Hi All
I headed out on the 3 June for a trip from St. Petersburg Fl to the
Dry Tortugas First day went fine a little bumpy but went about 120NM
then the wind decided to guit so there I sat over the next 2 days went
only another 20 NM and had killed my starting battery so decided when
I finely got some wind to head north to Napels about 50 or so NM away
as I got there I was going to park off the beach get a new battery and
be on my way home almost as soon as I droped anchor was hit by a storm
seas were 4-6ft (8) and I was unsure my anchor would hold so I called
my buddie Boat Tow US they came and got me took me in to the municipal
Marina for a night $60 but saft clean and a good shower left at noon
the next day after getting a battery headed north got hit by another
thunder storm around midnight and motered for 2-3 hrs till it was over
put the sails back up doing 6-7 NMH for the the rest of the night and
the next day with only little deviation of wind but as the evening
came saw a couple Thunder storms to my starboard side I droped my sail
motered for about a HR past the first one then put the sails up to try
to save fuel as the next one was getting ready to hit I went to drop
my sails as I was droping the Jib I got hit with 30-40 ? MH wind it
hit hard and blew my main I couldnt get my jib all the way down or my
main but it was getting dangerus up there I left to the back and just
road out the storm after what seamed a very long time I got out of the
storm and proceaded to motor to St. Petersburg getting in around mid-
night.........I learned dont wait to long to lower your sails!!!!!

On Jun 12, 8:02 am, doc wrote:
Hi All
I headed out on the 3 June for a trip from St. Petersburg Fl to the
Dry Tortugas First day went fine a little bumpy but went about 120NM
then the wind decided to guit so there I sat over the next 2 days went
only another 20 NM and had killed my starting battery so decided when
I finely got some wind to head north to Napels about 50 or so NM away
as I got there I was going to park off the beach get a new battery and
be on my way home almost as soon as I droped anchor was hit by a storm
seas were 4-6ft (8) and I was unsure my anchor would hold so I called
my buddie Boat Tow US they came and got me took me in to the municipal
Marina for a night $60 but saft clean and a good shower left at noon
the next day after getting a battery headed north got hit by another
thunder storm around midnight and motered for 2-3 hrs till it was over
put the sails back up doing 6-7 NMH for the the rest of the night and
the next day with only little deviation of wind but as the evening
came saw a couple Thunder storms to my starboard side I droped my sail
motered for about a HR past the first one then put the sails up to try
to save fuel as the next one was getting ready to hit I went to drop
my sails as I was droping the Jib I got hit with 30-40 ? MH wind it
hit hard and blew my main I couldnt get my jib all the way down or my
main but it was getting dangerus up there I left to the back and just
road out the storm after what seamed a very long time I got out of the
storm and proceaded to motor to St. Petersburg getting in around mid-
night.........I learned dont wait to long to lower your sails!!!!!

Good lesson Doc. Offshore you see storms coming it's best to go ahead
and reef.

Joe

"doc" wrote in message
oups.com...
Hi All
I headed out on the 3 June for a trip from St. Petersburg Fl to the
Dry Tortugas First day went fine a little bumpy but went about 120NM
then the wind decided to guit so there I sat over the next 2 days went
only another 20 NM and had killed my starting battery so decided when
I finely got some wind to head north to Napels about 50 or so NM away
as I got there I was going to park off the beach get a new battery and
be on my way home almost as soon as I droped anchor was hit by a storm
seas were 4-6ft (8) and I was unsure my anchor would hold so I called
my buddie Boat Tow US they came and got me took me in to the municipal
Marina for a night $60 but saft clean and a good shower left at noon
the next day after getting a battery headed north got hit by another
thunder storm around midnight and motered for 2-3 hrs till it was over
put the sails back up doing 6-7 NMH for the the rest of the night and
the next day with only little deviation of wind but as the evening
came saw a couple Thunder storms to my starboard side I droped my sail
motered for about a HR past the first one then put the sails up to try
to save fuel as the next one was getting ready to hit I went to drop
my sails as I was droping the Jib I got hit with 30-40 ? MH wind it
hit hard and blew my main I couldnt get my jib all the way down or my
main but it was getting dangerus up there I left to the back and just
road out the storm after what seamed a very long time I got out of the
storm and proceaded to motor to St. Petersburg getting in around mid-
night.........I learned dont wait to long to lower your sails!!!!!

Old adage: reef early and reef often.

Max