[alberg30] Heavy Weather Sailling

[rap1208 at aol.com]

Yes Bill, we incountered just such conditions a few years ago in a Port 
Huron, Mackinaw race.   The wind was out of the north west, just where we 
wnted to go.
With a double reefed main and working jib, we could sail westm or north, but 
the big waves just picked us up and slit us sideways, so we actually sailed 
Southwest, or northeast, acording to the loran, and had a vmg of about  .15 
toward our finish .
The waves were at least 100 ft between vave crests, and they were big.
Other boats were losing masts, and rudders, and one J35 wound up in a reef 
and had to be abandened.
I dedided that this was no place for a guy in a boat almost 30 years old, we 
went downwind to safe harbor, leaving the race.  We had the main eased out 
somewhat, not sheeted in hard, but the jib was sheeted tight.  We had a 
slightly larger jib, but the wind ripped two seams and we had to take it 
down.  Actually, it was not much fun at all.
Russ

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