When Don't You Go Out

[Boasun]

If you don't go out. You can always do maintenance ( a never ending job) or just enjoy the company of your friends and talk them into doing the maintenance for you.

[okawbow]

I mostly sail inland lakes, but I look forward to high winds! I've never stayed at the dock because of too much wind. We had our Bristol 24 out last month in 25kt winds gusting to 35kts. I look at high winds as practice for getting caught in a storm someday.

[Gary1]

It depends on the boat and crew. On Island Breeze (56') I've sailed her comfortably in twenty-five knots, and start thinking about reefing in at 30. On my own Morgan, I put the first reef in at 20, the second at 30, and the last one at 40. On my old 29' boat, I put the first reef in at 15 if I was going to weather, because she was a ULDB, with hard chines and liked to sail "standing up". She'd bury her rail in 15 knots with full main and a 130 jib.

As to what would keep me ashore, I guess it would depend on the situation. I'm getting to the point where I don't care much for adrenaline sailing. Been there, done that. I still like getting to hull speed, but not at the expense of being beaten to death in the process.

[chucklesR]

Recommended reef is at 22 knots. I've sailed unreefed with gusts to there but only because I was caught. Being a catamaran I don't prefer heavy winds, being a light weight small catamaran I don't do the white knuckle sailing at all and keep the heel to 10 degrees or less as a rule.

I can break the bonds of earth and fly (go over displacement speed) in 15kts, who needs more?

My Admiral and I adhere to a two eek rule. If wind or wave cause one of us to say 'eek' (or the saltier equivalent) twice, or both of us once, the sails come down and we become a wide, shallow draft trawler with a big stick up front.
I'd rather motor with her than sail alone.

If you want to fly a hull, fly a hobie, I sail a home.

[merlin2375]

<4 knots and > 25 knots (sustained) in general. Depends on the boat and the crew too a bit.

[okawbow]

I didn't think about the too little wind angle. However, we usually have a limited amount of sailing time, so often go out when there is almost no wind. One of my favorite sails is a 170 genoa "drifter". I also carry a cruising spinnaker. Those sails allow more light air miles. As for the heavy air days; we are looking at getting a 3 reef main, and a 2 or 3 reef woorking jib. I carry a tri sail, and storm jib now, but they are a lot of work to change when the wind is up.

[sandsailor]

i have trouble breathing. and there has to be wind ,the more the better.
went out last sat night full moon and 40mph wind had a blast!!!

[sailordave]

Originally Posted by ccriders

Generally winds exceeding lwl give pause for leaving the marina.
John

Hmmmm, I never thought about it in those terms, but that's probably just about right!

[Stillraining]

Yep and another good reason to upgrade....Im thinking about 65 knots will do...

[Valiente]

The big steel boat finally sails properly in 20 plus knots, and the 33 footer goes like a shot, but strangely, I've done heavier air in the 33 footer. Downwind at 30 knots under a double reef and a No. 3 is fine, but working to windward is tougher because I can't point well with a No. 3 and I have to make long tacks. I don't enjoy falling off the waves if they are more than six foot in the plastic boat, because it thumps and throws green water back to the winches every so often, but in the full keeler, it's more of a "breaststroke" effect, and it's much easier to plow through the waves in (relative) comfort.

Frankly, I've faced 40 knots gusting 50 on little old Lake Ontario, and my attitude is more "where do we have to go and do we have to go?" rather than concerns over the crew and the boat. I find getting the boat off a dock or a wall in very heavy air and getting out of a basin more nerve-wracking than the sailing bit, especially if it is difficult to stay head-to-wind getting sail up. But once we are moving and the engine isn't being thrown 30 degrees over eight times a minute, I settle down and enjoy the ride.