"Veridican" wrote in message
Jeff,

You say 25 knots is more like a jog in the park


Jeff Morris wrote:
Yes, its a bit of work.

Depends very much on the boat. Some are fun at 25, some are work, some
are in 'survival mode.' It also depends on the water... what size & type
of waves do you have to contend with?




and 35 is survival conditions,
and then you say it's no big deal. 25 knots is 21 mph sustained. It's a force

6

wind. In a cruising boat, you should be in harnesses and reefed.

You have a bit of a math problem. But I'd agree that in most conditions
of 25 knot winds or above, harnesses are a good idea. Reefing may or may
not be.



Yes, I'd probably be reefed, unless its downwind. I reef fairly often -
sometimes I'll reef at the dock and then shake it out if the predicted wind
doesn't happen.

That's been my policy as well, on boats that *can* be reefed. Most small
boats and all one designs have no reef points. I've tried rolling the
sail around the mast on Lasers and Force 5s but it doesn't work too
well. On most such boats, capsizing is part of the fun.

... What's the point - is reefing a sign that its dangerous? I've
set all my "personal speed records" under shortened sail - currently 13.5 knots
in bursts, surfing down waves; about 12 knots sustained reaching in 25 knots of
wind. The former situation was a bit un-nerving because it was one of our
first times in the boat. The second was just a fun daysail, reaching back and
forth across Buzzard's Bay in a warm SW blow.

Ah yes, the Buzzards Bay daily hurricane. Fun place to sail. I like the
way the waves change dramatically with the tide, too.


As for a harness - I very rarely use mine during the day - I don't recall ever
feeling at risk of going overboard. I do sometime wear inflatable SOSpendors,
if there's a chance I have to go forward. But my current boat and my previous
boat have large, secure cockpits with all lines led aft, good lifelines with
full netting. 25 knots of wind would not be a reason to harness. 8 foot seas
might be, but that's another story.

Guess that depends on the boat too. It certainly depends on the sailor.
I tend to be chicken though, and wear a harness or a PFD many times when
others don't.


In a dinghy you shouldn't go out at all.

Maybe *you* shouldn't.


Total nonsense. I've run regatta's in 20 to 25 knots, though that's about the
limit for the small dinks we had. But I've raced a number of times in 25+
knots. I've taught beginners' lessons in 12 foot dinks in over 20, but I did
advise students that they were guaranteed to be soaked in 2 minutes, and a
capsize was likely if they took the tiller. In fact, in 6 years of instructing
I don't recall canceling a lesson just because of high wind, though the students
did decline on occasion.

In some of the racing classes, 25 ~ 30 is close to the upper limit of
when things get out of control even with the champions. Two modern
designs I admire, the Viper and the Johnson 18, can race and have lots
of fun in 30 ~ 35... maybe more. In 470s it's survival mode.




I'm not saying it can't be fun, but don't make it
sound like it's a normal sailing experience.

It should be. How can you learn to handle a boat in bad weather if you
never experience any harder winds?



It all depends on where you live, what kind of boat you have, and what type of
local support. Boston is the windiest city in the country, so its not uncommon
in the Spring and Fall to have serious wind. If you sail out of a club that has
committee boats and/or rescue launches you can afford to take some risks. And
for a proper cruising boat, 25 knots is not that big of a deal.

heh heh I think Chicago is the windiest city... colder water, too...

anyway, a couple of afternoons sailing a racing class dinghy in 20+
knots will teach any sailor how to better handle a bigger boat in strong
winds. It's a shame so many sailors scorn this type of experience... or
think it's dangerous...

Fresh Breezes- Doug King