[Rhodes22-list] Sailing with waves

[Andrew Collins]

Dave

I started skiing as a child and learned the term there, I am sure it is not
nautical, but lacking a proper 'bon mot' it served the purpose. I t was
quite  a ride

Andrew

On Wed, Oct 8, 2008 at 1:49 AM, David Bradley <dwbrad at gmail.com> wrote:

> Andrew - sounds like an interesting ride.  I've heard it called the
> "dishpan effect" when the sound gets so rough, bouncing from shore to
> shore.  Got stuck once coming back from Port Washington in a 14'
> Boston Whaler in similar condidtions and thought of each wave as a
> surfing encounter.  Your technique is what worked for me that day -
> take each wave and ride its contour.
>
> You said "I fell off to broad reach and headed straighter down the
> wave (closer to the fall line)..."   Is fall line actually a nautical
> term, or had you started skiing already?  You could probably use a
> slow trip down a bump slope in place of the surfing anology.
>
> Best,
>
> Dave
>
>
>
>
> On Tue, Oct 7, 2008 at 9:33 PM, Bill Effros <bill at effros.com> wrote:
> > Andrew,
> >
> > I've sailed in the same place under the same conditions.
> >
> > I find I can control the boat up into 20-25 mph wind conditions.
> >
> > I sail with far less than 50% of both sails, and can maintain sustained
> > over ground speeds between 7 and 11 kts--exceeding theoretical hull
> > speed by planing on the waves.  I try not to heel at all, and roll up my
> > 175 to storm sail size--tiny just for balance.
> >
> > The main drives the boat, and I set it at any size that will not cause
> > heeling.
> >
> > It is almost impossible to come about under these conditions factoring
> > in the waves.  I always jibe...carefully, with a very small main, and
> > just a small "pop" when I change tacks.  I generally sail with the boom
> > up so I don't have to worry about getting killed by a small mistake.  My
> > main is so small, the higher boom does not create heeling.
> >
> > Heaving to under these conditions is a kick, and definitely what I would
> > do if I found myself in a storm not on purpose. If you didn't try it
> > when you were out there, you should next time.  You bob like a cork in
> > complete calm.  I had lunch, then released the jib in such a way that I
> > headed on the opposite tack and came home.
> >
> > Bill Effros
> >
> >
> >
> > Andrew Collins wrote:
> >> Question for blue water and Great Lakes (maybe) sailors:
> >>
> >> The day before Hanna, the one before Ike, was due to roll in, I took a
> sail
> >> to try the boat out in unusual conditions. The wind was steady out of
> the
> >> east at about 15-20 mph with rolling 5-6' swells 20' apart once out of
> port.
> >> On LI Sound waves are uncommon, as it is usually only choppy. So going
> out
> >> the tack was port on a reach and crossing the swells at less than 90
> deg.
> >> This was sailing into, up and over the swells, which was controllable,
> the
> >> sails reefed to 50% area. Boom down, life jacket on, pulse up. The boat
> >> behaved well. Upon approaching Payee Reach which gets more air and
> having to
> >> cross a more shallow area the swells got larger as the bottom pushed
> them
> >> up. So this got a little too exciting sooo, it was time to tack and turn
> >> back. The wind was too stiff and the the swells enough so she wouldn't
> come
> >> around, and I fell off to the former port tack.
> >>
> >> Keeping a weather eye on the swells a quick jibe got me on a starboard
> tack
> >> headed back towards port. So now we are sailing across and with 'down'
> the
> >> swells, where before we were sailing 'up'. The boat is heeling to port
> and
> >> when sailing down, the heeling is being accentuated by going downhill on
> an
> >> angle across the swell, a new experience. This I did not like, so
> whenever
> >> the boat started to head down a wave I fell off to brad reach and headed
> >> straighter down the wave (closer to the fall line) and headed up again,
> >> describing a zig-zag course. This I liked as there was a bit of surfing
> >> involved. Having had my fun I headed home, where the first mate observed
> >> that I looked a mite piqued.
> >>
> >> What have other R22 sailors done in these circumstances, besides
> avoiding
> >> them? In how much wind are you able to tack? My boat will tack up to
> about
> >> 20 mph, depending on the seas.
> >>
> >> Andrew
> >> s/v Carmen
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> >>
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>
>
> --
> David Bradley
> +1.206.234.3977
> dwbrad at gmail.com
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