How does one go about handling their boat in the following conditions. Body of water in question is the Chesapeake Bay.
- Quartering southerly tailwind, true wind of high teens to 20 kts.
- Rollers due to the water having miles to build up energy
Boat had up full main and full 155 genoa, with the sheets on the inner track. As several of you are probably thinking at the moment, the stern would swing coming over the waves, and lead to an exciting steering situation. Several unintended jibes happened.
In hindsight, reefing is an obvious area for improvement. But what else? Sail shallower to the wind? Get the sheets on the outside rails for better headsail shape? Or is there just some wind and sea state combos that are fraught with peril like this?
We're a short handed crew, and do pretty well with the wind at or ahead of the beam, but with no pole, anything behind the beam just brings us confusion. If nothing else, a boom break is in the boat's very near future.
- Quartering southerly tailwind, true wind of high teens to 20 kts.
- Rollers due to the water having miles to build up energy
Boat had up full main and full 155 genoa, with the sheets on the inner track. As several of you are probably thinking at the moment, the stern would swing coming over the waves, and lead to an exciting steering situation. Several unintended jibes happened.
In hindsight, reefing is an obvious area for improvement. But what else? Sail shallower to the wind? Get the sheets on the outside rails for better headsail shape? Or is there just some wind and sea state combos that are fraught with peril like this?
We're a short handed crew, and do pretty well with the wind at or ahead of the beam, but with no pole, anything behind the beam just brings us confusion. If nothing else, a boom break is in the boat's very near future.