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Great story…
A key aspect is he saw the wind change coming. I have a friend with a C34 complain once he could never read the wind. Mind you this is a SF Bay sailor that has attended the So Cal Rendezvous on Catalina by sailing down and back. Then I finally went for a sail with him from Half Mon Bay to SF Pier 39 where he keeps the boat.
Anyway he’d commented that his son could see wind changes coming but he couldn’t. On the sail up from Half Moon Bay I saw his problem reading the wind. He liked to sail where his Scott cross country ski goggles. The Scotts are dark and heavily polarized, polarized being the key here.
The way you read a line coming at you is a changed in the reflected light on the surface of the water (ok a boat in front of you being knocked down is a strong hint too). If you where heavily polarized lens to cut glare (reflected light) off the water then you also cut your ability to see a wind line coming at you.
We were out sailing one day and I saw a line of dust devils along the windward shore start coming down on us. We were sailing in 10 knots and I announce it was time to do a reefing. Everybody went to work quickly as drills are always about speed. I worked and watched as the darkest line I’ve seen came across water and then we were done. Just before it hit I furled the 135% and uncleated the main so I could hand hold the sheet. I suspect the wind went over 40 when it hit but it tapered of quickly and we easily road through it.
The moral is the skipper has to keep his head in the game even if that means not wearing cool polarized sunglasses.
Phil Agur s/v Wing Tip Commodore, Call Sign WCW3485 IC27/270A
www.catalina27.org Vessel Doc# 1039809 -----Original Message-----
That was a fantastic story. glad you made it back safe man. glad it was fun...
who else out there has a great story or experience from the edge and beyond or not.
Douglas Pryor Aqua Boogie 77 C-27 |
- RE: catalina27-talk: Can a C-27 turnover - part 2 Phil Agur
