gail force

[smidnite]

off topic. I just got back from mexico and on our last day at sea we hit winds up to gail force 10. Incredible is the only way to describe it. I'm thankful we were on an ocean liner.

[k9piper]

Smidnite,
It sounds like the big sailor up above was smiling on you and had the idea to let you feel a gale force 10 from something quite larger to give you some protection.
I would hate to even think of anyone up against that breeze in a sail or small craft. I bet the liner had some time with it as well. I am suer there was constant corrections on the path of travel.

k9piper

[Mark Prouty]

definition of gail force winds please.

[smidnite]

excuse the spelling Gale force.

[udannlin]

A Gale is force 7 to 10 on Beaufort scale. Ranges from 28-47 knots.

[udannlin]

Refer to this page

[Mark Chamberlain]

I have experienced gale force winds on a 26x Wind Musher in Alaska. Once at while at anchor last year.

This wind in Alaska is called a Willa wall, the wind comes off a mountains and hit 50 knts in gusts at 2 am in the morning. at night. I never want to repeat a night like that.
We were the only boat in this area this time of the year. The temp was about 42 degrees and cloudy. We had only seen 1 boat that day in 40 miles to Naked Island. A 3/8 inch nylon 3 strand rope and a 13 lb Danforth anchor held us off the boulders that lined the shoreline that night. Thank goodness it held.

The most recent high winds we experienced were last summer when the warm air hit 80 degrees and the water was still at 42 degrees. We were in a protected area and were going to motor out to see what the open water was like. We were hit by gust so strong that the boat was turned 90 degrees off course. We had the ballast full but no rudders down. The front of the boat was just pushed side ways. I dropped the center board and the rudders and continued under power.
The waves were only about 3 ft but so much water was coming aboard in these gusts that I had to have my brother go below and lock down the companion door. The rudders held the boat on course, when hit by the gusts we leaned 20 degrees with no sails up. As we got further out from the shore the wind was not as strong. The mountains around us funneled the winds along the shoreline causing the extreme gusts.

Another time we experienced gale force wind we were at anchor in Cordova Alaska Marina in 2002 .We had 70 mph winds come through from the Gulf of Alaska. We were docked next to a 75ft steel fishing boat, top deck was as high as my mast. I my fear was the ship would come loose and crush me like a egg .

When the winds come through the rigging at that speed the lines sing and make a shrill sound. Thank goodness we were in a harbor tied to a dock and not in open water. Even tied at the dock the wife was hollering to abandon ship!!!. I can image her screams above the shrill wine of the wind in the rigging if we were at sea.

[smidnite]

I love your website.
Thanks