Comments on: What is the secret to safe sailing in heavy weather? http://www.lifestylesailingblog.com/safety/heavy-weather-sailing/ researching live-aboard sailing yachts Sat, 31 Jul 2010 23:35:11 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3 By: 48 Blogs that Offer Tips on Boating Safety | BoatInsurance.org http://www.lifestylesailingblog.com/safety/heavy-weather-sailing/#comment-811 48 Blogs that Offer Tips on Boating Safety | BoatInsurance.org Mon, 17 May 2010 14:45:18 +0000 http://www.lifestylesailingblog.com/safety/heavy-weather-sailing/#comment-811 [...] What is the Secret to Safe Sailing in Heavy Weather?: How to stay safe on a boat in potentially dangerous weather conditions. [...] […] What is the Secret to Safe Sailing in Heavy Weather?: How to stay safe on a boat in potentially dangerous weather conditions. […]

]]> By: John http://www.lifestylesailingblog.com/safety/heavy-weather-sailing/#comment-526 John Tue, 17 Nov 2009 04:40:47 +0000 http://www.lifestylesailingblog.com/safety/heavy-weather-sailing/#comment-526 @ George Thanks for your insightful comment and further explaining the issues. I agree that there is no silver bullet and endorse your suggestion that every situation has to be assessed on its merits. I love your closing comment to "remain calm". Challenging as that may seem when wind and water are screaming all around, staying calm by far makes the best sense for surviving heavy weather. I'm sure you would agree that in most cases, the weak link in an extreme situation is not the vessel but the crew. @ George
Thanks for your insightful comment and further explaining the issues.
I agree that there is no silver bullet and endorse your suggestion that every situation has to be assessed on its merits. I love your closing comment to “remain calm”. Challenging as that may seem when wind and water are screaming all around, staying calm by far makes the best sense for surviving heavy weather. I’m sure you would agree that in most cases, the weak link in an extreme situation is not the vessel but the crew.

]]> By: George http://www.lifestylesailingblog.com/safety/heavy-weather-sailing/#comment-525 George Tue, 17 Nov 2009 02:39:53 +0000 http://www.lifestylesailingblog.com/safety/heavy-weather-sailing/#comment-525 Hi John, Nice website with some sound advice! However I am concerned that this post on Heavy Weather is a little dangerous. There are many boats that have been lost due to going too slowly or stopping in large seas. While excessive speed is very dangerous and can lead to broaching or pitchpoling as you point out, reducing speed reduces steerage and ability to manoeuvre. This can lead to the boat lying broadside to breaking wave and in just as bad a case as excessive speed. There are many published accounts of cases where slowing down, heaving to and lying ahull lead to loss or near loss of vessels. Equally of course there are many cases where surfing has lead to capsize and sinking, so my point is merely that there is no silver bullet for heavy weather. Different boats, different crews and different sea states all require individual solutions. I would suggest the secret to heavy weather sailing is to remain calm, and sail your boat to the conditions at hand. A good helping of luck doesn't hurt either :) Hi John,
Nice website with some sound advice!
However I am concerned that this post on Heavy Weather is a little dangerous. There are many boats that have been lost due to going too slowly or stopping in large seas. While excessive speed is very dangerous and can lead to broaching or pitchpoling as you point out, reducing speed reduces steerage and ability to manoeuvre. This can lead to the boat lying broadside to breaking wave and in just as bad a case as excessive speed.

There are many published accounts of cases where slowing down, heaving to and lying ahull lead to loss or near loss of vessels. Equally of course there are many cases where surfing has lead to capsize and sinking, so my point is merely that there is no silver bullet for heavy weather. Different boats, different crews and different sea states all require individual solutions.

