| West Wight Potter Owner's Home Port ____________________________________________________________________________________ |
URGENT-MARINE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX
1015 A, CST MON JUN 1 2009
MIDDLE TEXAS COASTAL WATERS FROM BAFFIN BAY TO MATAGORDA SHIP CHANNEL
1015 AM CST MON JUN 1 2009
...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 PM THIS AFTERNOON
SOUTHEAST WINS OF 20 TO 30 KNOTS WILL RESULT IN WAVES OF 3 TO 5
FEET IN BAYS THROUGH EARLY AFTERNOON...THEN DECREASE TO 1 TO 3 FEET
THIS EVENING AS WINDS DIMINISH.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY MEANS WINDS WILL PRODUCE WAVES 4 FEET OR
HIGHER. THIS WILL BE HAZARDOUS FOR SMALL CRAFT. INEXPERIENCED
MARINERS...ESPECIALLY THOSE OPERATING SMALLER VESSELS...SHOULD
AVOID NAVIGATING IN THESE CONDITIONS.
For sailors, wind is a wonderful thing. But, as we all know, there is often too much of a good thing. Being
over-powered by wind in any small boat is frustrating; it can even be dangerous. For the day sailor, the best
remedy for high winds is to stay off the water. But, the cruising Potter sailor may not always be able to avoid
adverse conditions. For those of us that stay out for days at a time, we usually have to play the weather
cards we’re dealt.
This is a topic that is near to me. I’ve had the unpleasant experience of actually losing my P-15 to high winds
(see “Tetra and the 2009 Texas 200....well, Texas 140!”). It’s not a great life experience. And, here’s the
rub; you can be very prepared for heavy weather and still get in trouble. Most of the ideas and
improvements that I mention here were on Tetra when high winds drove her onto Ayers Reef, in the coastal
wilderness of Texas. So, please take this subject seriously.
Of course, not all cruising grounds are plagued by high winds like mine. Where I sail, we have more days of
“too much” wind than days with “too little”. The subject of reefing makes it into many casual conversations.
However, even those parts of the country with typically light winds will get hammered by winds every now
and then. And, if your luck is like mine, it will wait until you’re far away from your trailer when it arrives.
Have a Way to Make Small Sails
On Tetra, I completed three different reefing projects. When I first bought the boat, one of my early projects
was to install a jiffy reefing system on my first set of reef points. Opinions differed on the benefits of single-
line jiffy reefing versus two-line reefing, but I implemented a two-line system. This involved affixing a new
cheek block to the boom, some turning blocks at the mast step, a starboard-side deck organizer and a set of
rope clutches. It worked great and I could easily reef down when the wind came up.
Jiffy Reefing for One set of Reef Points
(l to r) Aft Reefing Line, Fore Reefing Line, Main Halyard
My second reefing system project came a year later. My original plan had been to have jiffy reefing only on
the first set of reef points and then to just manually reef the second set as needed. But, after a year of being
battered around, I learned that if the wind was blowing hard enough for me to need a second reef, conditions
were too crazy for me to stand up in the boat to attempt it.
So, in the off season, I installed another set of reefing lines for the second row of points. This involved a
cheek block on the port side of the boom, more turning blocks, a port-side organizer and another set of rope
clutches. This gave me the ability to put in two reefs without leaving the cockpit bench. With my boom brake
(see “Taming the Boom with a Brake”), I felt like I was prepared for any level of wind I’d encounter at sea.
White Aft #2 Reefing Line, Red Fore #2, Red Fore #2 Reefing Line
My Boom Brake
My third reefing system project took place in the middle of a windy bay on the Texas coast. I don’t know
what the wind speed was that day, but it was north of 25 knots. I had two reefs in the main and only had a
tiny scrap of headsail rolled out. Still, I was constantly spilling wind and racing along at 6+ mph. I was
wishing that I had a third set of reef points. In a burst of courage, I stood up in the boat, hugged the mainsail,
squeezed half of it onto the boom and strapped it down with a bungee cord. This reduced my sail area by
half and helped tremendously. My weather helm lightened and the boat slowed down to something closer to
its hull speed. Okay, that’s not really a reefing system project, but by golly it worked.
If you want to install some form of reefing system to your Potter, “Google” the topic and you’ll find many
ideas. This is one modification that I strongly recommend.
