August 1, 2021-Storm Clouds over Perula
wingssail images-fredrick roswold
Storm ComingOn July 25, in the late afternoon, a dark cloud moved in over Chamela Bay. It was black and threatening; rain and wind were coming. On Wings we battened down our hatches and prepared for the squall as we watched the stormy sky move over ourselves and over the Cochinas Islands.
wingssail images-fredrick roswold
Cochinas Islands
While storm clouds rolled over us in Perula out at the Cochinas Island there was a group of tourists on the beach. They had arrived by panga but now they were wondering where their ride home was.
A funny thing about the pangas in Perula is that they often leave their load of tourists on the beach at Isla Cochinas while they come back to town for another load. In the afternoon they have to make several trips to bring them all back.
So, at the darkest hour of this squall a lone, empty, panga went tearing out across the bay at breakneck speed towards the islands to do a rescue.
Then the rain came.
We were happy sitting in our warm dry boat as the pouring down rain landed in our rain catching awning and quickly filled our water tanks, but I’ll bet the boatload of tourists coming back in the panga a little later, barely visible through the murk, mostly in swimsuits or wet beach clothing, were all shivering and they were probably very happy to just get back to the dock.
A funny thing about the pangas in Perula is that they often leave their load of tourists on the beach at Isla Cochinas while they come back to town for another load. In the afternoon they have to make several trips to bring them all back.
So, at the darkest hour of this squall a lone, empty, panga went tearing out across the bay at breakneck speed towards the islands to do a rescue.
Then the rain came.
We were happy sitting in our warm dry boat as the pouring down rain landed in our rain catching awning and quickly filled our water tanks, but I’ll bet the boatload of tourists coming back in the panga a little later, barely visible through the murk, mostly in swimsuits or wet beach clothing, were all shivering and they were probably very happy to just get back to the dock.
That is not the only episode with a squall we’ve had recently.
Click here for more images.
wingssail images-judy jensen
Two days later we were sailing back to Banderas Bay on a very nice day of nice winds and beautiful blue skies and water. It was even pleasant as midnight approached and we were sailing towards Cabo Corrientes.
But Cabo Correintes has a bad reputation. That night it lived up to its bad reputation.
I came on watch at 9:00PM and Judy told me there was a lot of lightning out west and some dark clouds. I sat in the cockpit for the next couple of hours mesmerized by a spectacular lightning. Bolt after bolt of lightning slammed down from the clouds to the sea, sometimes several at once. I noticed that behind my back there were other lightning flashes happening. We were surrounded.
We were sailing close hauled on the wind vane in 13 knots of wind with a full main and genoa but the wind began to build. First 15 knots, then 17, and quickly 22 knots. I wondered when it would stop rising. The genoa is rated for a max of 21 knots and I usually want it down if the wind gets over 14. But at that moment in that pitch black night, with waves getting bigger and the wind rising, I was not looking forward to going to the bow to take down the sails. I decided to stall and see what happened.
Judy called up from below, “Do I need to get dressed and come help?”
“Well, I’m not planning on doing anything right at the moment, so there is nothing for you to help me do.”
The next time I looked she was dressed, wearing her life jacket and safety harness, and just lying on her bunk. She was ready.
The windvane came to our aid. As the wind increased the pressure on the sails generated weather helm; the boat wanted to turn up into the wind. The wind vane only partially compensated for that weather helm and actually allowed the boat to steer high with the sails partially luffing. If I had been steering I’d have said I was feathering it. The wind vane, however, was holding a very steady course and the luffing of the sails slowed us down and took the pressure off. I thought we could manage this if things stayed the same.
After about 30 minutes the wind began to drop, quickly. Suddenly it seemed like the wind would go to zero.
At under 5 knots of wind we decided to take down the genoa and turn on the motor.
As soon as we did the wind came back up to 22!
Now, we can sail in 22 knots of wind. No problem. But to do it properly we couldn’t put the genoa up again, we’d need to set the jib and reef the main. The problem was I didn’t trust that the wind would stay at 22. The forecast and all of our previous experiences going past Cabo Correintes and into to Banderas Bay at night was that it would be light air sailing once we got past the Cape. I didn’t want to go the work of getting all set up for sailing in 22 knots only to have the wind drop again and then have to shake out the reef and change to the genoa.
So we motor-sailed.
I never like to motor-sail but on this night I decided that we could do it. We could sail on a close hauled course with the main up and fully sheeted in and the motor kicking over at 1500RPM and we could chug along at 5 knots, just waiting for the wind to go back down.
We did that.
