[Rhodes22-list] Chesapeake Sailing

Mon Apr 27 14:46:51 EDT 2009

Lee & Chris,

Learning the basics of sailing takes a few hours - learning to sail well 
takes all the time we have.  After 27 years of sailing an R22, I still learn 
when confronted with new hardware or situations.  I have decided that going 
out in real high wind is no longer as much fun as it was when I was younger 
(well, maybe it is just a lot more work than it used to be.)  The problem is 
not learning to "go out" in 20 kts it is learning to come home safely, no 
matter what happens.

You need to be very familiar with the boat's response under varying 
conditions, especially when nature turns a bit nasty.  I taught my kids 
several methods to depower sails in wind.  It is very important to have 
practiced furling and your "Plan B" if unable to furl (jams or equipment 
failure.)  I have a couple of packs of 12 Canopy Ties (ball end bungees) 
from Walmart that can be used to secure sails quickly without damage.  If 
you need a larger tie, just loop two or more together.  Lastly, practice 
without the benefit of the engine, just in case.

Sailing is mostly a lot of fun with bouts of sheer terror interspersed.

Mike
s/v Shanghai'd Summer ('81)
Nissequogue River, NY

From: "Leland" Monday, April 27, 2009 1:49 PM
>
> Chris,
>
> I couldn't go out on Friday but probably wouldn't have anyway with the 
> high
> wind.  I don't normally go out anymore if the wind is above 20 knots, and
> between 15 and 20 knots it can be more work than fun for me.  You hit the
> nail on the head when you mentioned the waves.  Where we sail we 
> frequently
> get a lot of chop if the wind gets very high, and you'll find that it's
> easier to sail in 20 knots of wind with a little chop than 15 knots with a
> lot of chop.
>
> Learning to sail perfectly is an unending endeavor.  I found that learning
> to sail somewhat perfect was less of a learning curve than learning to 
> furl
> my sails back in during high wind.  For the mainsail, Mary Lou's advice
> about the position of the boom is very important.  Tighten the mainsheet 
> so
> the boom remains centered and use the motor to ensure you are heading
> directly into the wind.  It's true that the sail furls better if the boom 
> is
> slightly to the starboard side, but ignore that.  It furls in just fine 
> with
> the boom centered and you do not want any high wind tension on the 
> mainsail
> when trying to furl it in.  A little tension on the outhaul line helps 
> keep
> the sail from flapping around beyond control.
>
> I've had four years of making every mistake imaginable.  Let me know if
> you'd like to go out for a sail and I can show you all kinds of things you
> shouldn't do.
>
> I did make it out on Saturday and it was wonderful.  From 1 to 6 p.m. I
> measured the wind from 3 to 7.5 knots, and the only serious chop was from
> the powerboaters at Kent Narrows.  Couldn't ask for better conditions.
>
> Good luck!
>
> Lee
> 1986 Rhodes22  At Ease
> Kent Island, MD
>
>
>
> Mary Lou Troy-2 wrote:
>>
>> We haven't been out yet. Cleaning the genoa today (I know, we should
>> have done it in the fall but it has to be done outside on a tarp.)
>>
>> You should be able to furl the main even in those winds. The boom has
>> to be at just the right angle (up and down - we find that just below
>> horizontal works best) and centered. In high winds, we generally will
>> be motoring into the wind when we furl it.
>>
>> We try to remember to use McLube Sailcote on the edge of the slot and
>> the lower bearings before we raise the mast for the season, but we
>> forgot again this year. I'll do it as high as I can reach and it will
>> still reduce friction. We sometimes have to help the outhaul through
>> the blocks if it seems to be binding there.
>>
>> You don't always have to go around the bar at Herring Bay. I wouldn't
>> do it in a high wind situation, but we've gone out across that bar
>> many times. I also wouldn't do it when the water is all blown out
>> from a north wind but generally at anything but dead low tide it
>> shouldn't be a problem. We just go to where there is 4 and 5 ft
>> showing on the chart and cross there. I don't think we've ever seen 4
>> ft. there. Of course the shoaling changes from storm to storm so we
>> are cautious and have the depth sounder on.
>>
>> Glad you are getting out on the new boat.
>>
>> Mary Lou
>> 1991 R22 Fretless
>> Rock Hall, MD
>>
>>
>> At 11:25 AM 4/27/2009, you wrote:
>>
>>>Did anyone get out on the Chesapeake Bay this past weekend?  I am trying
> to
>>>get to know my new boat and tried to take her out Friday but the wind was
>>>blowing a good 18 knots with gusts above from the SW direct into the
>>>Herrington Harbor North inlet, white caps, good size waves and too much
>>>wind.  I started to take out the main and tack back and forth around long
>>>bar then decided it was too windy and too much sea.  But then I couldn't
> get
>>>the main back in because it was blowing back and forth so much.  I
> continued
>>>to motor sail to a leeward shore and was able to take the sail in and
> ducked
>>>into Herrington Harbor South for a break from all the wind.  My gps
>>>registered 7.3 knots when I motored back to HHN at half throttle surfing
> the
>>>waves back home.  Saturday was a much better day to sail with 3-6 knot
>>>winds.
>>>--
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>
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