilled about being caught in a TS while in the "slot" running between HHS and HHN. There is a bit of room in there but not a whole lot. I'd rather wait out the storm somewhere further out and make the run in after it had passed.

One thing not mentioned, that I do at anchor is determine a "panic azimith" which is a safe intial direction to point the boat if you have to get going in a hurry in the dark or low visiblity like a heavy downpour. I write it down and leave it at the helm so I know a compass bearing to steer immediately. I also will keep a fender at the bow in case I need to leave the anchor quickly so I can secure the rode to a floating object to retrieve later. Lastly, there have been some achorages where I felt constrained enough to don foulies and sit through a TS in the cockpit with the engine running in case the shifts broke the anchor free.
 
#23 ·
If you sail on the Chesapeake you will sooner or later be exposed to a lightning storm. The advice already given is pretty much what I do.

The only thing I can add is to realize that you are not going to be outrunning any TS you can see on your sailboat. If its in sight, you'll just have time to reef or secure the sails and maybe get your foulies on before its on top of you. It can be tempting to try to make it through that narrow entrance channel to a safe harbor, but its more likely you will get caught in high gusty winds, near zero visiblity and high adreniln from the lightning striking around you at the worst possible time. Its much safer (on the Chesapeake) to weather a summer storm in an area where you have room to manuver in any direction the storm dictates. Its also very hard to tell if the storm is going to hit you, which is likely why there are so many tales of sailors waiting too late and getting spanked. Better to take the precautions while you can and if the storm misses you, great go back to what you were doing.

I just moved from HHS to Shipwright and wouldn't be too thrilled about being caught in a TS while in the "slot" running between HHS and HHN. There is a bit of room in there but not a whole lot. I'd rather wait out the storm somewhere further out and make the run in after it had passed.

One thing not mentioned, that I do at anchor is determine a "panic azimith" which is a safe intial direction to point the boat if you have to get going in a hurry in the dark or low visiblity like a heavy downpour. I write it down and leave it at the helm so I know a compass bearing to steer immediately. I also will keep a fender at the bow in case I need to leave the anchor quickly so I can secure the rode to a floating object to retrieve later. Lastly, there have been some achorages where I felt constrained enough to don foulies and sit through a TS in the cockpit with the engine running in case the shifts broke the anchor free.
Some great ideas! I always keep a 100% watch if there is a t.s. approaching. Having plenty of fenders out is a good idea because boats almost always slip anchors. I've had a number of "catches.:)" Ski goggles work well because visibility in driving rain is often close to 0 and impossible without eye protection. I really like your "panic azimuth" idea and will start doing that.
 
#8 ·
Coming back from the Caribbean a couple of years ago we experieced the worst weather of the trip just outside the bridge-tunnel atfter sunset. We saw it coming and furled the head sail. We had 2 reefs in the main alone when we were hit by 60+kts in a strong thunderstorm. We keep the main full and tried to get to the edge of the storm but on radar it went from side to side of the Bay. Lightning struck all around us but we were not hit. It waas scary for 15 minutes then went away completely. I only once before experinced a storm like this off the Bermuda banks in mid-summer.
 
#9 ·
Hi there, I try to do most of my traveling from early morning to mid afternoon when possible, to avoind the ubiquitous afternoon tstorms. I'd much rather ride out a storm at anchor -- you don't have to be at the helm with all that steel in your hands. Getting below is a good idea if you have plenty of sea room, and out of the channel, and use any resources you may have to keep up with your position and insure you're not dragging. Stay alert, watch for thunderclouds forming, and you may have some more time to get in a good place and drop anchor.

If you have to keep going, I recommend the engine like JohnnyQuest. Thunderstorms are quick lived and intense....hardly worth making a big canvas change, and gusts could make your double reefed main and staysail/partially furled jib take your for a ride. I just strike it all and tie it down.

Go through a mental checklist for battening down and you're less likely to run into any problems with afternoon thunderstorms.
 
#10 ·
Well I'll be the voice in the wilderness here. I keep sailing. Reef down heavily and keep going. I like the stability of having sail up. If the wind shifts and stays shifted I adjust sail accordingly. If it keeps moving around as it sometimes does I'm likely to heave to and wait.
 
