How much is too much?

Just bought a 2004 Getaway. I've been out on a lake twice in about 10 to 15 mph winds and it handles like it can take a lot more. My question , just how much wind is too much for a Getaway

30+ if you sail single handed.

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GSC - The Hobie Guy

Thanks, I chickened out my first day out with the boat, winds were 20 to 25 mph with small white caps in the middle of the lake. My wife and I decided not to go not being familiar with the boat. Next time we'll leave the bags in the car and see what she'll do.

It takes time to get your sailing skills up to par with a new boat or if you laid off for a number of years like I did. I now race my Getaway against the monoslugs and have a good time. I am the only hobie in the club. After 1 year of racing with them, they made me race captain for next year. I can get them back by having all reaching races. HaHa!

I race solo alot. My girlfriend gets scared when the winds pick up or its a little chilly. She still goes with me.

If you are a newby to sailing then try to stay in winds below 20. This will hellp you build confidence. Remember if the boat heels up, PUSH THE TILLER to knock it down. This is the fastest way to save yourself. You can also let out the main sheet but I find it too slow sometimes. As the wind picks up move the main sheet hook on the clew on the main forward. Also let out the traveler a little and this will settle the boat down in high winds. Also point high into the wind (about 30degrees or less on the weather vain) when the wind is up or you want to get control of the boat. Point 45 to 55 degrees when going upwind for good performance. I also added the Hobie 16 spinnaker kit to my boat. Last regatta, I passed up most of the fleet in light winds using the spinnaker.

Good Luck Sailing
James

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GSC - The Hobie Guy

Thanks for the advice. I've been sailing for over 20 years, 12 to 14 ft monohulls and on occassion my uncles 30 ft pearson. Got hooked on hobies a couple of years ago in Jamaica. Learned how to sail a Wave and haven' t gone back to monos since. Think I will get more familiar with the getaway before I go out in 20+ winds. Very interested in how that spinnacker works on the getaway. Last time on the lake I was thinking how I could rig one up as they don't make one for the getaway. Does it take a lot of gadgets to put the 16 spinnacker on the getaway? Nothin prettier than a cat flying a spinnacker!

For spinnaker see: http://steve.skybeach.org/sailing_files/sailing2.htm

Now, for the winds... myself and a friend went out on lake Ontario last Tuesday. Marine Weather said that the winds where 20 knts (and earlier that day there was a small craft warning in effect). We had a good time with the Getaway, surfing the waves and things like that. We managed to capsize but we brought the boat back in 5 min. We were lucky that there were 2 of us... I don't think that one person can right a Getaway in strong winds without some assistance (I have a righting bag that I didn't use it). The problems that we had in this kind of weather was tacking and sailing close-hauled. I would say that it took about 5-6 tries to do a tack. When you go close-hauled you are actually almost perpendicular against the waves and that slows you down considerably and you need some speed in order to do a tack. The trick is to do the tack before you get hit by a big wave. I have to say that I've only had the boat since May and maybe I am not that experienced - however we tried everything by the book - still, tacking in strong winds and big waves is quite a challenge. And if you cannot tack, you have to gybe and in strong winds that's an adrenaline rising event!

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Adrian
EYC, Toronto

See my post about the spinnaker
http://www.hobiecat.com/community/viewtopic.php?t=3592

I am still learning how to use the spinnaker. What recently helped was to putting telltales about 7 feet up from the foot. Also when bringing down the spinnaker, I pull the spinnaker sheet in and place under my knee before pullling on the halyard. This keeps the spinnaker from getting to far in front and getting caught under the bow. When the third tie down gets to the snuffer, I lift my knee and pull the spinnaker into the bag.

My spinnaker is bigger than the homemade spinnaker referenced in a previous response.

I also added a righting pole because I cannot flip the boat over at 190lbs.

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GSC - The Hobie Guy

Thanks for the site on the spinnacker, looks like a project for late winter. I've only had my getaway out twice now and all of my hobie experience is on a wave, but I found the getaway a little tempermental tacking compared to the wave. My solution is to back wind the jib, this seemed to make my tacks easier and smoother. Makes me shiver just thinking about a jibe in 20 knot winds.

Thanks GSC Hobie Guy for the additional info on the spinnacker, especially deploying. I've got "0" experience with spinnackers but sure looking forward to trying it.

How to roll tack? Move yourself and crew to back corner of boat. Have your crew pull in the slack on the jib sheet. Have some speed and then turn easy and not sharply. Uncleat the main and let out about a foot. When the jib starts to back wind then count one thousand one, one thousand two, one thousand three. Have the crew pop the jib and move the upper front corner on the other side of the boat. At the same time pull the lazy jib sheet and cleet. Then move yourself by dropping the tiller on the boat, hold onto the main sheet, move to the other side, now grab the tiller and bring across, move yourself toward the aft side of the side stay and at the same time pull the main sheet. If done right you can do this in 6 to 8 seconds from the beginning of the turn depending on the wind.

For backwinding the jib, in light winds < 10 use a count of 3, in medium winds 10 to 15 use a count of 2, in heavy winds > 15 use a count of 1. In winds over 20, after you begin the turn and the boat has just reached into the wind, have the crew move forward on the tramp to keep the boat down. This way if you have wind and waves and the crew forgets to pop the jib, the boat will not flip on top of you. Like it did on me on my Hobie 18 in 20mph winds and 3 foot waves. In winds < 8, you can legally skull the boat to make the turn.


To do a jibe in heavy winds > 20, pull the traveler to the center. Then sheet in the main. Have the crew go to the leward side of the boat. You move to the leward side of the boat. Move the tiller across also. Keep your hand on the main sheet near the cleat. Now jibe the boat. When the wind flips the main to the other side then pop the main and pop the traveler and let them both out. That's why I said to keep your hand on the mainsheet near the cleat. This jibe maneuver is less violent and more under control. Jibing in winds < 20, you can move yourself and crew to the leeward side, sheet the main in a little so you don't get tangled, grab the main sheets below the clew block, make the turn and move the main to the other side.

Good Luck

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GSC - The Hobie Guy