Would you motor thru a storm, or use a storm jib?

[bowman316]

I was watching the perfect storm last night, and there was a 32 ft sailboat caught out in the storm. There is a video of the rescue here:
http://www.rodlawson.com/oceans/yacht.html

But why did the boat have any sail up in 90 mph winds? Unless their engine was out.
I would rather motor than risk capsizing with sail up.

In the movie they showed the boat capsizing and righting itself. It was kinda cool to see that happen in the movie.

 

[FunInDuhSun]

Re: Would you motor thru a storm, or use a storm jib?

But why did the boat have any sail up in 90 mph winds? Unless their engine was out.

To maintain steerage, which is vitally important in heavy weather. In those conditions a boat needs to be steered directly into the seas. Bluewater sailing boats often carry a small 'storm' sail, or the crew will heavily reef a regular sail. In the movie one of the crew mentioned 'bare poles' which means no sail.

I would rather motor than risk capsizing with sail up.

Not in those conditions. The engine will surely die from sea water ingestion well before it capsizes. Odds are much higher that a small sail will last longer.

In the movie they showed the boat capsizing and righting itself. It was kinda cool to see that happen in the movie.

Self-righting. Fairly typical for true offshore vessels. The Andrea Gail also rolled (in the movie) before she went down. Nobody will ever know for sure what those guys went thru.

 

[bowman316]

Re: Would you motor thru a storm, or use a storm jib?

my sailboat can tilt to 140 degrees before capsizing. And if it did capsize in seas like that, it wuold probally get tilted from a wave and right itself.
all you need is to get a 40 degree tilt while upside down, and the keel will do the rest.

 

[Mark SF]

Re: Would you motor thru a storm, or use a storm jib?

In a storm in a sailboat you need directional control to avoid the largest breaking waves, to avoid capsizing.

There are various strategies to control the boat.

In moderate storms running before the wind is a good strategy, maybe towing some lines in the water or a sea anchor to slow you down. I've also heard of doing this in severe weather with no sail up - running on bare poles.

In stronger storms heaving to or sailing upwind with very reduced sail can also be effective. But you need some small sails up to do this - storm jib and/or storm trysail.

A sailboat engine will be pretty useless in a storm, it won't have enough power to control the boat. Sails are much more effective.

The problem in the "Perfect Storm" was that the weather was so extreme that no existing strategies will work. The weather was too bad to control the boat with ANYTHING. Clearly they were trying to use a storm job though.

Interestingly, that sailboat was found after the storm dismasted but otherwise intact. It was salvaged and fixed up by a new owner. Tough things, sailboats.

 

[bowman316]

Re: Would you motor thru a storm, or use a storm jib?

So would you try to run with the wind in a storm?
I would think if you were on a run, you would be going the same direction as the waves, and with them.
Plus not tilting.

 

[Mark SF]

Re: Would you motor thru a storm, or use a storm jib?

So would you try to run with the wind in a storm?
I would think if you were on a run, you would be going the same direction as the waves, and with them.
Plus not tilting.

In a moderate storm it works well, but in a severe one waves will start breaking over the stern. You can also start to do some crazy speeds even with no sails up.

I suggest reading "A Voyage for Madmen" by Peter Nichols, and "Left for Dead" by Nick Ward.

 

[captcoho]

Re: Would you motor thru a storm, or use a storm jib?

you would stand a much better chance heaving-to, with a storm-jib and try-sail. Then just lying ahull, and being broached to the waves

 

[emoney]

Re: Would you motor thru a storm, or use a storm jib?

I would "heave to" with a small jib. I have an outboard so my motor is
basically useless once the waves start to really kick. Oh, it's ok on 1/2
the wave, but the other half, it's catching nothing but air..lol.

They say it's more dangerous to drop sail because you lose the ability to
steer. Then again, I've not yet faced the conditions so I'm not really sure
what I'd do. I'm a big weather watcher and I've seen how quickly those
thunderheads can build over water, so I'm usually a little "over" cautious.

The Gulf is rather shallow where I'm at and the more shallow the rougher
the chop when it kicks up.

 

[kaferhaus]

Re: Would you motor thru a storm, or use a storm jib?

First, with the technology available today no one should find themselves in such a situation merely by "accident".

Second, there is no "pat answer" so much depends upon the skill of the captain, the weather worthiness of the boat and the conditions.

A properly constructed blue water boat is about as near unsinkable as anything ever devised. The self righting moments of these boats is extreme and about the only way you can sink one is by breaching the hull allowing water intrusion.

This usually happens due to improperly secured gear on the deck tearing loose and piercing the hull OR shoddy hatches giving way. This is also why in any large sea with steep short spaced waves running with the seas is a very dangerous proposition. A wave breaking across the stern can easily breech the companionway hatch on most boats and flood the boat in seconds.

The strongest part of the boat is the bow. The shape of the bow is much more conducive to breaking through waves AND shedding water. The cockpit is not. Ever notice how long it takes for a self bailing cockpit to drain even 10-20 gals of water???

The rudder is also exposed to being slammed from the rear.

It all depends on the conditions.... sometimes in moderate blows it IS feasible to run with the wind but controlling your speed can be a problem. Bobbing into a wave is one thing, driving into the base of one is another!

 

[Haffiman]

Re: Would you motor thru a storm, or use a storm jib?

It mainly depend on boat design what to do.
Crossed the Atlantic and Pacific some years back in my Jeanneau SO 37.
A rather flat bottom fin-keel, hanging rudder boat. Not the type you by free will put against heavy weather, engine or sail.
Downwind quite a different story.
From Lagos down to Madeira had surfing speeds of 15 knots which is quite a bit above the normal cruising speed of 5-6.
Got a breaker in the **** pit once on the whole trip in the pacific, but drained out in seconds.
Trying the same on a long-keeler would probably have been suicide. With such a design it would have to be 'up-wind' and try to ride it off. Surfing a long keeler of similar size would most likely ended in a broach totally out of control.