Big Cat Sailing In Southern Ocean Gale- Video

[yachtwork]

A little off topic, but interesting to watch. This is a video of a big cat sailing downwind in the southern ocean in gale conditions. It's worth noting about the 5 min mark what the crew is going through down below decks. What do you think? Is it normally like this?

[media]http://www.youtube.c...h?v=NnBve75x04o[/media]

Scott

[Silver Raven]

[QUOTE=yachtwork;1284058633]

A little off topic, but interesting to watch. This is a video of a big cat sailing downwind in the southern ocean in gale conditions. It's worth noting about the 5 min mark what the crew is going through down below decks. What do you think? Is it normally like this?

[media]http://www.youtube.c...h?v=NnBve75x04o[/media]

G'day bloke. Can't open the link. Please try putting it up again & check it first. I'd love to see it I'm sure. By the way - Why not fill in your 'profile' so we get to know a bit about you? Where are you located? Do you have a boat? If you care to bother - check out my 'profile' & see who, where & what I'm all about. Ciao for now from the down-under geri-hat-trick, aka james

[JeanneP]

I think this is the link. Catana 582 in big winds

However, the Catana is sailing in the South Pacific, not the Southern Ocean. He was sailing between Tahiti and Tonga.

That's a big, pretty heavy catamaran. And 40 knots of wind, I would have expected to see more breaking waves.

40 knots is 8 on the Beaufort Wind Scale, and the description of the wind and seas is as follows: Moderately high waves with breaking crests forming spindrift. Well-marked streaks of foam are blown along wind direction. Considerable airborne spray. I know his instruments plus boat speed sums to 40+ knots, but I just don't think it was quite that strong.

That said, the boat was moving well, and it looked quite comfortable below. Not having any experience with a big cat, I don't know, but a friend of ours sailed a big cat (a one-off of his own design - HUGE compared to that Catana), and I believe he would have confirmed those conditions below. But that is one of the features of the South Pacific compared to the North Atlantic. Big long swells and seas, not the nasty short and violent waves of the Atlantic.

When you're trying to sell big catamarans, of course you're going to show it in the best light. Show me a November/December crossing from the UK to New York in the Catana. I'd be interested in seeing whether it was as comfortable.

J

[yachtwork]

Thanks for fixing that link.

Thanks again.

Scott

[redbopeep]

JeanneP,

I looked over the video and though the same things about wind speed. From the times we've been out in 40 knots, I can say with certainty that the spray and streaming water off the tops of the waves look different when you're around 40 knots. Perhaps the instrument is wrong. Link to NOAA site on Beaufort Scale and Beaufort Scale Link via Wikipedia Even so, its a lovely ride on a lovely day with nice, long period, big waves. I love those conditions.

[Ozbullwinkle]

This certainly doesn't look like 40 knots of wind to me either and it is a bit of a stretch saying that these are gale force conditions. although the swell is quite large.

Just as a point of comparison here is a clip of a Leopard 47 that I was skippering and the wind was only 30 knots.

[redbopeep]

On "what does 40 look like?" I don't have a pic, but here's a shot taken from boat looking at another sailing behind us a couple weeks ago in SFB with winds in the mid-30's with gusts at 40. This picture was taken about 35 knots. Inside the Bay, no swell of course.

Link to big photo here.

[chiroeurope]

Very nice, very nice indeed.

One of the things I learned as a young sailor on both a 27' cutter rigged sloop and 45' Cutter Ketch; the bigger the boat the strong the wind you need to move it well and deepening on how she is shaped the less angle you will get from the same amount of wind. Going out on the same day once in two different boats (one a large open 18' skiff, the other a 35' foot cabin cruiser) a section of Lake St Claire really pointed out how much size really does effect handling and amount of sail you can put up without real worry. On the skiff we had up only 2/3 of the main and the No2 jib. On the 35' we had a good bit more up and was a good bit more stable. The Skiff had a retractable keel that we had all the way down the 35'er was of the good old fashion teacup design and handled the wind like it was nothing. If my memory is correct the day started with 10 to 20 knot winds and climbed into the 30's as the day went on (one of the reason we went in early on the skiff as the wind was getting more than was easily handled with two of the crew being not only new to sailing but also we found out, slightly to moderately affected by motion sickness).

Thanks for sharing folks. Also we are looking at a 46' Ferrocement schooner that needs some work but has some of the mandatory requirements of the admiral on and does not require going half way around the world to get to. Wish us luck.

Michael

[redbopeep]

Off topic--but still--

Michael, the boat pictured is a mid-50 foot (on deck) 67' sparred length ferrocement schooner (approximately 30 tons). And, yes, big winds for big boats. It was a good "big boat" day, that one.