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thomm225 · 26-09-2021, 08:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by boatman61

Done a few solo crossings W-E Atlantic and one thing I learnt is not to stress the boat, or myself..
The whole point of a crossing is getting to the other side..
Full keelers are not the best downwind boats and in those seas and as you ride down into the valleys you'll experience wind shadow and start wallowing leaving you to slow to line up to surf the following wave as it comes up behind you leading to a broach sooner or later as you grow more tired..
On a small Contessa I'd be hove to when a F7 and by then in the ocean, depending on where the wind and currents are flowing the sea will be between 4 and 6 metres with occasional breakers if wind against current.
Small boat voyaging is a whole different ball game to >40ft..
I know your gonna post a video of your Bristol riding a F7/8 in your bay but your riding wavelets not big seas.

Since you've seen that video I'll hold on posting but as you know if one method doesn't work you have to adjust.

If running downwind didn't work, I'd be forced to heave too.

And as far as saving the boat, when I was in those conditions you describe from my video I was trying to be as easy on the boat as I possibly could because in those conditions you suddenly notices problems that you didn't notice before.

Since I had to take over steering because I had too much sail up (for the autopilot) and the tiller/rudder was loaded up, I noticed the tiller or what held it to the rudder was loose so I was trying not to make hard turns.

I was also concerned about my backstay and the rest of the rigging.

What you didn't see in the video is me furling the jib to get control of the boat, putting hatch boards in after grabbing my tether, and then having to hold on tight to the starboard side winch with one arm while sailing with the other as waves were breaking over the side of the boat before I was able to turn DDW.

It was a lot rougher earlier in the crossing. By the time I took the video it had laid down some and I was somewhat in sync with the conditions

The really cool thing though that I enjoyed on that day was watching how the boat handled the conditions. I would swear a particular wave was going to totally slam the cockpit when at the last moment the old Bristol would rise up and over it ..........these waves coming up from astern and to each side.

I was somewhat mesmerized watching how the boat handled it