At 0600 the wind did go down. When it got to 6 knots we put the genoa back up and turned off the motor for good. We had gotten far off our course while motor-sailing so we were faced with a long beat into the Bay. As dawn approached the wind began to lift us towards Punta Mita, our destination. It was a big, steady, lift. We didn’t have to tack at all until the final approach to the point, we just took the lift.
Oh, did I tell you that we had several dozen dolphins cavorting around us all afternoon and evening and again in the morning?
It was an interesting night!
I came on watch at 9:00PM and Judy told me there was a lot of lightning out west and some dark clouds. I sat in the cockpit for the next couple of hours mesmerized by a spectacular lightning. Bolt after bolt of lightning slammed down from the clouds to the sea, sometimes several at once. I noticed that behind my back there were other lightning flashes happening. We were surrounded.
We were sailing close hauled on the wind vane in 13 knots of wind with a full main and genoa but the wind began to build. First 15 knots, then 17, and quickly 22 knots. I wondered when it would stop rising. The genoa is rated for a max of 21 knots and I usually want it down if the wind gets over 14. But at that moment in that pitch black night, with waves getting bigger and the wind rising, I was not looking forward to going to the bow to take down the sails. I decided to stall and see what happened.
Judy called up from below, “Do I need to get dressed and come help?”
“Well, I’m not planning on doing anything right at the moment, so there is nothing for you to help me do.”
The next time I looked she was dressed, wearing her life jacket and safety harness, and just lying on her bunk. She was ready.
The windvane came to our aid. As the wind increased the pressure on the sails generated weather helm; the boat wanted to turn up into the wind. The wind vane only partially compensated for that weather helm and actually allowed the boat to steer high with the sails partially luffing. If I had been steering I’d have said I was feathering it. The wind vane, however, was holding a very steady course and the luffing of the sails slowed us down and took the pressure off. I thought we could manage this if things stayed the same.
After about 30 minutes the wind began to drop, quickly. Suddenly it seemed like the wind would go to zero.
At under 5 knots of wind we decided to take down the genoa and turn on the motor.
As soon as we did the wind came back up to 22!
Now, we can sail in 22 knots of wind. No problem. But to do it properly we couldn’t put the genoa up again, we’d need to set the jib and reef the main. The problem was I didn’t trust that the wind would stay at 22. The forecast and all of our previous experiences going past Cabo Correintes and into to Banderas Bay at night was that it would be light air sailing once we got past the Cape. I didn’t want to go the work of getting all set up for sailing in 22 knots only to have the wind drop again and then have to shake out the reef and change to the genoa.
So we motor-sailed.
I never like to motor-sail but on this night I decided that we could do it. We could sail on a close hauled course with the main up and fully sheeted in and the motor kicking over at 1500RPM and we could chug along at 5 knots, just waiting for the wind to go back down.
We did that.
At 0600 the wind did go down. When it got to 6 knots we put the genoa back up and turned off the motor for good. We had gotten far off our course while motor-sailing so we were faced with a long beat into the Bay. As dawn approached the wind began to lift us towards Punta Mita, our destination. It was a big, steady, lift. We didn’t have to tack at all until the final approach to the point, we just took the lift.
Oh, did I tell you that we had several dozen dolphins cavorting around us all afternoon and evening and again in the morning?
It was an interesting night!
wingssail images-fredrick roswold
Fred & Judy, SV Wings, La Cruz, Mexico
posted by wingssail at 7:10 PM
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1 Comments:
lil sis said...
I am so glad there is someone smart and prepared on Wings. Good job Judy!
Pictures are beautiful, I love the dragon.
Your lives are not dull. I’m glad but is that good as you get older? Hugs lil sis
wingssail said...
Yes, the more we age the more excitement tends to bring with it some anxiety, but we've always had that. I remember the old days and having butterflies before a race or as a storm approached. So that hasn't changed much. We find great satisfaction when we've pushed ourselves outside the comfort zone and past the anxiety and gotten through it. At the end of the day it feels good to have prevailed and know we can still do it. Too easy to sit back and just get old.
The real aging issue is with our bodies. Less strength, agility, balance and slower physical reaction time makes working fast on a moving boat that much more difficult. I watch younger crew running forward like a cats but I just can't do that anymore. I try but it just doesn't work. I feel so much more tentative on the foredeck than I used to. Even using the dingy or climbing back up on deck from it is harder.
But we are all walking down that path alone towards the same destination. We can watch the younger ones and envy them, but they will be here along with us soon enough. The best we can do is fend it off for a bit.
So we also push ourselves in the gym three days a week and try to delay the inevitable. Helping each other with the tough bits on the boat helps.
We'll do this as long as we can, we think sailing may keep us young and what does not kill us makes us stronger.
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