[Rhodes22-list] What Should I Have Done Differently?

[mputnam1 at aol.com]

Thanks Rob,

Yep, had a life jacket on and my wife knew I was out.  I'm religious about those two items.  I've also, on occassion, ran lifelines around the boat and linked myself up to them ... but I didn't do that today for some reason.  Looking back, I probably should have, although I never had to leave the cockpit of the boat.

I also just checked www.sailflow.com to see what the exact wind conditions were at the time I was out and the average wind was 15 knots with up to 25 knot gusts.  The 15 knot winds didn't feel over my head as I was heading out ... and I don't recall feeling many of the gusts.  It was the constant 15 knot wind on the main that was causing me the problems ... and that doesn't seem like that high a wind to be causing problems.  But maybe I'm wrong about that ...

- Mark


-----Original Message-----
From: Rob Lowe <rlowe at vt.edu>
To: The Rhodes 22 mail list <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
Sent: Mon, 18 Feb 2008 4:20 pm
Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] What Should I Have Done Differently?



Mark,
'm looking forward to answers to your questions.  But first all, you did
ake it back to shore under difficult conditions.  I have a standard main
nd jib and do not have the tiller linkage, so I can't address those issues.
ne thing I do not do is kill the motor before raising sail.  I was taught
o motor straight into the wind while hoisting sail.  I also run the motor
nd head into the wind before dropping sails.  This takes the pressure off
he sails and give me control of my boat.  Thanks for posting your
ifficulties for discussion.  Having posted some of my problems to the list,
f can be a bit humbling.  You've done all of us a service by asking.  Now,
e all assume you had a life jacket on and someone knew you were out? - Rob
----- Original Message ----- 
rom: <mputnam1 at aol.com>
o: <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
ent: Monday, February 18, 2008 3:55 PM
ubject: [Rhodes22-list] What Should I Have Done Differently?


 Hello everyone,

 I am hoping you can help me learn from my sailing experience today. I know
 must have done some things wrong, but maybe I did a few things right
ecause I was able to get back to the harbor safely in the end. Let me
escribe what happened and then ask a few questions. And let me apologize in
dvance for not getting all my nautical terms right … I’ll do the best I
an.

 My R-22 is kept at the Washington Sailing Marina on the Potomac River,
ust across the river from DC. The weather this morning was unseasonably
arm with winds in the 15-20 knot range with gusts up to 29, according to
he coast guard weather report. I knew a cold front was approaching and that
t would get windier as the day went on, but it was around 11am and while I
as a little uncertain about going out, it was one of those rare weekdays
hen my lack of work intersected with wind on the water. So I decided to try
nd see if I could handle it and learn something at the same time. I had
hought I’d read enough on this group about how to handle the boat in
indier conditions – I wanted to put some of that knowledge to the test.


 I was single-handing the boat and motored out of the marina and down the
otomac to where I usually head for the center of the river before killing
he engine, hauling it up and unfurling the main. Before I killed the
ngine, I noted that the water was choppy, but there were no white caps. I
esolved to myself that if I began to see white caps, I'd head home. I
ointed into the wind, killed the engine, hauled the engine up and only let
ut a little less than half of the main (having read so many posts on this
roup about being conservative in windier weather) and it almost immediately
ot out of my control.



 The boat swerved into a beam reach and began tipping over, so I let out
he main sheet to try and keep the mainsail from tipping me over. Right then
 noticed that white caps had appeared (great timing on my part). The clew
nd the foot of the main sail was thrashing around, with a good amount of
irspace between the clew and the boom.



 As an aside, I’ve never quite understood what is supposed to keep the foot
f the sail close to the boom besides just securing the sheet. In these
tronger winds, the main was actively pulling away from the boom. Am I
erhaps missing some key component to keep the bottom/foot of the main sail
n tighter proximity to the boom?



 Because I had let out the main sheet to try and control the heeling, I
ould not reach the line to furl the mainsail back into the mast. The line
as out over the water. So I was having to try and pull the boom back into
he cockpit to get a grip on the furling sheet … which, of course, led to
ore heeling. And when I pulled on the line to furl the main, it wouldn’t
url.



 And, most disturbingly, with so much wind filling the small amount of the
ain that was out, I just couldn’t furl the sail. It wouldn’t budge. I also
oticed that more of the main seemed to be inching out. I thought I had
ecured the main so it wouldn’t further unfurl, but I don’t remember if I
ad and I don’t remember checking it in all the hullabaloo. It never fully
nfurled, thank goodness, so maybe I had secured it to some degree.