#11 ·
Dave, so everyone knows, you're an experienced offshore guy. The OP was about being in the Bay and if I remember from the chat we had, he's fairly new to sailing. I might be wrong about him being a novice but I wouldn't want anyone without experience trying to sail through a Bay storm with canvas up.

(Do I hear the scurrying feet of novices running to their Chapman to look up "heave to"?)
 
#12 ·
The circumstances vary too much to give a blanket, definitive answer.

Even if you're not offshore, and in the Bay, if you're near to a safe cove, putting the hook down and securing your canvas may be the best answer, especially depending on what your sailing experience is, and how your boat is rigged.

However, the Bay is easily vast enough that you can be caught too far away from a hidey-hole and have no choice but to keep on truckin'. If you have a main with deep reefs and roller furling, you can change to a heavy-weather configuration in moments.

I have a single, deep reef, and I have a storm jib, but my headsails are hank-on, so I need to "look further down the road" and make my decisions earlier because my actions will take a little longer to implement.
 
#13 ·
For T'storms not associated with 'fronts' -
The problem with T-storms on the Chesapeake is that many 'form' and stay stationary as they form along the western shore before moving off, usually towards the NE.

Some 'hints':
if caught out, go 'south' or SE and avoid the typical NE track.
If the wind is actively rising into (strong updraft) or out of (strong downdraft) a visible growing Tstorm along the W. Shore .... either get to port, anchor close to and in the lee of the W shore, or 'run away'. When a T-storm is downdrafting (with strong 'outflow') ... expect the 'worst' conditions.
Anytime you are out on the bay, and there are quickly forming black clouds on the W. shore ... and the wind is 'rising', get into port as soon as possible is the most 'defensive' / safest tactic.
If possible stay ~3mi. from the 'darkest' part of the T'storm cloud, even if 'blue' overhead, to avoid the occasional 'bolt from the blue'.

Fronts, including 'white squalls':
With approaching fronts with imbedded Tstorms, favor the Western shore, get to a lee port (less fetch) ... or anchor in the lee close to shore if necessary .... avoid passing through 'inlets' or river entrances, unless you definitely can 'make it'. (example entrances to Magothy R., Rappahannock, Patapsco, Patuxent, etc. ) during or near the max. wind as the land effects will 'funnel' the wind through the 'passes'.

Keeping 'moving' seems to be good tactic as for some unknown reason moving boats seem to get 'hit' with lightning less than anchored or docked boats ... Ive been 'hit' three times ... always when not moving. (Good thing is most insurance policies dont apply penalty when hit by lightning).

Same applies to Tstorms developing over the Delaware shore of the Delaware Bay.

;-)
 
#17 ·
For T'storms not associated with 'fronts' -
The problem with T-storms on the Chesapeake is that many 'form' and stay stationary as they form along the western shore before moving off, usually towards the NE.

Some 'hints':
if caught out, go 'south' or SE and avoid the typical NE track.

If the wind is actively rising into (strong updraft) or out of (strong downdraft) a visible growing Tstorm along the W. Shore .... either get to port, anchor close to and in the lee of the W shore, or 'run away'. When a T-storm is downdrafting (with strong 'outflow') ... expect the 'worst' conditions.
Anytime you are out on the bay, and there are quickly forming black clouds on the W. shore ... and the wind is 'rising', get into port as soon as possible is the most 'defensive' / safest tactic.
If possible stay ~3mi. from the 'darkest' part of the T'storm cloud, even if 'blue' overhead, to avoid the occasional 'bolt from the blue'.

Fronts, including 'white squalls':
With approaching fronts with imbedded Tstorms, favor the Western shore, get to a lee port (less fetch) ... or anchor in the lee close to shore if necessary .... avoid passing through 'inlets' or river entrances, unless you definitely can 'make it'. (example entrances to Magothy R., Rappahannock, Patapsco, Patuxent, etc. ) during or near the max. wind as the land effects will 'funnel' the wind through the 'passes'.

Keeping 'moving' seems to be good tactic as for some unknown reason moving boats seem to get 'hit' with lightning less than anchored or docked boats ... Ive been 'hit' three times ... always when not moving. (Good thing is most insurance policies dont apply penalty when hit by lightning).

Same applies to Tstorms developing over the Delaware shore of the Delaware Bay.