I would suggest the secret to heavy weather sailing is to remain calm, and sail your boat to the conditions at hand. A good helping of luck doesn’t hurt either :)

]]> By: John http://www.lifestylesailingblog.com/safety/heavy-weather-sailing/#comment-127 John Wed, 28 Jan 2009 03:27:53 +0000 http://www.lifestylesailingblog.com/safety/heavy-weather-sailing/#comment-127 @ Michael Regarding whether a large boat like 17 meter Crusoe could be single handed. The answer is yes, as with today's technology, size is not an issue for single handing. But having said that, I wouldn't recommend it. The reason is that big boats are complex, often very complex and when things stop working or go wrong, then big boats quickly get too complex to do any thing with other than take them to port to get fixed. Things break down on boats all the time. I cruised across the Pacific in a 26 footer and consider well found small boats to be perfectly safe. Most safety issues are a consequence of the skipper and his or her decisions. My opinion is 32 feet is plenty big enough and being well prepared is the secret to safety. @ Michael Regarding whether a large boat like 17 meter Crusoe could be single handed. The answer is yes, as with today’s technology, size is not an issue for single handing. But having said that, I wouldn’t recommend it.
The reason is that big boats are complex, often very complex and when things stop working or go wrong, then big boats quickly get too complex to do any thing with other than take them to port to get fixed. Things break down on boats all the time.
I cruised across the Pacific in a 26 footer and consider well found small boats to be perfectly safe.
Most safety issues are a consequence of the skipper and his or her decisions.
My opinion is 32 feet is plenty big enough and being well prepared is the secret to safety.

]]> By: Michael http://www.lifestylesailingblog.com/safety/heavy-weather-sailing/#comment-124 Michael Fri, 16 Jan 2009 12:05:44 +0000 http://www.lifestylesailingblog.com/safety/heavy-weather-sailing/#comment-124 Hi, John and Wilma, most excellent boat, I have the pictures on my boat folder, and look at them often, well past our price range, but gives me much pleasure looking at them when relaxing. I wonder if you would comment on if such a large boat could be single handed aorund the world, we are sponsoring a 16 year old in his bid to do so, and wondered if he should consider this one over the one he is considering using. He is planing on using a Contessa 32, but we feel it is too small, but others have used simular boats and safely competed the trip so maybe we are needlessly worrying. If it was me, I'd rather take Crusoe ! Kind Regards, Michael. Hi, John and Wilma, most excellent boat, I have the pictures on my boat folder, and look at them often, well past our price range, but gives me much pleasure looking at them when relaxing.

I wonder if you would comment on if such a large boat could be single handed aorund the world, we are sponsoring a 16 year old in his bid to do so, and wondered if he should consider this one over the one he is considering using. He is planing on using a Contessa 32, but we feel it is too small, but others have used simular boats and safely competed the trip so maybe we are needlessly worrying.

If it was me, I’d rather take Crusoe !

Kind Regards,
Michael.

]]> By: Charter Croatia http://www.lifestylesailingblog.com/safety/heavy-weather-sailing/#comment-123 Charter Croatia Mon, 05 Jan 2009 20:17:48 +0000 http://www.lifestylesailingblog.com/safety/heavy-weather-sailing/#comment-123 Thanks for valuable information! Especially for slowing down in bad weather... it can be a life savior. Thanks for valuable information! Especially for slowing down in bad weather… it can be a life savior.

]]> By: Deborah Keeley http://www.lifestylesailingblog.com/safety/heavy-weather-sailing/#comment-121 Deborah Keeley Sun, 04 Jan 2009 01:18:32 +0000 http://www.lifestylesailingblog.com/safety/heavy-weather-sailing/#comment-121 Thank you for this and your other blogs. Such simple, no-nonsense but totally sensible and safe sailing advice. I admire and appreciate your sailing philosophy. I see Crusoe is up for sale. Best wishes for your future eneavours. Thank you for this and your other blogs. Such simple, no-nonsense but totally sensible and safe sailing advice. I admire and appreciate your sailing philosophy. I see Crusoe is up for sale. Best wishes for your future eneavours.

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