Stormy Sailing!

[VincentVega]

That sounds excellent!

Wind was light last night, ~8-12, and I get a ride on a faster boat that just got a new chute and it racing with it for the first time. This could be interesting. Just before the start the wind picks up, reef. We are getting ready, tack, a jibe and hell breaks loose. The shackle on the jib halyard failed/opened. Sail in the water, boats everywhere, wind picking up...

Thats my little adventure for the day. At the time it was pretty stressful, just makes me appreciate the real bad situations even more.

[pwd72s]

Celestial Sailing




by Stan Mott





One extraordinary experience while crossing the Atlantic was to hang over the bow at night and observe it crashing through tropical water creating turquoise explosions. It was bioluminescent plankton. The explosions occurred about every 8 seconds, when wind and seas would fetch up the hull to surge forward and heave down. The best looked as if I was high up in some celestial balcony, with God creating a new Universe down there every 8 seconds, blasting out glowing turquoise explosions, each uniquely dazzling! It was genuinely hypnotic, and I spent hours out there enjoying it. I later tried to illustrate it with inks and dyes. No good. I would need great time and effort to learn how to do it with computer graphics--to ever come close to the reality I saw. It was definitely the sort of epiphany that changes the molecules around in your brain...and leaves you smiling.




copyright 2017 Stan Mott

[Buckterrier]

Love sea stories Paul thanks for the OP. I have a similar story but nowhere near a dangerous, well to me it was! I was in my small Melonseed...



On a small lake. No one else was on the lake as it was late October. Nice leisurely sail straight down wind to the far end. As I neared turning around the wind kicked up scaring the bajeebies outa me. I came to attention as I was laying low in the boat just enjoying. I jibed around and headed back. Holy mackerel Tacking back and forth sitting up on the gunnel. A few times I went straight into the wind just to stop and get my wits about me. Releasing the main just a bit and I was off to the races again. Tacking back and forth for over an hour. Finally I hit the beach. I don't think I was ever so glad to be on Terra firma.
Sailing is so relaxing but then Ma Nature says, "Not so fast buckaroo!!"
I really don't think my life was at danger like blue water sailing but it was enough for me. And actually I was proud of myself for not panicking and being able to sail back. They say if you can sail a small boat you can sail any.

[recycled sixtie]

I have not done much sailing in my life but back in the 1970's some work colleagues sailed a Contessa 26 from Canada to Europe. I was one of the first to be asked to go on it but I turned it down. They made the round trip successfully but I could not imagine sailing something that small on the Atlantic.

[VincentVega]

Not saying its easy but a Contessa 26 is a very capable boat. Biggest issue is the limited accommodations, the boat can do it!

[shadowjack1]

I have raced sailboats most of my adult life. I have encountered several storms and one hurricane in all my years. I have been on boats that have gotten, pitch poled, broached, demasted and loss of life.
If you spend a lot of time on the water you will encounter bad weather. Knowing what to do is the key to living thru it.
One hand for you one for the boat.