;-)
Yeah, but... July 2010 there was a rapidly moving, fast developing storm that passed through N. Va and the Bay catching even the NWS off guard.
It had been a delightful day of sailing s/ newbies; sunny, warm, 10-12 knots and we were southeast of CHESAPEAKE BCH.
I saw the darkness and ASSUMED it would move across the bay. By the time I figured out that it was getting darker and not moving left to right as I expected it was bearing down on us.
I heard a panicked MAYDAY and incoherent screaming and Herrington something on the radio, went below to tell them to speak slower and more clearly. That wasn't much good. Came up and was going to get some sail down and that fast we had wind/whitecaps on us and it was blowing 30+ Waves built to 4-5' in no time.

Boat slewed over sideways as I had all sail still up. Starting the engine helped but I couldn't take onto port (towards the center of the bay) Finally got some jib rolled in, dropped the main enough to use the one reef. Things settled down and then we rode out the storm. Tore the old and about to be replaced main half way up.
Afterwards I heard from two separate boats that they registered 52 knots.
NWS radar guesstimated 70 knots in places.

Keep SOME sail up to steady the boat and to have steerage if your engine craps out. Keep an eye on the weather; late afternoon Tstorms are to be expected in summer on the Bay!
 
#16 ·
SV's offshore experience raises good point for those of us that only have to deal with the short lived TS on the Chesapeake and that relates to preparing BEFORE the gust front hits.

The art is doing it at the right time, but the right time allows you to check for things like lines in the water or loose gear lashings, before the 40 knot winds hit and the boat is on its ear.

Bubbles, the fender idea is also a good one if you feel someone of questionable skill has anchored upwind of you even in the absense of a storm. Better to leave your anchor to be retrived later and let them drag on by than get tangled up.
 
#18 ·
For those that consider themselves "just a Bay sailor" or "just a Great Lakes sailor" the weather is can get every bit as bad as offshore and the shallow water can make the seas really unpleasant. The only real difference is how long you may have to put up with the mess.

The art is doing it at the right time, but the right time allows you to check for things like lines in the water or loose gear lashings, before the 40 knot winds hit and the boat is on its ear.
Another challenge offshore is that no matter how prepared you are when you leave the dock the longer you are at sea the more likely things are to drift from being "ready." Especially if you are short-handed and tired you are likely to talk yourself into cutting corners and not comply with your own standard operating procedures. I still can't believe I talked myself into dropping the main without putting the lazy jacks up. *sigh* That was a mess. Stupid. We all have our moments.
 
#19 ·
Good stuff!

DR I have been sailing a long time, almost all of it off the coast of Maine. Offshore I would "heave to", in the bays I would take the sails down and motor into the wind. Lots of deep water and room.

Not much experience in the Chesapeake, and there is some very good advice on this thread. My concern was the shallow water and not much room to maneuver.

From the thread here is what I would do:

1. Start the motor take down the sails. Wind shifts and speed are to unpredictable.
2. Life Vests and hatches
3. Ride out the storm

Interest comments about fronts and forming storms. I will have to get better about identifying these and becoming familiar with Chesapeake weather.
 
#21 ·
After reading Hal Roth's Book "Handling storms at sea" I wonder about using lying ahull in the Bay during a Tstorm as long as you have enough sea room. Since you should not have to worry about breaking seas in the bay seems like this could be an alternative. I have never used it yet, I have always just dropped sail, started the engine and pointed the boat into the wind.
 
#28 · (Edited)
Assuming you were a good ways from any potential lee shore I'd say this might be a good option if you didn't want to start the engine for some reason, say like you were racing.

Yes, I know real racers would never consider this alternative, but I'm too chicken to want to find out what my boat sails like in 50 knot gusts and I'm too cheap to risk breaking anything so, this is probably exactly what I'd do if I got caught in a storm doing a distance race.

In 15/20 minutes you'll likely be able to put up some sail and get racing again with little risk of breaking anything.
 
#22 ·
Normally I would never use the lying ahull method....however speaking of thunderstorms on the Bay that is exactly what I did when one approached when sailing on the Patuxent river. All sails were doused and the wheel was locked and we sat under the dodger not touching anything metal. As the boat neared the shore on one tack, I unlocked the rudder and let the boat go on the opposite tack until the storm had passed.

