So how come I didn't know about these group?

https://youtu.be/aHGpqSo5HeI

Are any of you guys on this forum?



Edited by mattson on Jan 05, 2021 - 03:38 AM.

--
Bill Mattson
Prindle 19 "Gelli Bean"
Prindle 19 "Cat's Pajamas"
Nacra 5.2 (Will sail her a bit and let her name herself)
--

I haven't known about this group. Thanks for sharing. Looks like a lot of fun!

--
Bank
--

Quote

So how come I didn't know about these group?

Hobies only!!!!!!!!!! lol

interesting comments below the vid

LEE W:
Dear Lord, please start wearing life jackets. I’ve done that crossing dozens of times on my H21, H16 and Nacra 20. I’ve even done it solo, so I’m not just being a keyboard critic. Enjoy. It’s one of my favorite trips.

Video Poster:
I definitely hear what you’re saying. I’m not sure if you can see it in this video but we all wear life lines for the whole sail over and back. We’re not taking a risk of anyone falling off and getting separated from the boat. Also we’re all wearing 7mm wetsuits so we couldn’t sink if we wanted to. Appreciate the concern though.

i never wear wetsuits - is this accurate that you cant "sink" in a 7mm?

We sail early & late in wetsuits. Even thin 3mm suits have the buoyancy of a a PFD.
Have a close look at yours, buoyancy depends solely on the volume of water it displaces, & there is not much displacement from a PFD. IIRC, an adult sized PFD gives about 14lbs flotation.
I have a 7mm suit, leftover from cold water diving, you need 30lbs lead weight on your belt to submerge.
I find them pretty cumbersome to sail in, but you can float around for hours in 5C water without dying, & they won’t turn & float you face up, but neither will a PFD, you need a certified life jacket for that.

--
Hobie 18 Magnum
Dart 15
Mystere 6.0XL Sold Was a handful solo
Nacra 5.7
Nacra 5.0
Bombardier Invitation (Now officially DEAD)
Various other Dock cluttering WaterCrap
--

I've done a couple of crossings to Catalina, but dozens of trips to the Northern Channel Islands, which comprises the Channel Islands National Park, doing trips to Anacapa, Santa Cruz, and Santa Rosa. We put a lot of work into these trips, treating them on a level of an aggressive expedition, with detailed planning, weight management, custom configurations on the boat, and overall risk management.

My first impulse was to respond to the combined weight on these boats, and the inclusion of children.

Slept on it, and came to the conclusion that it's not my place, not knowing any of the details that went into the planning and execution. Safety tethers are mentioned here already, which is obviously just one component of the planning that into this. Besides, I've been criticized and occasionally categorized as "nuts" for the crossings I make on the boat I make them on, so who am I to judge?

I wish the participants fun, safety, and the invite of letting me know if I can be of any help.

--
Bill Mattson
Prindle 19 "Gelli Bean"
Prindle 19 "Cat's Pajamas"
Nacra 5.2 (Will sail her a bit and let her name herself)
--

Quote

. Safety tethers are mentioned here already, which is obviously just one component of the planning

tethers on a beach cat are controversial too!

you could fall off and be dragged, you can get caught in the lines on deck and fall into a spar or you can flip and be stuck below water

think i will stick to wearing a pfd and waterwings

The topic of this crossing comes up annually on this forum, and it's always made out to be some treacherous crossing. I've never sailed in the pacific, though I have departed on a cruise ship out of long beach. It was foggy as I recall. Are there any other inherit dangers to this crossing? Pardon my ignorance, but at 18nm it seems like an easy 1.5 hour day sail...

--
Nacra 6.0 NA
Ogden Dunes, IN
--

And if you wear a seatbelt you could be trapped in your car if you go into a river.

More an issue for solo sailing, but my tether has never caused me an entanglement issue, and has saved my bacon twice in keeping me with the boat. And if there ever was an entanglement, I've got a quick release shackle with an extended line with a rubber tubing as a grip to release it.

But it supplements my PFD, rather than replacing it. Not sure I am sold on a wetsuit over a PFD. My PDF is where I attach my light and whistle, and it is an angler's model with pockets where I store my radio, flares, and ePirb.

