Storm Management

The mainsail I am taking with me has three reefing points (I have only two reefing lines which means that I need to pull the second reefing line through the top hole if I need a third reef - so far I have never had to use a third reef. I have sailed once with the main double reefed and a number four - pretty comfortably - in heavy wind but that's about it.

Other than that some other 'special storm' assets.

• Storm Jib rigged with sheets
• Trysail (the area of the trysail might be 'slightly' smaller than the triple reefed main but it is a pain to drop the main completely and set up the trysail - the advantage of a trysail is that it is not rigged to the boom, which you obviously have to lash down seriously - probably not something I am likely to use during the race, but good to have)
• Storm jib (Elise has also a #4, but the storm jib is also great for its self steering capabilities, all the way down to a reach, basically rigged 'backwinded' with a turning block on the windward side and connected to the tiller - while your regular jib still acts as your power sail. I tried it on Elise and it worked GREAT! It is also the easiest thing to rig in the world. Not ideal as the shape of your regular jib ain't real nice but not bad if your autopilot dies on you...This is only good if you are going to be on the same tack for like...hours or days! Otherwise, it is in the way of your jib when you tack, so you need to drop it, tack and then rig it up on the other side)
• Large yellow drogue + 60 feet of line - this is the real heavy weather drogue
• Jordan series drogue + bridle and control/retrieval line - I am going to cut this in half as I have WAY too many of these little cones right now but there is only one size. This is also something I wanted to get because of its steering abilities downwind (even though it is slow as hell), it might double up as an emergency rudder. Just in case...I know I am paranoid but I want to keep sailing/racing as fast as I can even as things start breaking down...

But then the most effective weapon against storm is weather information. The key to storm management is to not sail into a storm...A squall is different. It is a very very localized storm and if you take them downwind they are actually a ton of fun. They also typically last an hour or so...(and I will now remember...if you are caught in one, just gybe to port...) - but a real storm, just try to avoid.

Not always possible, the storm may travel faster than you do - then try to get the edge and not the eye of the storm. And clearly always be prepared.

And remember - heaving-to (and Elise DOES heave-to, we have tried it even in 30 knot winds and heavy swell on a Coastal Cup to retrieve a spinnaker gone haywire) is probably the most boring way to be terrified. If all else fails, it is one way to ride a storm. I have never had to do it.

The highest wind I have sailed in (and that was on Elise) was 50 knots and that was on the Bay and it was a heavy weather practice. Just a winter storm. Low visibility. Nasty little needly rain. That's when I had the double reefed main and a #4 (now I would put out the storm jib probably). Elise was struggling with no real weight on the rail but quite courageously powered through the short nasty chop, thinking 'I am a heavy air boat, I am a heavy air boat'. Steering was quite ok. Tacking was the most difficult thing, you couldn't do a 'close haul' to 'close haul' tack. The minute you'd point the boat into the wind, it'd stop and you'd be left with no momemtum to complete the task. Too much power against it. So you had to press down, get even more speed then do the fastest possible tack to a 'press down' mode to gain more speed, and then point again. Offshore, you might be able to get the swell to help you tack over. However, in 50 knot winds, you might also just kind of 'sail in one direction and wait for the storm to pass'...maneuvers might not be on the top of your todo list for the day. In this case, I was sailing in the Bay and not tacking meant ramming into some dock or steel buoy.

This takes me to my last point - if you ever do encounter a storm (and God forbid if I do), a place where you have a lot of sea room is the safest place to be. It is very counter-intuitive because our natural instincts take us back closer to land where there are other people.

However, a rescue operations in the middle of a storm carries probably more risk than you staying on the boat and waiting around for things to pass. And if you are close to land, you might be close to a lee shore and if anything happens, you may end up on the rocks which typically isn't a place where you have a lot of control, particularly if there is a heavy surf due to a storm.

It can be scary to be out there thinking you are all alone but the truth is your boat can withstand quite a bit more weather than you can sail through. So even if you are uncomfortable and you want to take all your sails down, throw a drogue overboard and wait around, it might still be safer than being close to shore. If this is the kind of storm that can kill you on land (like a branch flies out and hits you), then you are safer inside your boat...and if you are inside your boat, you don't want to have to worry about your surroundings...

In the event or a real storm and your drogue has broken and all your spinnaker and sails bag have been used up as spare drogues, and you are exhausted, and there might be water damage, etc... you may want to seek evacuation. But even then, best to give people a heads up and see if a ship can be rerouted your way. And it is easier for them to come rescue you if you are in the middle of nowhere...Typically, the rule of thumb is that you need to be able to survive in most places for about 48 hours. (that's how the emergency medical training is set up for instance...stabilize the patient for that amount of time) as it might be the time it takes for a commercial vessel to get to you.


I will repeat it - the smartest wisest thing to do for any sailor is to not go out into a storm. No matter how much bragging rights you think you need to earn for your next visit to the bar. A storm, on land or at sea, is not a friendly place for humans.