Another time coming back into Solomons at night, I was trying to get back before the storm struck. Did not make it and was caught in the channel going in. The wind was gusting so I had to maintain steerage, but could not see much beyound the bow. Watched the compass heading and looked to the side to see dock lights as I passed some marinas, however as I neared my marina going through an anchorage with boats anchored that I could not see I was fortunate enough to get a lightening bolt which let me see what was ahead. That is the one and only time that I wanted to see lightening.
 
#27 · (Edited)
During the growth stage, TS's feed on warm moist air flowing in and up. This stage is characterized by towering cumulus clouds building high into the atmosphere often forming an "anvil" shaped head. During this stage, you're likely enjoying a comfortable onshore breeze as air is sucked into the engine that produces a TS.

In the dissapating stage, air has cooled and reached a saturation point becoming heavier and the column of air literally collapses through the middle of the storm until it hits the ground and speads out as a gust front. This is when the rain and winds hit the surface and you'll generally see a very rapid wind shift and increase in intensity.

When you see the "anvil" of the thunderhead and experience a big wind shift, you've gone from the effects of the updraft to the effects of the downdraft.
 
#29 ·
Heavy weather drill... yeh, yeh, yeh. That is for sustained winds of predictable force. A TS is Russian Roulette. You have no idea what is coming, much of the time.

Maybe 30 knots and a few drops. Maybe 45 knots and heavy rain. Maybe 75 knots and baseball hail (I got a hole in a hatch from that one). No boat I've seen on the Bay has any business trying to stand up to 75 knots with any sail they would actually have up (anything that might work wouldn't move the boat). And what of the risk of blowing out or even badly stretching a sail? More than a few have a destroyed a good main or jib because they thought it seemed like a challenge, a seaman-like thing to do. Nonsense. They only last minutes, sometimes longer.

I've been sailing on the Bay for 30 years, both with and without an engine. The worst I've seen was the hail storm and I survived it, but learned something. Nature holds the cards.

I don't fear TS weather. But I am realistic and avoid all I can. If you think you have survived a bad squall with sail up, either you simply feathered and there was no point in having sail, or perhaps you've not really met the beast yet. If it's really black, the smart folks are under barepoles and getting sea room, the more the better. Any other plan is fun and games.

------

None of which is to say you shouldn't learn to sail in a blow with varius combinations. Heck, engines fail. But a TS is a stupid classroom--there is only enough time to pass or fail, not enough to learn much.
 
#38 ·
Maybe 30 knots and a few drops. Maybe 45 knots and heavy rain. Maybe 75 knots and baseball hail (I got a hole in a hatch from that one). No boat I've seen on the Bay has any business trying to stand up to 75 knots with any sail they would actually have up (anything that might work wouldn't move the boat).
You're going to have to help me here. 75 kts? I haven't seen F12 on the Bay from a thunderstorm. I remember winds in the 40s on more than one occasion. I seem to recall low 50s while at anchor during one of our "hurricane" non-events. I don't remember ever seeing 75 reported credibly. Can you point to a source?

There is no question that a J/22 or a small Catalina will have a rougher time than my 22k# 40' boat. Even so, I'm not going to "reef" the jib - I don't want to depend on that single reefing line to keep the sail from unrolling. I roll it all the way up and put several wraps of sheet around it. If I happen to have the staysail rigged that goes up so I can point. If it isn't on deck there isn't likely to be time to do so. Regardless I reef down the main as seems appropriate (one, two, or three reefs depending on how black the sky is and what the radio chatter sounds like).

In a big gust (say 35 kts gusting 50) my boat will certainly blow over a good bit and might round up which reduces windage anyway. I don't mean to minimize the potential damage that can come from a Chesapeake thunderstorm. We all have to know our own limits and those of the boat we're on. There is little value in scaring the bejeepers out of people unnecessarily.

Did we mention PFDs? Lights? Sound signals? All relevant.
 
#30 ·
Most thunderstorms on the bay come from the north or west, so I usually get close to the western shore and hug it. That often means heading from mid-bay towards the storm rather than away from it, but, you can't outrun it, so you might as well be in a good, safe place when it hits, and the safest place is on a weather shore, where the waves will be smaller and the boat's headway won't be impeded by big waves crashing against the bow, and the trees and bluffs along the shore will break the wind.
 
