Dead Downwind in a gale - view from the bow

Recent sail from Newport to Bermuda in a Tayana 37. Heading DDW with wind low 40's and seas 20-25 ft under 50 sq ft storm staysail only. Boat speed 6.5 - 7.5 kts. Roll on!

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• Ocean
• sailing

[KamalohaT37]

Thanks for the comment. FWIW we were in a similar gale last month off the capes of Colombia, and discovered we can go almost as fast (4.5 knots) under bare poles. We had to heave-to as well so we would not rocket past our destination, where we did not want to cross a bar in the dark. That was much harder than we thought; with a cutaway forefoot it continued to forereach at almost three knots, and we could not get the wind angle under 60 degrees.

[zubernick]

I did something similar on the way to Alaska from Hawaii but when my full keel 32' took up surfing, I came about and hove to rather than risk pitch-poling. Don't you love the idyllic magazine pictures of fine dining at anchor when the reality is more like standing in a freezing shower ripping up hundred dollar bills? Roll on, indeed! Thanks for the video! I'm heading back out in a couple of months and can hardly stand it!

[antongm]

Spectacular. Tayana 37 is a sweet boat.