Yesterday afternoon I headed out to the lake by myself and the winds were a very steady 15ish mph. The wind was so steady that I was able to cleat the mainsheet and hold the hull up just skimming the water for long periods of time. Such a great time, the only reason I headed in was that the sun was setting.
Today I just had to wait for a jet to arrive so I could collect some things being sent to my office and then I could head to the lake with my buddy David. The jet was early but customs took almost an hour so we didn't get up to the lake until 6ish.
Wind was 20 gusting to 30 (more or less) and we headed up the lake and back. Top speed we reached (according to my GPS) was 16.4kts (18.9mph). At one point we pitchpoled but I think that was my fault - we were screaming on port tack on a broad reach and I had the sheet way out. I was standing trapped out on the back corner of the tramp frame and David was kinda sitting towards the center of the tramp, keeping the boat balanced.
I was balancing myself by leaning back (thereby applying pressure on the trap wire) and also pulling gently on the mainsheet, making a nice equalibrium. In a (relative) lull, I sheeted in quite a bit. A few moments later a gust came and the starboard bow buried. I had to dump the main but then I lost the pressure from the sheet and the trap wire pulled me forward, past David. He scrambled aft as quickly as he could, but my weight moving rapidly forward pulled the boat over.
WOW that water is still cold. Especially as the sun was now setting. Fortunately two big guys and high winds make for fast righting and soon my H16 was back on the trailer.
A FUN, FAST two days. Hope everyone can go sailing soon! Remember, if there's wind, the air temp is at least 70 and the water temperature is over 50, you've NO EXCUSE.
