Fiddlesticks. I meant to say "...to ease the pressure, then up helm and bear off as the gust slackens before she can lose much headway," not "leeway." Where's my proofreader gotten off to, the slacker?
.....Michael
Mummichog and Gramps,
This is exactly the kind of advice I need. I can’t wait to start trying some of it out.
Thank you!
Hooper
Hooper:
Sounds like you are well on your way to getting through your learning curve, which curve often has some bumps in it. Just be careful, and try to work your way up the Beaufort Scale as you gain confidence. If you get to the launch site and things don't feel quite right...well, there is no shame in waiting for a bit to see what the wind is doing, or even leaving it for another day. The confidence will come with time and practice.
.....Michael
The skerry is so light and slippery, it doesn't take much pressure to accelerate it to hull speed PDQ. Since it's really a displacement hull, any more force than that just tries to drive it under, not pop it up on a plane. My first time w/ real breeze was a great reach, but when I tried to tack to go home, the chop and wind prevented the tack. So, being a keelboater, I figured "wear around" by jibing and coming back up on the other reach. But.... The skerry accelerated past hull speed in a moment as I bore off and the wind pressure went from trying to heel it to just pushing forward. That put me in a hole and trying to jibe it through threatened to capsize. I gave up, dropped sail to put the reef in and it was all good.
Yep. I'm basically self-taught. I think a big part of my problem is that most of my reading and video watching has been from sailors in the U.K. Those people will sail in anything:
Hooper
Yea, but at least he's reefed!
If the main is ''all the way in'' you might be trying to sail too close to the wind. That may be why others suggested falling off to gain speed.
Another thought might be to back wind the jib to bring the bow around. Or in other words leave it sheated in, cleated. Then round up and tack. The jib will back wind and push the bow through the tack. Then as it goes through release the cleat.
Note failure to release after the bow goes through the wind can result in swimming from light boats in heavy winds.
Ditto Grumpy. If you have a jib up, back-winding will make it a lot easier to come about. I have not yet developed the coordination to handle the main, jib and tiller all by myself. Of course I'm trying to do it without any cleats at all. Some sort of cleats for the jib sheets may be in my future.
Hooper