anybody still sail cats in big wind?
A fellow cat sailor pulls up and asks
why I'm all wet
?
I went out singlehanding w/main only and as soon as I got the boards down and rudders locked down I went out on the trap & ping! my trap adjustable line snapped and all I saw was the boat going over! but wait! I held onto the main sheet and pulled myself back on board w/o her going over (I pushed the stern away from me and into the wind to keep her from flipping).
I call that a tea bagging in 18-20 knots.
Big wind in Denver? cold maybe but big?

that happened to me this weekend. but I had a crew on board who brought the boat round and waited for me to swim back to it!
I havn't got the skill to take the 5.7 out in big wind but when it's really blowing onshore and theres no other boat out I take out a 14ft Arrow. They've got flat planeing hulls with a single centreboard so when the boat really takes off it has a 3ft waterspout off the front of the centre board with water going everywhere that nearly drowns me on the wire and the boat skids all over the place over reacting to every move or flex of the tiller. Absolutely great fun.
G'day Dan Kingston SE is in South Australia 300km South of Adelaide and 550 km North of Melbourne. Come and visit and we'll take both Arrows out for a play in real wind or the 5.7 if it's normal wind. Where in Hawai are you I've got fond memories of my honey moon there.
regards Jeff
I put a video on Beachcats Australia.ning of us in a 30kt puff with big rain drops about a month ago the A class behind us delaminated his centreboard and the 5.7 in front of us pitchpoled. Hopefully this link will work
Beachcats Australia.ning
We snorkled Hanauma bay at dawn and must have driven past Kaneohe Bay as we cruised around the island so many years ago.
Let's get this tread moving again,
Jeff S normally I would call your bluff but since you are an aussie I believe you.
I've spent years on Georgian Bay and I've raced in Florida a handfull of times and I know those guy's are full of it.
There is absolutely no wind in Florida unless there is a thunder cloud bearing down on you and the only time it blows in Georgian bay is when it's drysuit weather and the ice just melt (which could be June).
I'm talking consistant wind blowing every time the sails go up not your once a year storm and oh crap we are caught in a blow.
I'm talking 15-18MPH every day all day for at least 8 months a year. Any takers? I know Rick W is out there and he's going to say something like it blows here in Florida Keys all year but dude, I've seen the pics you take and if there ain't any white caps then it's under 15MPH.
You'll like this one, I was crew on my 5.7 with new big head main sail and we were trying to get it tuned so the big head would lay off in the puffs but we ended up pitchpoling and I got stunned on the spin pole.
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