That Pesky Furling Line
My furling headsail was great. In high-wind situations, I fiddled with it constantly. Headsail purists will tell
you that a partially furled headsail is a bad thing and will give you an inefficient shape. That may be true, but
if you’re trying to balance an over-powered sailboat, the ability to adjust your headsail size is a wonderful
thing.
Tetra didn’t come with a factory furling unit, so International Marine provided me with a CDI kit and I installed
it myself. As with factory installations, I ran the standard 1/8” furling line down the starboard side deck and
tied it off on a small cleat on the side of the cabin. This furling line configuration worked fine in regular
sailing, but showed its disadvantages on my first long cruise in high winds.
After a week of pulling on that thin furling line, my fingers were raw. In big winds, one has to pull quite hard
on the line to start a big lapper rolling up. Day after day of constant furling and unfurling became painful.
That narrow little line started to feel like piano wire as it cut into my fingers. I’d never needed sailing gloves
and didn’t own them, but I needed them then.
The other issue that I ran into on that trip was the location of the furling line cleat. I’d been sailing on
starboard tack for four and a half days and never had a problem with the location of the furling line cleat. It
was right there on the starboard side of the cabin and I could easily reach and adjust the line as needed.
Then, I changed course and put her on the port tack. Suddenly, I couldn’t reach the furling line. It was way
over there, tied off on the far side of the cabin. As the ever-present wind picked up, I found that I couldn’t
reduce my headsail. This put the boat way out of balance, gave me some nasty lee helm and heeling. To
reach that (now razor sharp) line, I actually had to creep onto the lee side of the heeling boat so I could grab
the line with my fingertips and pull the big headsail in. Something had to change.
I made two changes to address this issue. First of all, I increased the size of that furling line. I bought some
soft, finger-friendly ¼” Samson Trophy line to replace the CDI factory line. Then, I rerouted the line’s path to
get it amidships. Upon leaving the furling drum, my new SOFT FAT furling line ran to the port side of the
foredeck, over the anchor roller, made a turn at the pulpit leg, headed up onto the cabin roof, crossed over
my deck organizer, ducked under my boom brake line and then made it to the starboard side of my port rope
clutch. Whew! Did you get all that?
The new white furling line next to the reefing lines in my port rope clutch
This was one of the best modifications that I made to the boat. From then on, I could easily reach the furling
line from either bench; on any tack. If you always sail with a crew member, this may be no big deal. But if
you’re a solo sailor, think about the location of that furling line cleat and how you would reach it on a gusty
port tack.
Keep your Rig Standing
I have a friend in Seattle that is a sailing instructor. The other day, he had a boat full of neophyte sailors
when a shroud broke and his rig went over the side. I’ve never experienced anything like that, but I’m betting
that I wouldn’t like it.
I won’t belabor the obvious inconvenience of the wind blowing your mast onto your head. So, it makes sense
to inspect your standing rigging. (Or better yet, have someone who knows what they are doing inspect your
rigging.) This is not just a heavy weather issue. It’s a mandatory step for all of us. But, many times I’ve
gazed at my bending mast, listening to the wind howl through the rigging, and wondered how much tension
was on that single P-15 side stay. Enough said.
Brush Up on your Storm Tactics
As the skipper of your boat, you are responsible for knowing what to do if big winds crop up. Your crew is
counting on you. So, learn how to “heave to” and how to run the boat under “bare poles”. Practice “towing
a warp” by dragging a bucket behind the boat with a long dock line. Ever practiced anchoring? There is a
great deal of information out there on heavy weather strategies, so brush up beforehand.
Of course, the best storm tactic is to stay off the water in big winds. If you think it might be too windy to go
out, don’t go. As a rule of thumb, I use my ears. If I can hear whistling in the rigging, it is too windy for me.
But, for you multi-day, long distance cruisers, equip for big winds and keep your skills sharp. Trust me. You
may need them one day.
John Turpin
john@teamturpin.org
John lives in Edmond, OK. Having lost his sailboat, Tetra, in a remote place off the Texas coast, he is now
building a wooden camp cruiser. For more information on John’s extensive restoration of Tetra and the
adventures they shared, visit his website at www.svbluepeter.com.
