cflscorpion
New Member
went out today here in central FL. 24mph with gusts up to 30mph. huge waves (lake). i didn't have much success. when should i say when?
max wind for sunfish?
- Thread starter cflscorpion
- Start date
beldar boathead
Married to Primat Boathead
That's quite a bit of wind. The past few years they do not race in the Worlds if it hits the high 20s. You can have a lot of fun on a reach though. The more you sail, the more comfortable you will feel when it gets windier. BB
cflscorpion
New Member
well, i played hell getting out of the boat ramp area due to onshore winds & limited area for tacking. once i got out to open waters i was hitting a real fast reach. when i got close to shore and tried to tack i got completely stuck in irons. i regained sail but i could not go upwind at all. i could do reaching runs but that did not allow me to get out of a cove that i was being pushed into. just couldn't seem to go upwind at all. i'm willing to say that some of the problems were operator error. maiden voyage on a newly purchased phantom. maybe shoulda done the first run on a milder day.i have been in weather like that before but in a scorpion.
I'd define "Not much success" as "Not much fun." It gets to the point where you are just trying to stay upright. Directly downwind and it wants to Death Roll. Go upwind and you get blown over to Leeward or blown over with a roll tack to Windward. It really helps if you are sailing with two people both weight-wise and task-wise. It can be lots of fun if it's the type of challange you are looking for, I just don't like that 'balancing on the head of a pin' feeling.
The great thing about sailing (IMHO) is that one keeps on learning. In other words, to effectively sail a dinghy under the conditions you described requires a lot of practice (AKA time in the boat).
Tacking in big breeze requires good speed prior to the tack and fairly strong tiller action. One should also try to make a wider angle through the tack. Right after the tack, hike hard to flatten the boat.
Generally speaking, going upwind in strong wind, it's better to foot off to keep the boat flat, than to pinch.
There are many adjustments one can make to the rig to make for a better high wind experience.
All these issues are described much better in the Sunfish Bible.
I found myself in similar winds this summer (18kts gusting to 25) out on Lake Michigan.
First, be sure the halyard and gooseneck are set such that the boom is relatively low to the deck. The lower the center of effort on the sail, the easier it is to handle.
Second, buy some extra line and learn how to use a Jens rig. I tried one for the first time, and the before/after difference was unbelievable. The rig changes the halyard attachment point on the upper gaff, moving it lower on the mast. This allows the gaff to flex more, twisting off the top of the sail in the gusts, which depowers the sail.
Third, be sure you use your ratchet block, or add one to the deck if you don't have one. pulling down hard through the block will bend the boom, and flatten the sail. This will reduce the amount of lift the sail produces, as well as reducing drag. This will help you get the boat to point.
Tacking is a pain in the rear end with the Jens however, as the boom is not much more than 8" above the deck. I'd have to duck into the cockpit when tacking. On a couple of occasions, I timed the tack poorly relative to the 2-3' waves, and was promptly dumped into the water.
First, be sure the halyard and gooseneck are set such that the boom is relatively low to the deck. The lower the center of effort on the sail, the easier it is to handle.
Second, buy some extra line and learn how to use a Jens rig. I tried one for the first time, and the before/after difference was unbelievable. The rig changes the halyard attachment point on the upper gaff, moving it lower on the mast. This allows the gaff to flex more, twisting off the top of the sail in the gusts, which depowers the sail.
Third, be sure you use your ratchet block, or add one to the deck if you don't have one. pulling down hard through the block will bend the boom, and flatten the sail. This will reduce the amount of lift the sail produces, as well as reducing drag. This will help you get the boat to point.
Tacking is a pain in the rear end with the Jens however, as the boom is not much more than 8" above the deck. I'd have to duck into the cockpit when tacking. On a couple of occasions, I timed the tack poorly relative to the 2-3' waves, and was promptly dumped into the water.
A big part of sailing in high winds is finding a large body of water that is free of gusting winds. Get a steady wind and you can really set up for some fun wave jumping. Too small a lake and the wind changes will keep sucker punching you and making the work load too high to have fun. Steady winds also make it much easier for a beginner to get a handle on things. The downside of large lakes is the high traffic at boat ramps, all the knuckle-heads on Jet Skis and in Speed Boats and the ramp fees.
cflscorpion
New Member
great advice from everyone. thanks for your thoughts! one thing is for sure, you don't soon forget those high wind days. you'll learn a lot in a hurry (no choice). went out sat. with about a 15 mph wind & had a blast. everything worked perfectly. I wasn't ready for the big wind a week earlier.
At the end of last summer I sailed in about 17 knots gusting 28. It wasn't the most enjoyable sailing I've done, but i thought it was pretty exhilarating! Although I had several painful connections with the boom, the day overall made for some great stories. And about halfway through the day of sailing, my friend beached his sunfish and both of us sailed mine, which was easily manageable even with the high winds.
Another sailing buddy capsized his catamaran that day...but i guess that's for a different forum.
Another sailing buddy capsized his catamaran that day...but i guess that's for a different forum.