Wind Generator, Fishing Pole and Rogue Gust Debacle

[hogHunter]

We were sailing off the southern coast of Puerto Rico close to Isla Caja de Muertos (Coffin Island).... seriously.... look it up, that's really the name....



We were enjoying about 15 knots on a beam reach, wind generator chugging away, fishing pole off the aft, the tablet on our make-shift stand at the helm and Otty, our most dedicated crew member (our auto pilot) was at the wheel as we enjoyed our books on the deck.

Suddenly a rogue gust (it HAD to be at least 100 knots... ok, ok, maybe just 40 or so, but still!) came from nowhere and whipped around 180 degrees, catching our sails, the wind generator and the fishing line. The boat heeled to a crazy angle (though, I'll admit, our spreaders did not get dunked). In heeling this much, our tablet that we use with Navionics for navigation slid out of the holster towards the water. The fishing line wrapped snuggly about 1,000,000,000 times around the wind generator.

We both lunged for the tablet and caught it just as it was about to hit the water, incurring only minor injury to our knees and elbows. After a few hours of untangling the wind generator/ fishing line mess and resetting the sails we were good to go again...but, lessons learned:

1. Use a clip-in stand for the tablet
2. put the fishing line on the opposite side of the wind generator
3. Don't let your guard down

[colemj]

Originally Posted by hogHunter

2. put the fishing line on the opposite side of the wind generator

Use a down-rigger clip mounted down low on a stanchion base or similar and you will have no worries about your line regardless. And you will have better lure action if using a spoon, plug or similar. Better for surface lures also if they are skipping too much. It also helps set the hook because the fish gets a moment of loose line, then wham.

Mount the clip low and lead your line down to it from the pole.

Mark

[hogHunter]

Wow Mark! Thanks for the suggestion. Never tried that but I'm definitely going to now!