Monday, October 21, 2019

A Gale in Your Sails - Sailboat makes Safe Harbor in Superior 10/21/2019



A sailboat riding the leading edge of a Lake Superior storm makes safe harbor through the Superior Entry. Winds in excess of 50 MPH and heavy rain soon followed.

40 comments:

  1. They were lucky! It looked like smooth sailing. The wind was in there favor.

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  2. Good grief, what were they thinking?
    Thanks for swiveling the camera Dennis.
    Joan D.

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  3. Was that little orange sail for visibility/safety?

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    1. It's a "storm jib." Orange is good for visibility, but the primary reason for it is to provide a minimal jibsail that balances the need for controllability with a desire not to have too much sail in high wind.

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    2. That's our storm jib. Primarily, its job is to be small, but the orange is helpful for visibility, too!

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    3. That orange sail is a storm stay sail. It is a heavy duty sail for heavy weather sailing. And,yes, it is orange for high visibility in bad weather. They were doing great and had their boat under complete control. I bet it was a fun sail if you are an adrenaline junky.

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    4. It's a storm jib. Smallest forsail onboard, High cut (allows breaking waves to pass under it) and stronger than pretty everything else. High his colours are requires on storm sails if you race

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    5. Storm sail, kind of standard to have a bright colour. Plus main sail was reefed. Marks of good seamanship.

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    6. Storm Jib....they are usually red or orange

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    7. WE KNOW IT'S A STORM JIB. STOP REPLYING.
      Ahem.

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  4. That was some skillful sailing sailor(s),kudos. Glad you made it safely to port.

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    1. True that. These folks knew what to do, how to do it , and it shows. The old adage is so true....Fair weather never made a good sailor.
      Kudos !!

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  5. Nice! As long as you are an experienced sailor and know what you are doing and what your craft is capable of. Why not?

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  6. Gale warnings are issued for a reason and to ignore them like that shows a lack of wisdom!

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    1. 300 ppl die each year in America from toasters. This boat was well handled and under complete control. Dont confuse experience with risk

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    2. Their crew is amazing and well versed on how to sail on through conditions. No need to shame their fun.

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  7. Under sail impressive, had they attempted to motor in 5 miles away things probably be different steadiness of the sail helps control

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  8. The Orange sail is a storm sail used for directional control, fair wind though strong, so no good reason to attempt to reef given the run for shelter good job skipper

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  9. They had her reefed down, storm jib up, knew the waters and surfed right in, very impressive. They'll be toasting themselves about now. Nice to watch someone who knows what they're doing.

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  10. Hey guys! I was one of the sailors in the boat, the Wylie Coyote out of Bayfield, Wisconsin.

    Just some info: we left out of cornucopia at about seven forty five this morning, sticking to the south shore. Top speed aboard the Wylie today was nineteen knots! We saw waves of twelve feet or so, but luckily most were smaller.



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    1. Looks like you all had quite a ride.

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    2. S A V A G E

      Great to see Wylie in her element!!

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    3. Actually on you way into the point it looked like it was pretty smooth. I am glad all was well.

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    4. Good sailing, my friend. Can't wait to hear the stories and I hope someone took pictures along the way

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    5. Great Job getting her home. Nice job sailing.

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    6. Good job guys it was a pleasure to watch, it wasn't your first rodeo

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    7. With a full main?
      On a delivery?
      Next to a lee shore?
      In a predicted gale in late October on Lake Superior?
      Why guys? Why?
      When was your standing rigging last replaced?

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  11. Swells too small to broach and roll the boat. Main was not reefed. Boat, being on a reach, was not rounding up and so was not overpowered. Had it been, main could have been dropped and sailed in with the small red jib she seemed to be carrying. Ugly water though, way too brown.

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    1. A boat like that can broach regardless of waves. The main had a decent size reef in it.

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  12. Look again,Popeye, main had first reef in.

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  13. Recognized the boat right away! Glad you made it when you did!!

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  14. Great job! Love seeing competent sailors!

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  15. Mighty Wiley Coyote. I was watching the video wondering who it was, saw that blue hull and a few bells went off, saw that wood stern, there is only one Wiley. Nice sailing!

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  16. Great job. Sailors are intuitive and just get it done. Probably still a bit of a pucker factor though, but that subsided when you were back and in the car. LOL Similar experience, inkjet to Venice, FL.

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