5 Tips for Sailing in Strong Winds

 

Sailing in strong winds requires a mixture of experience and good judgment, and these are the factors which draw the line between an exhilarating and a terrifying sail.

1. Don’t let problems escalate

Very few disasters are the result of a single big incident: most occur from an accumulation of minor problems, with each additional one leaving the vessel and crew increasingly vulnerable.

If you feel the situation is going downhill, buying some time should allow you to keep on top of events. Heaving-to or reducing sail may be all that’s required to achieve this and enable any small issues to be sorted out.

2. Don’t fight the conditions

At sea, it’s important to choose your battles carefully: some are not worth fighting.

Yielding to the conditions by heaving to, lying ahull or to a drogue or sea anchor will give both boat and crew a much easier time, minimizing exhaustion and breakages.

3. Keep away from lee shores and other dangers

Assuming you have plenty of sea room, and contrary to the expectations of many non-sailors, one of the safest places to be in bad weather is in open water.

Here the waves will be more regular, with fewer breaking crests than inshore, and you’re well clear of nasty things you might bump into. Like land.

Lee shores are perhaps the biggest single reason for boats being wrecked in bad weather.

4. Maintain a large margin of safety

In light airs, when little can go wrong, it’s possible to shave close to many dangers.

However, the stronger the wind and the bigger the waves, the more vital a big safety factor becomes.

One way to figure it out is to ask yourself what might go wrong.

If that makes you feel vulnerable, allowing more space will do no harm.

5. Build up your experience

If you never venture out in a Force 6 you’re likely to be well outside your comfort zone if caught out in an unexpected Force 7.

However, if you have the opportunity to sail in a Force 6 that’s forecast to moderate (so the risk of being caught in a stronger breeze is minimal), you’ll gradually become accustomed to sailing in stronger winds, and that voyage home will seem less daunting.

It’s still important, of course, to recognise your own limitations and those of your boat and crew, and operate within those.