Copyright John Turpin
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX
1015 A, CST MON JUN 1 2009
MIDDLE TEXAS COASTAL WATERS FROM BAFFIN BAY TO MATAGORDA SHIP CHANNEL
1015 AM CST MON JUN 1 2009
...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 PM THIS AFTERNOON
SOUTHEAST WINS OF 20 TO 30 KNOTS WILL RESULT IN WAVES OF 3 TO 5
FEET IN BAYS THROUGH EARLY AFTERNOON...THEN DECREASE TO 1 TO 3 FEET
THIS EVENING AS WINDS DIMINISH.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY MEANS WINDS WILL PRODUCE WAVES 4 FEET OR
HIGHER. THIS WILL BE HAZARDOUS FOR SMALL CRAFT. INEXPERIENCED
MARINERS...ESPECIALLY THOSE OPERATING SMALLER VESSELS...SHOULD
AVOID NAVIGATING IN THESE CONDITIONS.
For sailors, wind is a wonderful thing. But, as we all know, there is often too much of a good thing. Being
over-powered by wind in any small boat is frustrating; it can even be dangerous. For the day sailor, the best
remedy for high winds is to stay off the water. But, the cruising Potter sailor may not always be able to avoid
adverse conditions. For those of us that stay out for days at a time, we usually have to play the weather
cards we’re dealt.
This is a topic that is near to me. I’ve had the unpleasant experience of actually losing my P-15 to high winds
(see “Tetra and the 2009 Texas 200....well, Texas 140!”). It’s not a great life experience. And, here’s the
rub; you can be very prepared for heavy weather and still get in trouble. Most of the ideas and
improvements that I mention here were on Tetra when high winds drove her onto Ayers Reef, in the coastal
wilderness of Texas. So, please take this subject seriously.
Of course, not all cruising grounds are plagued by high winds like mine. Where I sail, we have more days of
“too much” wind than days with “too little”. The subject of reefing makes it into many casual conversations.
However, even those parts of the country with typically light winds will get hammered by winds every now
and then. And, if your luck is like mine, it will wait until you’re far away from your trailer when it arrives.
Have a Way to Make Small Sails
On Tetra, I completed three different reefing projects. When I first bought the boat, one of my early projects
was to install a jiffy reefing system on my first set of reef points. Opinions differed on the benefits of single-
line jiffy reefing versus two-line reefing, but I implemented a two-line system. This involved affixing a new
cheek block to the boom, some turning blocks at the mast step, a starboard-side deck organizer and a set of
rope clutches. It worked great and I could easily reef down when the wind came up.
Jiffy Reefing for One set of Reef Points
(l to r) Aft Reefing Line, Fore Reefing Line, Main Halyard
My second reefing system project came a year later. My original plan had been to have jiffy reefing only on
the first set of reef points and then to just manually reef the second set as needed. But, after a year of being
battered around, I learned that if the wind was blowing hard enough for me to need a second reef, conditions
were too crazy for me to stand up in the boat to attempt it.
So, in the off season, I installed another set of reefing lines for the second row of points. This involved a
cheek block on the port side of the boom, more turning blocks, a port-side organizer and another set of rope
clutches. This gave me the ability to put in two reefs without leaving the cockpit bench. With my boom brake
(see “Taming the Boom with a Brake”), I felt like I was prepared for any level of wind I’d encounter at sea.
White Aft #2 Reefing Line, Red Fore #2, Red Fore #2 Reefing Line
My Boom Brake
My third reefing system project took place in the middle of a windy bay on the Texas coast. I don’t know
what the wind speed was that day, but it was north of 25 knots. I had two reefs in the main and only had a
tiny scrap of headsail rolled out. Still, I was constantly spilling wind and racing along at 6+ mph. I was
wishing that I had a third set of reef points. In a burst of courage, I stood up in the boat, hugged the mainsail,
squeezed half of it onto the boom and strapped it down with a bungee cord. This reduced my sail area by
half and helped tremendously. My weather helm lightened and the boat slowed down to something closer to
its hull speed. Okay, that’s not really a reefing system project, but by golly it worked.
If you want to install some form of reefing system to your Potter, “Google” the topic and you’ll find many
ideas. This is one modification that I strongly recommend.
