So I submit a post about rough weather techniques, and my first sail of the season I get stuck in a squall just as I'm tacking around the seawall at the north gap and pushed into the wall. Now I know what they mean when they say you can't learn to sail by reading a book... Poor Jared has got some repairs to make

I was out with my buddy from work, and just as we cleared the gap to go out I was commenting on how nice it was to have wind and calm seas. I looked over to the west over the city skyline and saw some nastiness coming. Figuring I could beat it in I turned around immediately. Just as I cleared the breakwall, I had to tack as the wind was coming directly out of the west, for those of you familiar with the north gap you know you have to hit that crease just right to make it in in one tack. The wind shifted slightly southerly and before I got up speed on my new tack. I had to fall off a bit to get some speed, but then it started blowing like hell. I've never experienced wind like that. I had full sails up so I had Jim pull in the jib. I got up a little speed but the boat was moving 4 feet to the lee for ever 1 foot forward. I felt like I had enough speed to tack and put the tiller over, but the boat wouldn't tack. I could literally feel the windage on the hull keeping the boat from coming about. After my one tack attempt I knew I was going in the wall. Now there were rocks behind us which we were getting pushed toward while scraping along the rocks. I pulled all the sails down as they were just smashing us into the wall. The boom got wedged into the wall and at least held our position. After we got the sails down, and the boom dislodged we pulled out a tiny piece of jib to get the bow swung around. We managed to get off the wall and made probably 3 knots under a foot long triangle of jib and poles. Jared came out and towed us in.. I hung my head in shame as we sailed past Guy taking his class out...

Whole ordeal lasted probably seven minutes and within 15 minutes, the sun was shining and the wind was back down to a soothing 12 knots. What a humbling experience!

Truth is, crap does happen, and can happen to anyone. Remind me to tell you some time about my getting flat slapped all over the center gap last summer in 40-odd knot winds (hint: everyone else was smart enough to clear the lake).

But you know, I've got to say that I can only respect the hell out of you for even telling us about it! You 'manned up'! I like that! Here's a Karma point of respect coming to you from me! So when can we meet, have a beer? I want to hear all about it, with diagrams even. And I'd be more than happy to give you a hand as you help Jarred get the repairs done.

Ha! Thanks Gary. As I've had more time to go through it in my head, I think the major factor for me going in the wall was that I was sheeted in too tight which led to all that leeway. I was initially close hauled, but stalling badly after my tack. The wind shifted a bit south and I fell off to get some speed and the boat heeled violently and quickly keeping me from building up enough forward momementum. I tried tacking too soon without enough speed, considering the hull windage, and should have let the main out some to spill more wind but that wall was getting REALLY close and I couldn't think of anything except trying to get fenders out. We got two out which probably saved some damage. Ultimately I think it was panic of seeing the wall approaching... Isn't that the first thing they say? Don't panic...

Next time, I ride out the squall out on the lake and wait for it to pass before trying to get into harbor under sail. Especially now that I've experienced first hand just how much those Albergs can stand up to in a blow.

chris-
welcome to the club. as i was reading your initial description of what went down and your difficulty tacking, i wondered whether you were sheeted in too tight. been there big time...trying to pinch through into the wind while sliding off towards an immoveable object. gets the adrenalin going, eh?

Did you broach? What people tend to forget (assuming they once knew it), is that in really heavy air, broached, the critical 'sail area' of your vessal actually becomes the exposed hull for some brief time, usually counted in seconds (10? 15?) until she recovers. And, broached, she'll bring you pretty damned near dead in the water, while driving you to leeward as fast as a man can walk.

Definitely didn't broach... I tacked not 30 seconds before the squall came in... I hadn't gotten up enough speed by the time the wind kicked up. I fell off (towards the wall) to get some speed... and tried to tack one more time to get away, but the bow wouldn't go through the wind... thinking because of me being sheeted in too tight and overall windage. By that time I was too close to the wall to do anything but throw out fenders

I've been there. Mine was the opposite problem--sheeted in too tight in strong wind in the mooring area. Starting a long tack I thought we'd pass well behind a boat, but my buddy kept pinching because the heel was more than he was comfortable with. The next time I look up, T bone was eminent. The sheet was all the way in (and cleated), and the weather helm was so bad we couldn't fall off.

No damage, but I left fingerprints when I fended off a boat.

Guy

Last summer, I got flat-slapped and broached 2-3 times, back to back trying to FORCE it through the center gap, so as to leave the North gap for back up 'Plan 'B'. 'Twas an odd situation, dead in the water (or as near dead as makes no difference). Close reaching for dear life, sheeted hard, and still had my sails in the water, which slewed me hard off the wind, thus taking it abeam as she'd start to recover. Pretty bad. Anyway, recovered a couple of times (only to be flat-slapped back down). At that point, I instinctively doused the for'sail, thus putting all the pressure on the main, aft of the mast (obviously). What the 40-odd knots did was forcefully drive my stern to leeward (while I had no headway) towards the rocks, thus allowing my bow to eventually cross the wind. Being traped in that angled 'cul-de-sac' of SUV sized boulders immediately north of the center gap lighthouse, that was exactly my intent, allowed me to then fall off and out of the 'V' formation of rocks on an ENE heading, which at that point was the only possible point of the compass I could go to keep off the rocks. Don't know if it was the MOST perfect decision... perhaps an expert could have pointed out better ways... but damned if it didn't work just fine for me in that particular instance. Point being, is that there are always, in retrospect, mistakes made. My initial mistake in this case was trying to force myself into the perceived safety (as it sounds so did you) rather than simply staying out on the lake and riding it out. Second point being, is that no two incidences are ever the same. What might work in one, may well not work in others. As I again read your post, sounds like you at least made the best of a bad situation, once the bad situation became unavoidable.

And unlike most, I'll admit: were I to have a dollar for every 'Oops!' I've ever made sailing, I'd treat ALL of you to steak and lobster, every day this year!

vinegarj wrote:
chris-
welcome to the club. as i was reading your initial description of what went down and your difficulty tacking, i wondered whether you were sheeted in too tight. been there big time...trying to pinch through into the wind while sliding off towards an immoveable object. gets the adrenalin going, eh?

It certainly does get the adrenaline going. I looked up the wind speed history from the 7th and at the time of my incident, it said winds were ~30mph. If you'd have asked me during the blow.. I'd have said 70! I suppose it's a bit like getting on a motorcycle the first time... The first time you get on and go 10 mph you feel like you are speeding wildly out of control.

I was in a blow last year as well out in the middle of the lake. We saw the front approaching from a good distance and reefed well in advance. I was only crewing and I think it is much different when you are running the boat. I have a new respect for wind and weather and a new perspective of my skill level and experience.