#31 · (Edited)
One thing not mentioned, that I do at anchor is determine a "panic azimith" which is a safe intial direction to point the boat if you have to get going in a hurry in the dark or low visiblity like a heavy downpour. I write it down and leave it at the helm so I know a compass bearing to steer immediately. I also will keep a fender at the bow in case I need to leave the anchor quickly so I can secure the rode to a floating object to retrieve later. Lastly, there have been some achorages where I felt constrained enough to don foulies and sit through a TS in the cockpit with the engine running in case the shifts broke the anchor free- midlifesailor
Good advice

Donna and I take the oppertunity when we spot a thunderstorm to hurry and anchor get our kite with 500 ft of string and the biggest copper key we can find and send it up the kite- We are trying to recreate Ben Franklins experiment

Seriously though if anchored we 1- set Drag Queen ( great droid anchor alarm and 2 set the chartplotter anchor alarm. Next we look around at potential draggers and try and see if they are getting ready or obliviously partying ( we try and anchor far away from these but ineveitably they plop down next to you while you are below. After acccessing I look for our out plan. I will now write down coordinates (great tip), 4 Turn on my droid I pad and watch the cells on Raindar to look at location. Once I feel they will hit we put our connector in and side panels which have windows and I sit in the cockpit and watch the festivities and make sure we are safe....sometimes with the engine running. Foulies next to me if needed

If under way sailing we dowse the main ( lazy jacks of course) tie it well and furl in to a blade the jib and creep keepin us in a large area of deep water. Storms usually pass quickly.

One of the worst T Storms I hever experience was in Delaware Bay about half way up going north 10 mi south of Egg Point. We were virtually in the middle and could see it coming for miles with no where to go. Large fetch...shallow water...Delaware bay so short choppy square waves 4 seconds apart. Since we ride the tide..wind against current though the wind kept switching which even further confused the seas. The storm litterally stopped us in our tracks so we were making VOG of .2 miles for almost 35 minutes. Hail the size of quarters so I was glad I had douesed th main and rolled the jib and was under engine power. It put no less than 35 holes in the bimini and dodger in less than 5 minutes. We were screaming when the thunderclaps went off and sounded like they were in the cockpit.. lots of adrenaline...then sunshine and calmness like nothing happened. All in 35 minutes. Nature is always the boss.

Dave
 
#32 ·
I'll share a few experiences here...

When I was a kid we were staying aboard at our marina one night when a t-storm of the slow moving variety hit. In the middle of the storm, by which point it was pitch black out and almost zero visibility, a large power boat came in looking for a place to tie up. My dad and a couple other guys from our dock went out to try to help him. The boat approached the open T-head at the end of the dock and at one point a single line was secured between the boat and dock. For unknown reasons though, the boat's skipper or crew cut the line loose and after another 15 or 20 minutes of trying to jockey back to the T-head against cross winds, gave up and motored off. The next morning the boat was on the beach opposite the marina. Looking back I suspect he may have tried to anchor in the narrow channel off the dock where there wouldn't have been enough room to let out adequate scope.

Fast forward to when I was sailing J22s and Sonars and twice I managed to just barely outrun storms and make it back to the dock before the skies opened. Really just barely - both times just managed to tie up to the dock and then ducked under the mainsail on the cockpit sole to try to stay somewhat dry. Both times I saw the thunderheads building but misjudged how quickly they'd turn into storms. In those small, motorless, open boats, staying out to ride out the storm never seemed like a good call though.

On the current boat I haven't yet had the experience of being caught out (knock on wood - though I know it's only a matter of time) but we have ridden a couple out while on the hook, the worst of which happened when we anchored in possibly one of the best storm hole spots - Granary Creek. Luckily we had out plenty of scope.
 
#33 ·
Looks like we have two slightly contradictory bits of advice. Some say head to the middle of the bay for more sea room and others say find a lee shore (probably the west side of the bay for the typical TS).

So my question is with the shifting winds of a thunderstorm, how often does the lee shore turn not so lee as the thunderstorm passes? I have a 22' shoal draft boat that could easily tuck up to a lee shore but I would be afraid of winds turning on me. On the other hand with only 22' I would probably feel safer close to a lee shore than in the middle of the bay as the seas build.
 
#37 ·
Looks like we have two slightly contradictory bits of advice. Some say head to the middle of the bay for more sea room and others say find a lee shore (probably the west side of the bay for the typical TS).

