Gusty west wind and a halyard lesson

Conditions: WSW 5 to 12 knots, gusts to 22, 66 to 70°F, clear; lake 5.3 ft below full pool

We sailed the Catalina 270 Christina from Holiday Marina about 4 nm north up the lake and back, 12.5 nm in all. The west wind was gusty, from 5 to 12 knots with gusts to 22.

When we lowered the main, my crew opened the halyard clutch before taking a wrap around the winch, and the sail came down too fast. Take a wrap on the winch first, then open the clutch, so you can ease the halyard under control.

Wind, temperature, and sky are from the Gainesville airport weather station (KGVL). Lake level is from the USGS gauge at Buford Dam; full pool is 1,071 ft.

Track

Upwind 41%
Reaching 33%
Downwind 21%
Under 1 knot 5%

Wind WSW 5–12 kt, gusts 22 kt

Arrows show the direction of travel. Point of sail compares the boat's course with the wind measured at KGVL, so short stretches can be off when the wind on the water differs. Shoreline: USGS National Hydrography Dataset.

How windy was this sail?

With a typical wind of 8.5 knots, this sail was windier than 40 of my 63 Lake Lanier sails. See them all on Sailing Lake Lanier.

Gusty west wind and a halyard lesson

Track

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