Waterwings. Now, you're talkin!

Btw, we had one of the guys in our local group go overboard solo and was dragged by a tether. He was out by himself with no other boats and could not get back on the boat (long story with a spinnaker involved). It kept him with the boat and he was dragged 5 miles for over an hour until his boat hit a beach. His radio? On the boat.

Lessons learned: He is going to get his radio on him. Lesson for me: My plans to try and fly a spinnaker while solo are in the trash bin.

--
Bill Mattson
Prindle 19 "Gelli Bean"
Prindle 19 "Cat's Pajamas"
Nacra 5.2 (Will sail her a bit and let her name herself)
--

Quote

And if you wear a seatbelt you could be trapped in your car if you go into a river.

that is why i wear a scuba tank at all time!!!!

Quote

It kept him with the boat and he was dragged 5 miles for over an hour until his boat hit a beach. His radio? On the boat.

i can't even imagine what that must feel like

Quote

I've got a quick release shackle with an extended line with a rubber tubing as a grip to release it.

yes we have talked about that - i think that is a critical and smart feature

mattson

And if you wear a seatbelt you could be trapped in your car if you go into a river.

More an issue for solo sailing, but my tether has never caused me an entanglement issue, and has saved my bacon twice in keeping me with the boat. And if there ever was an entanglement, I've got a quick release shackle with an extended line with a rubber tubing as a grip to release it.

But it supplements my PFD, rather than replacing it. Not sure I am sold on a wetsuit over a PFD. My PDF is where I attach my light and whistle, and it is an angler's model with pockets where I store my radio, flares, and ePirb.

Waterwings. Now, you're talkin!

Btw, we had one of the guys in our local group go overboard solo and was dragged by a tether. He was out by himself with no other boats and could not get back on the boat (long story with a spinnaker involved). It kept him with the boat and he was dragged 5 miles for over an hour until his boat hit a beach. His radio? On the boat.

Lessons learned: He is going to get his radio on him. Lesson for me: My plans to try and fly a spinnaker while solo are in the trash bin.

A couple of us that singlehand most of the time offshore have discussed a tether system. I have it designed and yet (luckily) to test it. My thought; use about 100' of 3-strand that is secured to the bow. If I do go over, I can have time to get my head up before getting yanked. To the bow, I can act as a sea anchor to stop the boat. This came to light during an offshore race with my son a couple of years ago when we had 2-4' swells. There were several times I felt I was going to get slung off the boat. I told him that if I disappear off the boat, sheet in and flip it over. But, the times I sail singlehanded in 20-25 knots of wind, stopping a cat with no one on it isn't very easy. And, I'm usually out when no one else is. I've had a couple of times where a trap line failed and I managed to maintain a death grip on the mainsheet. There are definitely pros and cons with each. You cannot rely on the crew if you get separated from the boat either. We had an instance one year where a skipper got separated from the boat at the beach, the boat headed back out through the surf and was headed for jetties. Short story, we rescued the inexperienced crew before the boat went up on the jetties.

don't give up on flying a spin solo, just have a plan and consider the worst possible.

--
Scott

Prindle Fleet 2
TCDYC

Prindle 18-2 Mod "FrankenKitty"
Tornado Classic "Fast Furniture"
Prindle 19 "Mr. Wiggly"
Nacra 5.8 "De ja vu"
Nacra 5.0
Nacra 5.8
Tornadoes (Reg White)
--

MN3

Quote

And if you wear a seatbelt you could be trapped in your car if you go into a river.

that is why i wear a scuba tank at all time!!!!

MN3

Quote

It kept him with the boat and he was dragged 5 miles for over an hour until his boat hit a beach. His radio? On the boat.

i can't even imagine what that must feel like

The guy called his wife once on the beach and could hardly speak. It was tough to convince her he was okay.



Edited by mattson on Jan 05, 2021 - 04:22 PM.

--
Bill Mattson
Prindle 19 "Gelli Bean"
Prindle 19 "Cat's Pajamas"
Nacra 5.2 (Will sail her a bit and let her name herself)
--

I have very little time on an H16, but my buddies at the lake have a couple, & an H17.
Isn’t 3 adults on a 16 a slow boat to begin with? One 210lb adult with his 16 year old son has the hull pretty much sunk.

