A mainsheet caught on the traveler in 26-knot gusts
Conditions: NW 9 to 13 knots, gusts to 26, 70 to 73°F, clear; lake 5.1 ft below full pool
We sailed the Catalina 270 Christina north from Holiday Marina in a northwest wind gusting to 26 knots.
In the heavy gusts, the mainsheet, above the cleat, wrapped around the starboard end of the traveler. With the sheet trapped, we couldn’t ease the main to depower. I furled the headsail. Steering was limited, so I couldn’t turn us into the wind as well as I wanted. We were on starboard tack, and my crew put the helm hard to starboard to keep us from being blown downwind into an accidental jibe. Then I went forward and freed the mainsheet from the traveler.
With the headsail furled, we sailed south under the main alone and tucked into Three Sisters Cove, thinking we might anchor. Instead we sailed a little farther south, then back to the marina before the dock closed at 16:00.
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 49%
- Reaching 23%
- Downwind 17%
- Under 1 knot 11%
Wind NW 9–13 kt, gusts 26 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.
With a typical wind of 11 knots, this sail was windier than 56 of my 63 Lake Lanier sails. See them all on Sailing Lake Lanier.