

The first decision before an approaching storm is the toughest: Run for cover, or head out to open water for sea room? With modern forecasting, a true storm will rarely arrive unannounced, but as you venture further offshore the chances of being caught out increase. The storm jib should be set just forward of the mast to keep the sail plan’s center of effort near the boat’s center of lateral resistance. Storm trysails are usually trimmed to the rail, but some modern ones are set on the boom. They may seem tiny, but since wind force rises exponentially, they’re the right size for a really big blow. If reefing isn’t enough to reduce power, it’s time to dig out your storm sails - the storm trysail and storm jib. Sailing on a run or broad reach in big waves is exhilarating, but be careful not to broach and bring the boat beam-to a breaker.

A cubic foot of water weighs 64 pounds, so a wave can bring many hundreds of pounds of water across the deck. To reduce the chance of a wave washing across the deck, tack in relatively smooth water. When sailing close-hauled in waves, aim toward flat spots while keeping speed up so you can steer. Experienced dinghy sailors often are very good at heavy air steering, because they see “survival” weather more often than most cruisers.Īvoid sailing on a reach across tall breaking waves they can roll a boat over. Sailing in big waves is a test of seamanship and steering, which is why you should put your best driver on the helm. In addition to big wind, you’ll have to deal with big waves and crew fatigue.
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HOW TO SAIL SAFELY THROUGH A STORM Tips And Tricks To Help You Get Home Safe 📸 Kurt Arrigo/ ROLEXĬompared to the quick response and sudden nature of a squall, sailing through a storm in open water is an endurance contest.
