Heavy Weather Sailing 7th edition

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A reefed furling Genoa is ineffective when close hauled but can function better off the wind. For these various reasons it is therefore wise to seek shelter downwind rather than upwind, even if the latter refuge is nearer. stress on the engine itself from operating at extreme angles of the heel (engine not lubricating correctly and overheating) In this book, former Commodore of the Ocean Cruising Club Martin Thomas brings together a wealth of expert advice from many of the great sailors of the present, including fresh accounts of yachts overtaken by extreme weather, from Ewan Southby-Tailyour, Alex Whitworth and Dag Pike to Larry and Lin Pardey, Matt Sheahan and Andrew Claughton. Lets say your are caught in bad squall – wind speed is in the 25 to 30 knot range (Beaufort 6 – 7 ) and seas are running at 8 to 10 feet. If you do plan to use a drogue, deploy it before the bad weather hits. Amongst drogues the Jordan Series Drogue receives a lot of praise from long-distance sailors. A more conventional and solid drogue should do it as well (e.g. Seabrake Drogue). Storm drogue vs Sea anchor

Passive tactics are when we’re no longer in control of sailing the boat, but rather its tending to itself. Passive tactics are about holding position to let the weather pass and re-energising the crew. The most important part of any good active tactic is knowing when to give it up and switch to a passive tactic before you’re exhausted. Much like reefing, which should be done before you actually need to, so too should you raise your storm jib and douse your main before the heavy weather starts. Making the call to reduce sail or go bare poles can be a life saving call when made at the appropriate time. If you don't know how to reef or have difficulty changing sails, you should refrain from sailing in heavy air until you have had a chance to practice in lighter conditions. 3. File a float plan

Active vs passive tactics

So he split the difference. Knowing they’d be sailing into stronger conditions they reefed down, changed up the watch schedule and sailed a course to keep the wind just aft of the beam, heading more north-north-east and parallel to Ireland’s west coast, thereby leaving them much more sea room should they ultimately need to run with the storm. Anticipation Anticipate: Understand the forecast and set the boat up for the expected conditions long before they deteriorate The proximity of shelter, relatively speaking, is a blessing at this point – we don’t have to endure the battering for very long – but the presence of land is also a hazard, reducing sea room, and with it, options. So knowing how to prepare and how to handle your boat when you do get caught, could be the difference between an entertaining anecdote at the bar later or a call to the lifeboat.

Good nav and comm depend on forward-looking leadership. Leadership communicates the expectations of the route to be sailed in clear terms: “For the next X-hours the sailing-conditions are expected to be Z; we’ll deploy this sail-configuration and sailing-style as a means of reaching waypoint-B according to this ETA.” The seas are impressive and we are taking on some green water when the breaking crests catch up with us. Making great speed under triple-reefed mainsail and just a scrap of headsail.” Sometimes it’s necessary from a time or safety perspective to stow the jib and fire up the iron genny instead. Motorsailing lets you point high and make progress to windward. Motoring with no sails will not work well (or at all, in some cases), particularly in big seas, but a reefed mainsail will provide lateral stability and extra power. Trim the main, head up high enough to control your angle of heel, set the autopilot, and keep a lookout. Fuel consumption makes this a short-term option. At dawn the wind shifted and we switched into upwind mode, shaking the reefs in the main and re-setting the 105% genoa, making landfall in Horta a few hours later, a textbook application of anticipating the weather and executing good tactics to contend with it. Active vs passive tactics

Real world experience

It’s not always a good idea to run for shelter as onshore gales can shut every harbour within reach – the Portuguese coast is a good example. In today’s world of satellite communication and more accurate weather forecasts, it is certainly easier to avoid heavy weather than before. Sailing up a sea storm is very hard, sometimes impossible. That is why it is important to plan, execute and monitor passages properly, with a good weather forecast in your hands and an alternative strategy in your mind. Motoring with no sails set will probably not work in big seas. Sails are needed—at least a reefed main—to provide some stability and extra power. Staying active on the helm in heavy weather can give a sense of purpose, easing stress. Photo: Paul Wyeth When surfing the waves at some point you might have to slow the boat down to be able to control it. The sail plan would mainly depend on your boat and available sails on board. For a typical cruiser, this could mean a main sail with a second or third reef and reduced headsail (rolled or storm jib). You can also drop the main sail or use a fourth reef.