Seaotter5
Well-Known Member
On Sunday I was sailing my Minifish Holman Lake at Little Buffalo PA State Park. At least I was trying to sail. The wind was blowing at about two miles an hour, at most, and was shifting 45 to 180 degrees every few moments. I was getting a little too relaxed, and wasn't paying much attention, when suddenly I heard the trees behind me moving in the wind. By the time I got up to look around a powerful gust hit us. I have no way of knowing how fast the gust was, but the Minifish immediately started healing over. To say that I gyped implies some degree of control, which was definitely not the case. The sail kind of lifted up, and I am pretty sure that the mast would have pulled out of the mast step if the halyard hand not been cleated.
By instinct I pulled the rudder over to head into the wind. I didn't really expect that to work, and I was getting ready to practice my capsize-righting drill (which I really need to do. I havent tried righting the Minifish yet). Much to my surprise the boat developed a strong weather helm, and it spun me right around. Ok, so far, so good. I was still dry, the boat was still upright, and all was well in the world. Then I noticed that I was sailing backwards. Very quickly. I am pretty sure that I wasn't planing, but my wake was rather dramatic. I suspect that If I hadn't been sitting well forward the boat would have done a fine impression of a U-boat crashdiving. Without the ahh-ooo-gah horn, of course.
The gust had slowed down considerably, but it was still blowing at about 15 mph. I tried everything I could think of, but the 'fish stayed firmly planted in irons (something it has never done before). I tried (gingerly) pushing the boom one direction and turning the rudder in the other, but my retrograde sailing configuration didn't change. I tried all of the boom/rudder/paddling/praying strategies I could think of, but nothing helped. Finally, in a state of semi desperation (after all, the lake was small, the water was warm, there were plenty of people around, and I was wearing a life jacket. Not exactly a life threatening situation!), I fell back on my canoeing experience, and got my weight as far back as I could, lightening the bow enough that the wind caught it, and turned us leeward. At which point I straightened my rudder, pulled in the line, and sailed on down the lake. As I pulled up to the dock couple of kids were waiting for me, and asked if I would go back and spin around like that again. They thought it was really cool! Perhaps it was, but once was enough.
By instinct I pulled the rudder over to head into the wind. I didn't really expect that to work, and I was getting ready to practice my capsize-righting drill (which I really need to do. I havent tried righting the Minifish yet). Much to my surprise the boat developed a strong weather helm, and it spun me right around. Ok, so far, so good. I was still dry, the boat was still upright, and all was well in the world. Then I noticed that I was sailing backwards. Very quickly. I am pretty sure that I wasn't planing, but my wake was rather dramatic. I suspect that If I hadn't been sitting well forward the boat would have done a fine impression of a U-boat crashdiving. Without the ahh-ooo-gah horn, of course.
The gust had slowed down considerably, but it was still blowing at about 15 mph. I tried everything I could think of, but the 'fish stayed firmly planted in irons (something it has never done before). I tried (gingerly) pushing the boom one direction and turning the rudder in the other, but my retrograde sailing configuration didn't change. I tried all of the boom/rudder/paddling/praying strategies I could think of, but nothing helped. Finally, in a state of semi desperation (after all, the lake was small, the water was warm, there were plenty of people around, and I was wearing a life jacket. Not exactly a life threatening situation!), I fell back on my canoeing experience, and got my weight as far back as I could, lightening the bow enough that the wind caught it, and turned us leeward. At which point I straightened my rudder, pulled in the line, and sailed on down the lake. As I pulled up to the dock couple of kids were waiting for me, and asked if I would go back and spin around like that again. They thought it was really cool! Perhaps it was, but once was enough.