Sailing in big surf with onshore wind

Technical discussion of ARC products
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Bill Roberts
Expert
Posts: 515
Joined: November 17th, 2003, 9:13 pm
Location: Stuart, Florida

Sailing in big surf with onshore wind

Post by Bill Roberts »

Well, from what is going on in the Tybee 500 this year, there are some sailors who do not have much experience in how to sail the surf with an onshore wind. These are tough conditions and the SE coast of Florida is known as the "beach cat graveyard of the US".
+++Let's first talk about how to get off the beach and out into the ocean. You are going to have to leave the beach at about 45 degrees to the shoreline and the wind. Check the beach current along SE Florida and you will find it is usually North to South. Therefore in the worst conditions, start sailing headed Southeast. Trim the jib for sailing to windward and trim the main in about 3/4ths the way for sailing to windward. Don't trim the main to a hard leech. This will stall the rudders and make the boat round up and go into "irons", head to wind, no power.The breaking waves will push the boat back to the beach backwards, sideways, no telling whichway, and probably break the rudders and rudder heads. This is point #1.
Point #2. Get your weight forward and do not let the bows head for the sky. When the boat is sloped bow up at about 45 degrees or more, it is all over, the surf will beat you. When the bows go up, the transoms go down and sink past the rear beam. The first wave slams into the aft end of the tramp and rear beam and stops the boat. The second wave starts the boat moving backwards and the third wave takes the boat to the beach rolling, tumbling, spinning and CRASH and does much damage. To keep the bows from going too high, it may mean both sailors in front of the main beam. If that is what it takes then "get out there".
Point #3. Paddle, Paddle, Paddle like crazy!
As one can see,"this takes some practice".

+++Sailing onto the beach with following sea and wind: Point #1. Don't sail straight into the beach. You will come in too fast and likely pitchpole onto the beach bows down as you slide down the face of the shore breaking wave. Therefore, sail past the finish line, jibe and come back at the shore line at about 45 degrees. This will put the wind off your rear quarter. Now you have plenty of "space control" and "speed control". You can pick the backside of an approaching wave and position yourself on its backside just athe wave reaches the beach. At this same moment depower all sails and try to slow down to the max, leeward rudder up and boards up. As the boat hits the beach still moving forward, the ground crew pushes the bows sideways, to windward, to spin the boat into the wind and unload the mainsail. If the boat heads more downwind as it hits the beach, the leech of the mainsail goes forward of the mast and pop, pop, pop goes a set of battens and torn batten pockets and probably a pitchpole with broken mast.

For those of you that don't know: The original SC product line was designed and developed on the SE coast of Florida. That is why and where many of the design features are the way they are. The eliptical hull shape acts like a double edged sword cutting and busting its way through the surf and waves in the ocean. The SC and now Aquarius product line of beach cats are the only boats that come from the factory with a self righting system. You can't always find a motor boat to help you when you turn over out in the ocean and you might not be seen for a day or two. The list of boat parts and boat features designed to accomodate the Surf and Waves on the coast of SE Florida in the Atlantic Ocean goes on and on.
Bill
J Drew
Professional
Posts: 104
Joined: September 9th, 2013, 12:39 am
Boat Make/Model: SC 20
Location: n. florida

Re: Sailing in big surf with onshore wind

Post by J Drew »

Bill,
Thanks, that's what I needed to know.
I was mainly concerned with coming in, as I have seen a catastrophe or two in that situation, but you pointed out the tricky part of getting out. That's something I hadn't given as much thought to.
cyberspeed
Novice
Posts: 8
Joined: August 17th, 2005, 3:30 pm

Re: Sailing in big surf with onshore wind

Post by cyberspeed »

Hi Bill,

It was the Florida 300 and only went to Cocoa Beach.

http://youtu.be/LDp13l_gXr8

Enjoy!
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