--
Hobie 18 Magnum
Dart 15
Mystere 6.0XL Sold Was a handful solo
Nacra 5.7
Nacra 5.0
Bombardier Invitation (Now officially DEAD)
Various other Dock cluttering WaterCrap
--

Edchris177

I have very little time on an H16, but my buddies at the lake have a couple, & an H17.
Isn’t 3 adults on a 16 a slow boat to begin with? One 210lb adult with his 16 year old son has the hull pretty much sunk.

It definatetly looks overloaded in the video. But one consideration is that these are not performance trips. Even with a normal crew weight you are carrying at least 100 lbs of gear, and capsizes are way more complicated so you don't push the boat.

--
Bill Mattson
Prindle 19 "Gelli Bean"
Prindle 19 "Cat's Pajamas"
Nacra 5.2 (Will sail her a bit and let her name herself)
--

texastuma

mattson

And if you wear a seatbelt you could be trapped in your car if you go into a river.

More an issue for solo sailing, but my tether has never caused me an entanglement issue, and has saved my bacon twice in keeping me with the boat. And if there ever was an entanglement, I've got a quick release shackle with an extended line with a rubber tubing as a grip to release it.

But it supplements my PFD, rather than replacing it. Not sure I am sold on a wetsuit over a PFD. My PDF is where I attach my light and whistle, and it is an angler's model with pockets where I store my radio, flares, and ePirb.

Waterwings. Now, you're talkin!

Btw, we had one of the guys in our local group go overboard solo and was dragged by a tether. He was out by himself with no other boats and could not get back on the boat (long story with a spinnaker involved). It kept him with the boat and he was dragged 5 miles for over an hour until his boat hit a beach. His radio? On the boat.

Lessons learned: He is going to get his radio on him. Lesson for me: My plans to try and fly a spinnaker while solo are in the trash bin.

A couple of us that singlehand most of the time offshore have discussed a tether system. I have it designed and yet (luckily) to test it. My thought; use about 100' of 3-strand that is secured to the bow. If I do go over, I can have time to get my head up before getting yanked. To the bow, I can act as a sea anchor to stop the boat. This came to light during an offshore race with my son a couple of years ago when we had 2-4' swells. There were several times I felt I was going to get slung off the boat. I told him that if I disappear off the boat, sheet in and flip it over. But, the times I sail singlehanded in 20-25 knots of wind, stopping a cat with no one on it isn't very easy. And, I'm usually out when no one else is. I've had a couple of times where a trap line failed and I managed to maintain a death grip on the mainsheet. There are definitely pros and cons with each. You cannot rely on the crew if you get separated from the boat either. We had an instance one year where a skipper got separated from the boat at the beach, the boat headed back out through the surf and was headed for jetties. Short story, we rescued the inexperienced crew before the boat went up on the jetties.

don't give up on flying a spin solo, just have a plan and consider the worst possible.

My setup is a jack line tied to the trampoline lacing at each side of the boat. Bowlines covered in rigging tape. The tether is three strand rope as it's just easy for me to make loops out of. A quick release shackle on the sailor end with a line attached to the release with a rubber hose on it that can be found quickly by feel. The side connecting to the jackline is a carbiner with "keylock" latch. This latch is an important feature. It allows you to unclip without a conventional latch snagging on the jackline. It's a redundant release point, if there are any issues with the quick release. The jackline setup allows you to tack the boat without unhooking. The whole setup is best viewed in this video:

https://youtu.be/ICjJNvMhzvE

I also had an incident with a broken trap wire, with the boat staying on it's hulls. The "sea anchor" effect is definitely an issue, as if you are attached to the boat at the stern the bows are going to start blowing downwind. In my case, I grabbed one rudder blade and steered the boat upwind.

