Big wind sailing
Today I took a group of students from my school to the Calshot activity centre at the southern end of Southampton Water, where it joins the Solent opposite Cowes on the Isle of Wight.
As we set out, the gale warnings were being issued. When we arrived it looked to be a lively force 4 but by the time we were ready to go out it was a very gusty and variable force 5-6 coming from the East so there were metre high waves rolling into the bay where we were aiming to sail. It was wind against tide too, so the waves were steep and lumpy.
I was first out, aiming to demonstrate a neat figure of eight course round two buoys that the centre’s instructors had placed out. The boat took off like a rocket. Although I should have been on a beam reach aiming for the first buoy, it had dragged and the wind had shifted so I was almost running. I came up onto a broad reach and had to hike far out, even with the sail let out all the way and flapping. Then, after about 300m, there was a lull and shift, just as a wave came under me. The mast came way over my head, the boat followed and I was in the water. After a couple of attempts where the boat came up quickly and went straight back over, I had to do it properly - put the head to wind, position myself to windward and finally, tiredly, pull myself in.
Once up, I stayed up. The boat would crash around in the big waves. Twice I was caught while tacking because as I came about a wave caught the nose and stopped me dead. Once I could get going it was exhilarating - there was spray everywhere and the boat skimmed across everything, planing very fast and easy until the nose would dig into a steep wave. The changing wind meant that just as I got the boat set up, it was wrong. I was moving around like a puppet trying to maintain trim and reaching broadside across chaotic waves was not fun. After twenty minutes I gave up and went back in.
I was impressed by the Pico. I never felt it was not going to cope. It was definitely too small for me though - I was far from comfortable and could not sort myself out quickly enough. Twice I had the sheet tangled, when in those conditions I desperately needed very quick control. I really wanted about twice as much room.
Needless to say, we could not get the students onto the water on their own. They had to make do with “joy rides” with the instructors doing the sailing. I was mildly pleased to see that they capsized too.
These were definitely the strongest winds I have ever been out in. According to the centre’s wind meter, there were regular gusts of 40mph and instant wind shifts of 45 degrees. I felt safe enough, but not really in control and I did not enjoy that feeling. Sadly, it did not look half so “gnarly” from the shore as it did from on the water so people watching were not as impressed as I hoped they would be.
I am glad I was out there, and I proved I could cope, but it is not the kind of sailing I really want to do. It was great to be on the sea again though.
Nothing was on the water in the afternoon except the big ships. It was blowing force 6-7 and occasionally a full gale. The sea was streaked with white. There were breaking waves everywhere. Only the wind and kite surfers were having fun - we saw some spectacular “crash and burns”.