That Pesky Furling Line
My furling headsail was great. In high-wind situations, I fiddled with it constantly. Headsail purists will tell
you that a partially furled headsail is a bad thing and will give you an inefficient shape. That may be true, but
if you’re trying to balance an over-powered sailboat, the ability to adjust your headsail size is a wonderful
thing.
Tetra didn’t come with a factory furling unit, so International Marine provided me with a CDI kit and I installed
it myself. As with factory installations, I ran the standard 1/8” furling line down the starboard side deck and
tied it off on a small cleat on the side of the cabin. This furling line configuration worked fine in regular
sailing, but showed its disadvantages on my first long cruise in high winds.
After a week of pulling on that thin furling line, my fingers were raw. In big winds, one has to pull quite hard
on the line to start a big lapper rolling up. Day after day of constant furling and unfurling became painful.
That narrow little line started to feel like piano wire as it cut into my fingers. I’d never needed sailing gloves
and didn’t own them, but I needed them then.
The other issue that I ran into on that trip was the location of the furling line cleat. I’d been sailing on
starboard tack for four and a half days and never had a problem with the location of the furling line cleat. It
was right there on the starboard side of the cabin and I could easily reach and adjust the line as needed.
Then, I changed course and put her on the port tack. Suddenly, I couldn’t reach the furling line. It was way
over there, tied off on the far side of the cabin. As the ever-present wind picked up, I found that I couldn’t
reduce my headsail. This put the boat way out of balance, gave me some nasty lee helm and heeling. To
reach that (now razor sharp) line, I actually had to creep onto the lee side of the heeling boat so I could grab
the line with my fingertips and pull the big headsail in. Something had to change.
I made two changes to address this issue. First of all, I increased the size of that furling line. I bought some
soft, finger-friendly ¼” Samson Trophy line to replace the CDI factory line. Then, I rerouted the line’s path to
get it amidships. Upon leaving the furling drum, my new SOFT FAT furling line ran to the port side of the
foredeck, over the anchor roller, made a turn at the pulpit leg, headed up onto the cabin roof, crossed over
my deck organizer, ducked under my boom brake line and then made it to the starboard side of my port rope
clutch. Whew! Did you get all that?
The new white furling line next to the reefing lines in my port rope clutch
This was one of the best modifications that I made to the boat. From then on, I could easily reach the furling
line from either bench; on any tack. If you always sail with a crew member, this may be no big deal. But if
you’re a solo sailor, think about the location of that furling line cleat and how you would reach it on a gusty
port tack.
Keep your Rig Standing
I have a friend in Seattle that is a sailing instructor. The other day, he had a boat full of neophyte sailors
when a shroud broke and his rig went over the side. I’ve never experienced anything like that, but I’m betting
that I wouldn’t like it.
I won’t belabor the obvious inconvenience of the wind blowing your mast onto your head. So, it makes sense
to inspect your standing rigging. (Or better yet, have someone who knows what they are doing inspect your
rigging.) This is not just a heavy weather issue. It’s a mandatory step for all of us. But, many times I’ve
gazed at my bending mast, listening to the wind howl through the rigging, and wondered how much tension
was on that single P-15 side stay. Enough said.
Brush Up on your Storm Tactics
As the skipper of your boat, you are responsible for knowing what to do if big winds crop up. Your crew is
counting on you. So, learn how to “heave to” and how to run the boat under “bare poles”. Practice “towing
a warp” by dragging a bucket behind the boat with a long dock line. Ever practiced anchoring? There is a
great deal of information out there on heavy weather strategies, so brush up beforehand.
Of course, the best storm tactic is to stay off the water in big winds. If you think it might be too windy to go
out, don’t go. As a rule of thumb, I use my ears. If I can hear whistling in the rigging, it is too windy for me.
But, for you multi-day, long distance cruisers, equip for big winds and keep your skills sharp. Trust me. You
may need them one day.
John Turpin
john@teamturpin.org
John lives in Edmond, OK. Having lost his sailboat, Tetra, in a remote place off the Texas coast, he is now
building a wooden camp cruiser. For more information on John’s extensive restoration of Tetra and the
adventures they shared, visit his website at www.svbluepeter.com.
Copyright John Turpin
| Equipping for High Wind Cruising by John Turpin |