The line to the bow is an interesting concept. I think I will stay with the jackline setup, but am considering a line tied to each bow for island trips. But we have played around with the concept of trailing lines behind the boat as another overboard scenario safeguard. (Again.... These are not performance trips.) But these lines could be tied to the bows, instead of the stern. If the boat cannot be steered to weather in an overboard scenario, you put a couple of wraps on your hand, release the safety tether, and boat eventually heads up. Maybe a loop in the line to transfer the tether to. Gotta think about this.

--
Bill Mattson
Prindle 19 "Gelli Bean"
Prindle 19 "Cat's Pajamas"
Nacra 5.2 (Will sail her a bit and let her name herself)
--

We've thought of taking our H18 out to Catalina. We'd only do it with at least one other boat sailing with us, and we'd likely wear 2.5mm wetsuits AND PFDs. The water is COLD, and you need some protection just to avoid hypothermia if you spend time in it. The PFDs we use are equipped with a behind-the-neck support, giving us a better change of being face-up if not fully conscious.

We wear the PFDs even when sailing in the shallow and protected waters of Mission Bay, though the wetsuits are only for open ocean or full winter. We use 2.5mm full wetsuits or 3mm shorties depending on conditions in the cold months, and we have 7mm full suits for winter diving. I don't think we'd ever wear the 7mm sailing, the movement penalty is just too high...



Edited by onemorecat on Jan 10, 2021 - 05:41 PM.

--
Tony H
Hobie 18
Sailing Mission Bay and nearby CA
--

BTW, something I'd never really appreciated till I watched that video is how HIGH the H16 tramp sits out of the water compared to the H18. Even fully loaded, those boats look to be a whole lot more dry than mine!

--
Tony H
Hobie 18
Sailing Mission Bay and nearby CA
--

onemorecat

BTW, something I'd never really appreciated till I watched that video is how HIGH the H16 tramp sits out of the water compared to the H18.

This is true to an extent, however the hulls on the H16 also have considerably less volume than the 18. So when sailing, the leeward hull on the 16 is nearly completely submerged. The lower volume on the 16 also makes it much more susceptible to pitchpoling or going over backwards when compared to the 18.

If you want the best of both worlds, look into getting a set of wings for your 18.

sm

Yep, H18 is not dry when sitting on the tramp or hull. Much drier on wings, until your wing hits the next wave while hull in a wave trough. Swept crew on the trapeze that way before. I am also tempted to do a Catalina sail, but never pulled the trigger. Really wanted to before selling my 21SE, still would like to on my 18.

--
Scott,
‘92 H18 w/SX wings
‘95 Hobie Funseeker 12 (Holder 12)
‘96/‘01/‘14 Hobie Waves
--

onemorecat

We've thought of taking our H18 out to Catalina. We'd only do it with at least one other boat sailing with us, and we'd likely wear 2.5mm wetsuits AND PFDs. The water is COLD, and you need some protection just to avoid hypothermia if you spend time in it. The PFDs we use are equipped with a behind-the-neck support, giving us a better change of being face-up if not fully conscious.

We wear the PFDs even when sailing in the shallow and protected waters of Mission Bay, though the wetsuits are only for open ocean or full winter. We use 2.5mm full wetsuits or 3mm shorties depending on conditions in the cold months, and we have 7mm full suits for winter diving. I don't think we'd ever wear the 7mm sailing, the movement penalty is just too high...Edited by onemorecat on Jan 10, 2021 - 05:41 PM.

IMHO, the H18 is THE boat to do these crossings on, just due the bulletproof construction of the hulls. I'm considering a trip to Santa Cruz Island this year, post vaccine, on the Prindle 19. But I have already decided I will be restricted to the backside of the island where the sandy beaches are. Some of the rocky north shore beaches that were routine on my H18 would probably punch holes in the P19.

The obvious problem here is that, depending on conditions/equipment, you don't always end up where you originally planned. I've got another P19 disassembled that I am thinking of reinforcing the hull bottoms with kevlar or I may even acquire another H18.

On wetsuits: They seem like they are designed to keep you from getting cold IN the water. Outside of the water, once wet and in wind, in some conditions I think they can turn into evaporative coolers. Wearing a spray top over them helps. But years ago, I started going with a dry suit. Way warmer.

