Purchasing A Sailboat For Heavy Air Conditions
Topics: sailing, sailing lesson, sailing instruction, purchasing a sailboat
This article describes the proper process to buy a sailboat. Unlike most boat purchase advice, written by manufacturers and designed to persuade the reader to purchase one brand or another, the suggestions in this article are written from the perspective of a sailboat buyer and are drawn from the collective wisdom of the author’s dozen or so sailboat purchases as well as conversations with many, many other sailboat buyers.
This article will focus on applying the buying process to purchasing an appropriate vessel for heavy air sailing.
The Buying Process
We believe a multi-step process to purchase a sailing vessel is ideal. Our initial emphasis is on assuring that purchases are based on a detailed description of how and where the vessel will be used and then identifying the best set of vessel characteristics for the specific type of sailing to be completed. Critical vessel characteristics include: sail plan, rig design, keel shape, keel depth and displacement. In this article, we apply those characteristics to heavy air sailing areas.
Let’s start by describing heavy air sailing areas. Heavy air areas are sailing areas that average 15 knots of wind or more. Moreover, wind speeds exceeding 20-25 knots are not uncommon. What areas would be considered heavy air areas?
Typically consistent winds in these speed ranges are driven by global weather and geological phenomenon. Some of the best known areas qualifying as heavy air areas would include the thermal winds of San Francisco Bay, the Caribbean trade winds from December through March and most latitudes below 40 degrees South.
Vessel Characteristics For Heavy Air
To begin, we assume you have already identified your usage in detail as we recommended in Part One. Next, its time to find a vessel that best fits the usage in heavy air areas. In heavy air areas we will not be concerned with powering up to the boat like we would be in light areas. Most of the time, we will easily reach hull speed and our primary concern will be assuring stability and steerage. To accomplish this, we want a flexible sail plan that assures the vessel can be controlled and safely sailed on all points of sail in the expected strong wind conditions.
The first vessel characteristic to consider is keel design. While cruising in heavy air, we look for stability and stiffness (resistance to heel) more than maneuverability and weight reduction. In these conditions, the full keels shine. The improved steering, resistance to turning and full keel length are all desirable characteristics provided by a full keel. In addition, full length keel allow for shallower drafts than fin keels (while maintaining similar resistance to heal), permitting access to more ports of call while still maximizing stability.
This is not to say that fin keel boats can not perform in heavy air, they can. Only to say that in heavy air the full keel boat can provide ease of steering and good stability without excessive draft.
The next two factors to consider are sail area and sail plan. The key to safely sailing in heavy air is to reduce the sail area to match the increasing wind speed while maintaining a balanced sail plan. In order to accomplish this, we want a very flexible sail plan with many configuration options. Now is the time for cutter rigs and multi-mast rigs such as ketches and yawls. The increased number of sails on these rigs allows for far more flexibility in sail area and sail placement and gives the sailor many more options to keep the sail plan balanced with less and less sail area.
A sloop rig simply can’t provide all the configuration option available with these other rigs. Also, the largest drawback to these rigs is eliminated in heavy air. While cutters and multi-mast rigs have increased drag, this is not a concern in heavy air since we have more than enough wind to reach hull speed anyway. For consistent sailing in heavy air, cutter rigs and multi-mast rigs are the way to go.
Finally, we consider displacement (i.e. weight). Sailing vessels get stiffness, resistance to heel, from reducing sail area, hull design and many other factors. One factor is displacement. More displacement helps increase resistance to heel (for a given hull design), so it is desirable in heavy air where large wind forces will increase heeling forces dramatically over light air conditions. In addition, big winds, particularly on open water, create larger waves with more potential to slow or stop a vessel when going to weather. To keep moving, we want increased displacement so that there is more momentum to keep going through bigger waves.
Summary
With the right vessel, heavy air sailing can be safely and enjoyably accomplished. When sailing in heavy air, a primary consideration is assuring we have a vessel that remains stable and maneuverable as the wind force increases. This means matching (reducing) the sail area, while continuing to balance the boat, to the increased wind force. The best boats for these conditions are the ones that provide the most flexible sail plans. Multi mast rigs and cutter rigs are superior to sloop rigs for this purpose. A keel design that helps keep the boat steering straight through large wind forces and waves is also a help, so full length keels are preferred over fin keels. Finally, stiffness, the resistance to heel, and momentum to move through larger waves are critical, so more displacement is favored over light air conditions.
Capt Dave Bello is President of Fair Wind Sailing School, (www.fairwindsailing.com) an ASA affiliate sailing school offering sailing charters and sailing instruction in the Virgin Islands, Chesapeake Bay, and on Lake Erie and Lake St Clair.
Previous Articles Highlighter:
Photography: Portraits (1)
However, please limit kids exposures to bright light if you insist on using flash. Kids, especially babies, are notorious for getting fidgety during a photo shoot. It may not be possible to set up a perfectly posed shoot with your subjects close to each other, all facing the camera, smiling bright with their eyes wide open.