 Anyway, every time I tried to point the boat into the wind, it didn’t help
ive me more slack to furl the main. It was noisy as hell, of course, which
 expected. But I didn’t get the slackness necessary to furl the main. And
he boat didn’t want to stay pointed into the wind, which I found a little
urprising. I thought sailboats, when pointed into the wind, stayed there.
ut I guess I learned otherwise today!



 I eventually put the motor back in the water, cranked it up and powered
nto the wind. The swells had increased to the point that the engine was
oming up out of the water on every swell, but at least I was seeming to
ake progress. I then somehow pulled hard enough on the furling line to be
ble to furl the main. I don’t know how I did it, but I did. At this point,
 noticed that my tiller to engine linkage was not working. The 8hp Mercury
otor I have only has one latch to hold the cowling onto the engine and it
as failing with the severe pressure on the cowling, and the cowling was
eing ripped off the engine. I had to use the engine tiller to point the
otor. I tried to disengage the linkage, but in the frenzy of the moment, I
asn’t able to do that. So I just continued steering by using both the boat’
 tiller and the engine’s tiller.



 I eventually made it closer to the shore where the wind wasn’t as severe,
nd was able to disengage the tiller linkage and made it back to the dock.



 So here are my questions:



 1) First, the most basic question -- whenever I go out on 5 knot days, I
ake little progress on the water. And if 15-20 knot days are too much, it
eems a narrow window indeed that I am able to sail in. Is this the case? Is
he R-22 a boat that should only go out in 10-12 knot winds in order to best
njoy it?



 2) What should I have done differently when the half unfurled main
mmediately got out of my control? Should I have steered the boat DOWNwind?
ould it have been easier to furl the main if I had done that? Or is
teering the boat INTO the wind and the chop the right thing to do?



 3) Is there something I should be doing differently so that the clew of
he mainsail doesn’t get pulled so far away from the boom in windy weather?
t seemed very loose and uncontrollable. This was one of the two most
isconcerting parts of the experience (the other being the inability to furl
he main).



 4) In a worst case scenario where I can’t furl the main (especially if it’
 fully unfurled) in strong winds, should I just try to motor to shore with
he main flapping away and catching wind? I didn’t know in the situation I
as in if the imperative is to a) try and furl the main first or b) to just
et myself out of the windy area of the river even if it means motoring with
he main unfurled. I was afraid that if I tried to do option b, that the
oat could tip over if I was going in a direction that was putting the main
nto a position to be able to tip the boat. In retrospect, I’m now thinking
hat it’s possible to motor with the main unfurled, as long as the main
heet is fully out and allowing the main to go wherever it wants to go.



 5) Has anyone else with the tiller/engine linkage had a similar problem in
trong wind situations? The cowling only has the one latch on the back of
he engine (furthest astern) and this one latch was clearly a weak point in
ituations of stress on the linkage. If I’m going to be relying on this
inkage in bad weather conditions, do any of you have any advice on where
nd how I can get more latches put on my cowling? OR should I not attempt to
se the linkage in stronger winds?



 6) What should be the role of the motor in these situations? Is it the
irst thing to engage to get the boat pointed in a particular direction? Or
s it the last thing to resort to? Should I be able to furl the main without
sing the engine?



 I have to tell you, it was very disconcerting to have trouble furling the
ainsail. I have loved the innermast furling main up until this point … but
ulling with all my might on the line was doing nothing. It just refused to
udge. I still don’t know quite how I was able to get it finally furled. It
ust have had something to do with engaging the motor in the process, but I
on’t know for sure.



 For anyone out there who is reading this and considering purchasing the
-22, please know that I think this is a marvelous boat. The inner-furling
ast is something that I’ve been very happy with up until today and perhaps
t’s all a function of this being too much wind for the boat. Or too much
ind for me, a relatively inexperienced sailor.



 I don’t know for sure the best way to learn how to sail in weather like
his … especially if I feel I have to go back to the dock as soon as there
re white caps. Maybe there is someone out there who is experienced in this
ort of weather AND knows the R-22 who can tutor me on-board in just this
ort of weather, but finding that person would not be easy. But I am ready
or any and all suggestions.



 Thanks for reading this very long email and I look forward to any and all
dvice … including “stay the hell out of 20 knot wind weather.” Maybe that’s
he root of the problem, but it seems easy to imagine that going out in a 10
not day could easily turn into a 20 knot day with gusts in no time at all.



 Thanks everyone,



 - Mark P.



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