--
Bill Mattson
Prindle 19 "Gelli Bean"
Prindle 19 "Cat's Pajamas"
Nacra 5.2 (Will sail her a bit and let her name herself)
--

Here's a trip we did on my H18 back in '09. Check out the rocks in some of the photos. We used ABS pipe for skids, but you can't keep the boat on them during the entire landing/launching processes.

http://www.catsail.com/cinp/trip0609/sci0609.html

--
Bill Mattson
Prindle 19 "Gelli Bean"
Prindle 19 "Cat's Pajamas"
Nacra 5.2 (Will sail her a bit and let her name herself)
--

Quote

But years ago, I started going with a dry suit. Way warmer.

and comfortable

NOTHING like having dry feet and crotch for a long cruise

I strongly recommend going with gore-tex as well since it is much more breathable than other materials

MN3

i never wear wetsuits - is this accurate that you cant "sink" in a 7mm?

Not only do you float like a rubber duck... but as soon as you relax in it, the suit throws you into anatomical position with your arms straight out to the sides and your torso straight. Using rental wet suits like this early in my ocean sailing is what gave me the incentive to buy dry suits.

--
Sheet In!
Bob
_/)_____/)_/)____/)____/)_____/)/)__________/)__
Prindle 18-2 #244 "Wakizashi"
Prindle 16 #3690 "Pegasus" Sold (sigh)
AZ Multihull Fleet 42 member
(Way) Past Commodore of Prindle Fleet 14
Arizona, USA
--

mattson

Here's a trip we did on my H18 back in '09. Check out the rocks in some of the photos. We used ABS pipe for skids, but you can't keep the boat on them during the entire landing/launching processes.

http://www.catsail.com/cinp/trip0609/sci0609.html

Absolutely excellent cat-sailing trip and story. What a destination, and the accompanying pictures really made it. Thanks for sharing, I enjoyed it very much.

--
1998 P18.2
Sailing out of SHBCC, NJ
--

mattson

Here's a trip we did on my H18 back in '09. Check out the rocks in some of the photos. We used ABS pipe for skids, but you can't keep the boat on them during the entire landing/launching processes.

http://www.catsail.com/cinp/trip0609/sci0609.html

Wow WOw WOW!!!
great write up and boy do i never want to do any of that!!!!

and do I ever (more) appreciate our spoil islands .5 miles off the jet ski beach (maybe 1.5 miles from the catamaran beach)

Funny, as you mentioned the abs skids i was thinking "wonder if he sailed with Hobie Gary" :) (forgive me if you answered that before - i have the memory of a gold fish these days, 1 lap around the tank and it all looks new to me)

I have to hand it to you cali sailors - cold shark infested waters, big wind and big tide ... i will stick with my protected bay's and 1 mile peeks into the gulf. I gave up blue water sailing after "sailing" on steel ships.

CatFan57

mattson

Here's a trip we did on my H18 back in '09. Check out the rocks in some of the photos. We used ABS pipe for skids, but you can't keep the boat on them during the entire landing/launching processes.

http://www.catsail.com/cinp/trip0609/sci0609.html

Absolutely excellent cat-sailing trip and story. What a destination, and the accompanying pictures really made it. Thanks for sharing, I enjoyed it very much.

Thanks for the thanks. Those trips and articles took a bit of work. The rest of the documented trips are here:

http://www.catsail.com/cinp/

Some crazy stuff in some of those.

--
Bill Mattson
Prindle 19 "Gelli Bean"
Prindle 19 "Cat's Pajamas"
Nacra 5.2 (Will sail her a bit and let her name herself)
--

MN3

mattson

Here's a trip we did on my H18 back in '09. Check out the rocks in some of the photos. We used ABS pipe for skids, but you can't keep the boat on them during the entire landing/launching processes.

http://www.catsail.com/cinp/trip0609/sci0609.html

Wow WOw WOW!!!
great write up and boy do i never want to do any of that!!!!

and do I ever (more) appreciate our spoil islands .5 miles off the jet ski beach (maybe 1.5 miles from the catamaran beach)

Funny, as you mentioned the abs skids i was thinking "wonder if he sailed with Hobie Gary" :) (forgive me if you answered that before - i have the memory of a gold fish these days, 1 lap around the tank and it all looks new to me)

I have to hand it to you cali sailors - cold shark infested waters, big wind and big tide ... i will stick with my protected bay's and 1 mile peeks into the gulf. I gave up blue water sailing after "sailing" on steel ships.

