BoatBanter.com - View Single Post - Caught Off Guard by a Squall

wrote:
I was recently sailing in a 38' sloop rigged cruiser. Both the jib and
the main are the furling type.

I was caught off guard by a sudden 35 kt gust than pinned the sails
down hard. I fought to turn into the wind so that I can furl the
sails, but this was a real struggle, as the wind kept pushing the boat
out of irons and over on it's side. Unfortunately, the sails were not
reefed in the first place. Releasing the sheets helped ease the heel
angle, but caused a real mess as all the lines started whipping around
and getting tangled. Eventually, we managed to furl the sails, but it
was a real scare.

Any advice on what would have been the best way to handle that
situation?

Thanks,
Bob Bramble

We would turn on the motor and head straight into the wind. The easiest
sail to depower was the genoa. It was roller reefing, so we would roll
it up as fast as possible. Then with the main sheet snugged down so the
boom wouldn't whip around, we eased the main halyard from the cockpit
and one or two crew members would go up on the cabin roof and help the
main fall between the lazy jacks. This was on a Mirage 33.
If we had any idea the winds would gust anywhere near 35 knots, we would
have reduced sail before an emergency happening.