So my question is with the shifting winds of a thunderstorm, how often does the lee shore turn not so lee as the thunderstorm passes? I have a 22' shoal draft boat that could easily tuck up to a lee shore but I would be afraid of winds turning on me. On the other hand with only 22' I would probably feel safer close to a lee shore than in the middle of the bay as the seas build.
The storm tactics that you should adopt are entirely dependent on the specific conditions that you encounter. For example, if the wind is coming more or less directly out of the west, I can't say that I have ever seen the wind change as much as 180 degrees during a storm, although I know it's possible. But. let's consider some variations.

Suppose you're headed south down the bay, and the wind is northerly. You won't ordinarily get any shelter from the wind and fetch by hugging either shore, so you are probably better off running down the center, keeping sea room on both sides. However, suppose the wind is northwesterly. At certain points in the bay, the western shoreline juts out into the bay. A couple examples I might mention are in the area around Plum Point, and north of Solomons, and one place that saved my behind once was around Sandy Point Light. If the wind direction is just right, you can get relief from wind and waves if you can get into the lee of a point of land. When I had a particularly bad time of it, the northwesterly wind was measured at 55 kts at Thomas Point Light while I was heading south at Sandy Point Light, and I got just enough respite from the western shoreline at Sandy Point Light to give the boat relief from the steep rollers striking the boat on the starboard quarter. We were getting beaten up until we were able to work the boat far enough to the west to get into the lee of the western shoreline. As soon as we got there, the relief was immediate.

Another example is, if you're sailing south towards Solomons, and the wind is southwesterly, the western shoreline that juts out to the east, to the north of Cove Point, will shelter the boat from wind and waves. If you sail to the west along that shoreline, the trees and high bluffs of Calvert Cliffs will greatly moderate the southwesterly wind and waves.

The shoreline of the bay meanders in and out, and, depending on the wind direction at any given time, it can provide shelter, not just in terms of a safe place to anchor, but also while underway.
 
#34 ·
I think the advice given was to "favor" the lee shore during a storm while still having the room to maneuver. Not so much fetch doesn't give the sea much room to build. The winds would be slightly less as well.
 
#35 ·
That plus we're talking about fast moving summer thunderstorms that don't really last long enough to build waves very much. The primary hazards are high winds with wide variablity in direction, reduced visibility and lightning. Wave action has been a minor issue in my experience with summer thunderstorms. Two or three days of strong winds from the north or south have produced much rougher wave conditions than any TS I've yet to experience.

Favoring the western shore is a good strategy so long as you don't favor it too much. lol

My thinking is I would not want to be trying to negotiate some place like the entrance to either HHS or HHN where you have a narrow, shallow channel you must stay in to avoid disaster when you might not be able to see more that a boat length ahead and you have 15-20 degrees of heel under bare poles from the gust front.
 
#36 ·
Agree. JKEMP's concern was having a 22' boat and riding out the storm in the bay. I believe that if he favors the lee shore he should be just fine. The waves should not be too bad. If he drops his sails and points her in the wind he should be able to ride it out. Of course "into the wind" may vary.
 
#39 ·
I'm coming up from a O'Day daysailer so storm tactics on the bay are a little new to me. Sailing out of the West River. Securing the furled Genoa seems like a good thing to add to the list. Furlers are new to me but I would imagine that if the furling line or sheets got loose somehow, it would be a very unwanted challenge to deal with. So in my situation with a furler, single reefable (older) main, not a lot of sailing experience, 22 foot boat. My plan would generally be:

  1. If you detect storm early enough, get in to shelter
  2. If not, start motor
  3. Secure foresail and main
  4. Get family in cabin with PFDs on/ready. Keep them away from metal/wires.
  5. Head towards the lee shore
  6. Ensure my anchor is ready with 250ft of rode
  7. Try to stay pointed into the wind while the storm passes
  8. Deploy anchor if motor quits

I think I might get some compass headings ready so that I could motor in limited visibility with a general idea of where I am headed but unless I am far from my home port I would probably already know these.
 
#43 ·
Your list sounds good, except #5, in which I think you meant to say head towards the windward shore.

I would also suggest you add to your list, dog down the opening hatches, put in the hatchboards and close the main hatch, and secure the hatches on the cockpit lockers, so they can't fly open if the boat is capsized, the objective being to seal up the boat so that, in a capsize, it can't become filled with water and sink. Finally, any crew remaining in the cockpit should be harnessed and tethered to the boat.
 
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