The ABS skids were an accidental discovery. The strategy prior to them were rollers made of ABS pipes with inflatable fenders on each end. Most easily described as a giant cue tip. Twp strapped to the front crossbar. These worked relatively well on smooth sand. But on rocks, they would not move, and we would be struggling to push the boat over rubber. At one point, the boat dislodged off the roller with one hull on the rocks, and one skidding freely over the abs pipe. That's when the light bulb went on regarding "skids". 2 foot sections of ABS pipe that fit inside the deck ports. I use four of them, moving the aft ones forward as the boat progresses up the beach.

There is a segment of my son and I using them in the video below. One caveat here is that, in the video, I mention 10 ft waves. The waves reported on weather buoys were 8 ft. I can tell you that photos and videos absolutely flatten sea conditions. Another caveat is that the decision to leave the beach in the conditions was prompted the the fact that we had run out of water. And one factor that led to sailing under jib alone was the excess weight of gear on the boat. As stated earlier, these are not performance trips. And capsizing during them is a whole new animal than the typical dunking.

https://youtu.be/c9t6YOx4cX8

By the way, I didn't mean to hijack this thread. Just trying to provide some insight on what is involved in the crossings. One element I forgot to comment is the mention of doing a trip with another boat. We've done it, and I'm not sold on the idea. You are only going to be as good as the weakest link. And if things really go south, another beach cat is going to be in just as much in a survival mode as you. And it also introduces the situation of compromising your own safety by attempting to assist. We did have a situation once where we were considered overdue by another boat that was safely on shore and not able to contact us. (I don't recall why as we had radios.) But I do recall the other boat preparing to leave to find us when we eventually showed up. They were otherwise, safely on shore at the island at dusk, but were considering leaving the beach.

Yes... I sailed with Gary for years doing those trips. Some are detailed in the links I posted. However, the research, preparation, and frequency of the trips became an absolute obsession, the negative consequences of which I don't want to get into. Still, outrageously fun times. Like everything else, best done in moderation.

--
Bill Mattson
Prindle 19 "Gelli Bean"
Prindle 19 "Cat's Pajamas"
Nacra 5.2 (Will sail her a bit and let her name herself)
--

mattson

Those trips and articles took a bit of work. The rest of the documented trips are here:

http://www.catsail.com/cinp/

Some crazy stuff in some of those.

Okay thanks, I will definitely check them out, and looking forward to it.



Edited by CatFan57 on Jan 12, 2021 - 06:37 PM.

--
1998 P18.2
Sailing out of SHBCC, NJ
--

mattson

Btw, we had one of the guys in our local group go overboard solo and was dragged by a tether. He was out by himself with no other boats and could not get back on the boat (long story with a spinnaker involved). It kept him with the boat and he was dragged 5 miles for over an hour until his boat hit a beach.

I'd say in your neck of the woods, that'd be called "trolling for great whites." Glad he didn't "catch" anything.

Btw, why couldn't he pull himself back to the boat via hand over hand on the tether even though the boat was still moving (5mph or under, apparently)? Tether diameter too small to get a good grip? Just too much water force, or combo of the two?

I noticed that on your tether you used a very thick, braided section of line for the part attached to you. I'm assuming maybe that's to be able to get a good grip.