Overcome Anxiety And Become A Confident Speaker (2)
Don't panic. Handle it gracefully and do not call too much attention to it. Some people may not even have noticed the blunder. It is okay to make a light hearted comment about it and move on.
The Drama Of Fly Fishing (3)
Fly rods are designed to let you sense a strike, set the hook, and fight and land the fish. Fly fishers speak of a "soul" in a rod, a quality present in all great fly rods.
Writeable Laminating Pouches To Protect Your Documents (4)
To solve this problem, matte laminating pouches can be used allowing you to write on the finished surface with a regular ball point pen. Matte laminating pouches provide the best of both worlds.
Photography - Finding The Right Light (5)
But no camera likes to take pictures in really low light without a flash. More good news: most digi-cams have a built-in flash, and some allow you to use an external flash, which is many times more effective than a cameras built-in flash and helps preserve the cameras battery.
The Importance Of Mega Pixels (6)
Topics: mega pixels, pixels, Photography, Digital Cameras, Digital SLRs, Camcorder, Photo Printer One big part of the digital camera will be the number of Mega Pixels it has and whether or not it will be enough for the type of photos you want to print.
Buying A Home Gym? 5 Ways To Get The Most Out Of Your Home Gym Purchase (7)
The more inviting the room where you place your equipment, the more likely you will use it (how many of us really want to work out in a dungeon?). If there's only one place you can place your home gym, then work on the room.
What Are Hybrid Automotives? (8)
The answer is simple, it was realized that an average person would not be able to afford gasoline in the near future. CO2 emissions will also increase similarly an average person does not require a V8, he/she just needs enough power to reach his destination in time.
Winning A Bass Fishing Tournament (9)
You can find tournaments that will be challenging to you in any state nationwide that has bodies of water filled with bass. A bass fishing tournament can be a great way to sharpen your skills, earn recognition and possibly win a cash prize.
Secrets Of Budget Travel For Families: Real Tips You Can Use Before Your Next Vacation (10)
Also, check surrounding airports at both the departure and the arrival city. You may need to drive an hour or two to get to the different departure or arrival airport; however if it saves enough money on each ticket, it will be well worth the drive.
Newer Articles Highlighter:
Lose The Excuse And The Weight Rebutting: The Top Six Excuses On Not Exercising (1)
In fact, exercising helps you perform better at work. The amount or length of time you need to exercise depends upon how active you naturally are or how active you are on the job.
Avoiding The Shimmy Shake While Taking A Picture (2)
Some cameras have only an LCD monitor for viewing, which means you have to hold the camera away from your face to see what you are shooting. Its hard to keep still in this position, but you have no choice unless your camera has a conventional optical viewfinder.
Getting Started As A Digital Photographer (3)
When in doubt, don't hesitate to take advantage of auto-exposure and auto-focus. Avoid auto-ISO for anything other than low-light action shots. Try the lowest ISO setting your camera offers before venturing higher.
How Cardio Fitness Programs Accelerate Weight Loss (4)
The targeted number is the number, which you will aim for when exercising, and the range is the lowest to the highest recommended heart rate for you. For example, if you are a woman who is 32 years old your target heart rate may be 112 beats per minute and the range would be 103 to 159 beats per minute.
Manipulating Your Images (5)
If you forgot to rotate the camera before snapping, its alright. Rotate the picture to the left or right by a 90 degree angle. In the rush to take a picture, getting the camera perfectly level is not always possible.
Taking Great Travel Pictures (6)
Otherwise, pointing your lens towards the sky may result in the camera auto-exposing on its brightness, causing your landscape image to be washed out. If you do not know how to do this, you can instead try focus locking on your landscape.
5 Must Know Tips For Air Travel With Lighters And Matches! (7)
The ban on lighters when into effect April 15, 2005 and TSA was confiscating 22,000 lighters a day across the nation. My question is why were there a total of 11,616,217 lighters confiscated in the year 2006?
Antique Desk Furniture Historical Comparison (8)
Born in Surrey, England, legend says Winthrop came to Massachusetts with an original piece of furniture that instantly gained favor with the colonists: a slanted drop-front desk. After the desk became popular, it was re-named in honor of its original owner.
The Amazing Truth - Asheville North Carolina Real Estate (9)
The Vetust Study Club has become an icon for Ashville as a community-oriented organization. The North Carolina Mountain State Fair also lays claim to bringing the people of the mountain communities together.
Real Estate In Hendersonville Has Diverse Natural Settings (10)
With such abundance of natural beauty, historic Hendersonville is a place away from the loud noises of bigger metropolitan with the modern town facilities coupled with natural beauty. These features make a trip to a Hendersonville real estate agent worth considering.