Imagine Heavy Weather

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ImagineHeavy Weather

• Captain Dan

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Force

• When wind speed doubles
• Force is 8X

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Local WX issues

• Windy Lane
• Santa Ana
• Fog

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Santa Ana

• Usually forecast
• Extremely warm and dry
• Wind builds from East
• 50 kts not uncommon
• Exit strategies
• North or South out of Oxnard Plain
• Santa Barbara
• South side of Santa Cruz
• Open Sea

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Windy Lane

• Just past oil platforms
• Nearly every afternoon 25 knots
• Seas not normally a problem
• Check charts for NW anchorages
• Prisoners
• Smugglers
• Little Scorpion

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Situational AwarenessForehandedness

• Whats the forecast?
• Whats the Actual wind?
• Whats the Apparent wind?
• Where is the swell from?
• Where are the wind waves?
• Is wind or sea building/declining?
• Where is port? What are the likely conditions
• Is there a lee to hide in?

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Seasickness

• Prevent
• Eat lightly
• Take meds early
• Stay hydrated
• If sick
• Strap in
• Crew assist

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Prepare

• Boat
• Jacklines
• Crew
• Type I or inflatable PFD
• Harness/tether
• Foulies
• Assignments - discuss requirements
• Helmsman
• Sail Handler
• Navigator
• Lookout
• Cook

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Preparation

• Dog hatches
• Insert washboards
• Secure gear
• Ensure manual bilge pump ready
• Explain anticipated conditions
• Violent rolls
• Uncontrollable speed
• Danger in tacks/jibes

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Sail Trim - to weather

• Goal
• Maintain near constant speed
• Maintain near constant heel

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Tacking in high wind

• DO NOT END UP IN IRONS
• Ensure plenty of steerageway
• gt2 knots
• Do not pinch or over trim
• Minimize leeway

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DIW

• No control
• Possible sternway
• Rudder snap
• Swamping
• Rolling
• Do not tack under 2 knots
• Irons? Backwind jib immediately

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Sail Trim - to weather

• Main
• Tighten outhaul (flattens main)
• Feather up, release
• Ease traveler to lee (3º wx helm)
• Gusts ease sheet (twist off)
• Jib
• Jib car aft (top telltale vertical)
• Top tell tales luff
• Reefing - maintain balance

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Sail Trim

• In heavy wind -
• Its OK to sail on the leeches
• Mainsail luffs slightly fwd
• Jib luffs slightly

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SITUATION

• Youre at anchor in Prisoners
• Wind shifts to NE, increases to 15
• What do you do?
• Wind increases to 25
• What happens if you go DIW?
• How would overtrim affect survival?
• How well do our boats sail close-hauled?

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Sail Trim - off the wind

• Main
• Overtrim to depower
• Center traveler (allows boom to rise, spill wind)
• Ease vang to spill air aloft
• Rig preventer
• Jib
• Car aft - top tell tales luff
• Adjust reef to maintain balance

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Off wind steering

• Anticipate head off/broach
• Neutral helm
• Steer for flat spots

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Reef early reef deepYoure already late if

• More than 25 knots
• More than 25º heel
• Feels unsafe

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Beware extreme downwind

• Too much speed (gt7.5 knots)
• Forces too high
• Danger of broach
• Pitchpole (faster than the waves)
• Discomfort
• Pounding
• Digging in (bow or lee rail)
• High steering forces

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Beware downwind

• Run
• Danger of jibe
• Preventer
• If jibe necessary
• Execute at high speed (low relative wind)
• Ease preventer
• Center main
• Jibe HO! Boom Coming!
• Release at snap