--
1998 P18.2
Sailing out of SHBCC, NJ
--

speaking for myself

after a capsize and righting. my jib was not furled and filled with air and the boat took off while i was still in the water.

while holding my main in the water (it was wrapped around several things that prevented it from sheeting in) and being pulled/ sailed at what felt like 100knots (probably 5 or 6) -heading right for a marker, it took most of my energy to pull myself the 10' - 15' up to the boat. then getting on the boat spent just about the rest of my energy. If i failed getting on the first or second attempt, i doubt i would have the energy to do it at all. (think getting on a boat after a capsize is hard, try it while underway)

I was soooooooo spent after that i sailed home with slack in my mainsheet as i was so tired and demoralized i was unable to sail properly - and it got MUCH worse. my spin pole would dig into a wave, bend down a little, full my hoop with water and then spring the water up in the air - which then poured down on me - for about an hour (was a 20-30 min sail for everyone else i was with that day)

the action of the boat, the constant pissing on from the spin and the friction of my pfd proved to have pretty serious and long lasting medical ramifications - without getting into too much detail - i suffered from some serious chafe and rash in a unexpected spot that did not heal very quickly (you may see distance runners putting tape on these body parts for the same reason)

i quit sailing that day
fortunately i am a terrible at quitting

Really enjoyed the adventures to the Channel Islands. Wish I could share a couple trips I had on Lake Erie from Sandusky to Put-In-Bay and back with heavy 30 knot winds and short interval breakers coming over the boat. Warm, fresh water, but definitely on the edge of disaster, with two other boats that left the island with us being de-masted, and no ability to turn back in that wind. Ahhh, memories. You were much better prepared.

What sails are you running on the H-18?

--
Tom
NACRA 5.7 (1984 Sail 181)
Pennsylvania
--

tominpa

Really enjoyed the adventures to the Channel Islands. Wish I could share a couple trips I had on Lake Erie from Sandusky to Put-In-Bay and back with heavy 30 knot winds and short interval breakers coming over the boat. Warm, fresh water, but definitely on the edge of disaster, with two other boats that left the island with us being de-masted, and no ability to turn back in that wind. Ahhh, memories. You were much better prepared.

What sails are you running on the H-18?

On one of those trips "The North Shore Cruise" we were caught in a gale, with the NOAA West SB Buoy recording winds gusting to 44 kts. We were in probably closer to 30 knots in steep waves and swell. And I agree, that can be very dicey. The description of how we handled it, with a broken rudder, is in the story. I think I swore off the trips during that experience, and (like MN3) may have quit sailing altogether. It just seems like after it's all over your brain sorta thinks, "I guess it was not that bad."

Sails are Super R Laminate from Whirlwind in San Diego.

http://www.whirlwindsails…p20/H18_SuperR_Main.html

I sold the boat to a new sailor who bought it with the stock sails. I still have the Super Rs. Had them on eBay for a while but now think I may keep them if I get another H18.

All plans tempered by the idea I am getting too old for this stuff.



Edited by mattson on Jan 12, 2021 - 08:22 PM.

--
Bill Mattson
Prindle 19 "Gelli Bean"
Prindle 19 "Cat's Pajamas"
Nacra 5.2 (Will sail her a bit and let her name herself)
--

mattson

So how come I didn't know about these group?

https://youtu.be/aHGpqSo5HeI

Are any of you guys on this forum?Edited by mattson on Jan 05, 2021 - 03:38 AM.

Wow that's great, those are your people for sure. In fact it wouldn't surprise me if your stories about beachcat sailing to the islands inspired their trips.

Watching that, all I could think about was what you and the "nine finger wonder boy" could have done with today's camera's and access to YouTube.

--
Damon Linkous
1992 Hobie 18
Memphis, TN

How To Create Your Signature

How To Create Your Own Cool Avatar

How To Display Pictures In The Forums.
--

Kevin219

The topic of this crossing comes up annually on this forum, and it's always made out to be some treacherous crossing. I've never sailed in the pacific, though I have departed on a cruise ship out of long beach. It was foggy as I recall. Are there any other inherit dangers to this crossing? Pardon my ignorance, but at 18nm it seems like an easy 1.5 hour day sail...

The Pacific is it's own thing for small boats, VERY COLD water all year 'round, BIG SHIPS, FOG, and SUDDEN DARKNESS. (Did I miss anything Bill?)

Just looking at a map doesn't do it justice, Sailing to an island the same distance but in the Gulf of Mexico is a whole 'nother thing.

--
Damon Linkous
1992 Hobie 18
Memphis, TN

How To Create Your Signature

How To Create Your Own Cool Avatar

How To Display Pictures In The Forums.
--