Heavy Weather
Sailing - - Some Basics
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Wind
Force Matrix
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Wind Speed
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Beaufort
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~Boat Speed
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Pressure
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300 sq ft
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Water
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Wind
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Knots
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Scale
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Close Hauled
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Per Sq Ft
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Sail Area
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State
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Terminology
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1 - 3
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1
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Steerageway
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.003 - .03
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9 lbs
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Ripples
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Light Airs
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4 - 6
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2
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1 -3 knots
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.05 - .12
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36 lbs
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Many Ripples
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Light Breeze
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7 - 10
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3
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4 - 5 knots
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.16 - .33
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99 lbs
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Waves Begin
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Gentle Breeze
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11 - 16
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4
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6 - 7 knots
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.40 - .85
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353 lbs
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Long Waves
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Moderate Breeze
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17 - 21
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5
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First Reef
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.96 - 1.4
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420 lbs
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Whitecaps
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Fresh Breeze
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22 -27
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6
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Second Reef
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1.6 - 2.4
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720 lbs
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Many Whitecaps
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Strong Breeze
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28 - 33
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7
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Heave To
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2.6 - 3.6
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1080 lbs
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High Sea Running
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Moderate Gale
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“Heavy weather” is
generally understood to be wind and water conditions where the boat becomes
difficult to handle. The boat might be
heeling excessively (washing the windows); or the person on the helm might not
be able to steer a given course (lots of pitching and yawing); or the boat does
unexpected maneuvers (unexpected violent jibes or uncontrolled 360 degree
spins). Being inexperienced or
unprepared for heavy weather is frightening at best and downright dangerous at
worst.
Take a look at the
“Wind Force Matrix”. Notice that up to
Beaufort Scale of 3 or 4 everything is fine.
Sailing is wonderful - - - just what everyone loves about sailing. Sometime during force 4 – and certainly into
force 5 – the wind force becomes more than many sailors are comfortable with -
- - let alone, happy about. Notice the
wind pressure equivalent on a 300 sq ft sail.
That pressure is being felt by the rig, sails, sheets and halyards. Imagine trying to hold 350 to 420 lbs - - -
let alone trying to control that force.
Interestingly, on
inland lakes where the wind has insufficient fetch to develop an ocean wave pattern,
one or even two forces should be added.
You might experience Force 3 wave action while experiencing Force 5 wind
pressure. This is particularly evident
on large inland lakes like Pend Oreille and Coeur d’Alene in Northern
Idaho. If a Force 5 wind is blowing out
of the southwest at Lake Pend Oreille for instance; there is very little wave
action near Bayview at the south end of the lake. Prudent skippers still reef their mainsails
and/or shift down to smaller jib sails to decrease healing and keep their boats
under control. At the same time, twenty
five miles north up the lake near Pearl Is. and Cottage Is. there will be a
true ocean sea running. The lake will be
covered with many whitecaps and the waves will be quite large.
Experienced
skippers need to keep many things in mind as the wind freshens and conditions
begin to approach “heavy weather” so that the boat and its crew arrive at their
destination safe and sound. Some of
these considerations are:
Appropriate
clothing;
Safety harnesses,
Life jackets, and Jack lines;
Rigging knives and
other tools;
Health – including
hypothermia, potential injury, and hypothermia;
Preparing the boat
for heavy weather conditions;
Reefing the
mainsail;
Rigging and
setting a storm jib.
Here’s a photo of
a twenty-eight-footer in heavy winds on Lake Pend Oreille during an August
storm in 2009. Even though the wind was
blowing 25 to 30 knots and gusting as high as 40, note that the waves are not
all that large. This skipper though has
reefed the mainsail and has a smaller working jib up.
What is “appropriate
clothing” for heavy weather conditions?
Clearly, it is important to avoid hypothermia. And, since wet clothing and strong winds
quickly sap your body heat, waterproof clothing is a must. This waterproof clothing is often called “foul
weather gear” or “foul weather clothing”…… “foulies” for short. At a minimum, your foul weather clothing
should include: waterproof pants,
waterproof jacket, sea boots, and a sou’wester hat. Buy your pants, jacket and boots larger than
your “normal” size. You will probably
have multiple layers of clothing on under the pants and jacket; and you might
want to wear heavier than normal socks (even two pairs of socks). These extra layers take up space and make a “normal”
size tight and quite uncomfortable. The
layers under the foul weather jacket and pants might include: long underware
bottoms and top; fleece pants and sweater; wool or fleece jacket; snow skiing
socks; and a wool or fleece stocking cap (watch cap). To take up room in the oversized sea boots,
buy a pair of felt liners. The sou’wester
(Gorton fisherman) hat is a must!! The
long back protects the back of your neck from water, and the front “bill” can
be turned up or down depending on rain or spray hitting your face. An unusual piece of foul weather clothing
that some of us now have aboard is alpine ski goggles. With wind-blown spray all over the place,
these ski goggles protect your eyes and the lens can easily be wiped with a
finger to provide good visibility.
Additionally, alpine ski goggles often come with a “no fog” coating on
the inside of the lens that really works.
Two final thoughts about foul weather clothing: buy your foul weather pants in a “bib overall”
style that has suspenders. These afford
more protection, are warmer, and are just the right “fashion” to wear if you
are the cook in the galley while under weigh.
And, don’t be a “tight-wad” when buying your foul weather gear. I can speak from personal experience that it
is a terrible experience to have a seam open up on your foul weather jacket in
a heavy rain storm. Can you spell WET,
WET, WET??? I can……
Here we are - -
all suited up in our “foulies”……
