As a US Sailing Cruising Instructor and cruising tens of thousands of ocean miles on my boats, I teach and use this technique when furling the jib in strong winds. 1. Turn down to a deep broad reach, furl the jib BEFORE you completely furl the main. ( this still works with reefed main). 2. Put a good helms person on the helm and when the jib is in the wind shadow of the main, it is very easy to furl it has very little wind in it now. Furl, then handle the mainsail as needed. A critical part of this is to be very aware of an accidental jibe. Just my wife and I could do this with our 46 ft sailboat. Using this method, I could hand over hand pull the jib in very quickly, minimizing the time to hold that course. We did this a lot in the Caribbean where the wind often went from 12-15 to 35 very quickly in squalls. Same with ITCZ conditions. Resist the standard practice of coming into the wind. You will flog the sail and yourselves to a pulp. And then as here get everything all stretched out and even more difficult.

@ministryofsailing

4 ай бұрын

Great comments. Thanks. You are 100 percent on point.

@ministryofsailing

4 ай бұрын

Thanks

@johnny_123b

4 ай бұрын

How do you reef standard main without going close hauled and how do you put down main without jib up or motor running to keep speed and direction?

@ministryofsailing

4 ай бұрын

@@johnny_123b so, by attaching a down hauler on the top car is the most common method. Then it’s important to keep the cars/slugs properly lubricated with McLube ( dry silicone)

@syncacct8576

4 ай бұрын

😮80 mph is not fun. I have lost mast at 50 knots (58mph). Not fun. This was due to a failed 13mm stainless steel bolt.

The trouble began with "six people and a three-hour tour"...you could almost make a TV show out of that.

@ministryofsailing

4 ай бұрын

You caught that! It was intentional.

@kailaniandi

4 ай бұрын

Always wear a life preserver topside when you are not in the cockpit. Tether to the vessel if you leave the cockpit. Captain needs to make sure everyone on board is acting in a safe manner.

@Champsvisions3d

4 ай бұрын

@@ministryofsailingdid Gilligan survived :)

@GoWithTheFloat

Ай бұрын

😆

I’m new to sailing and I think these types of videos are really important for all of us. You did an awesome job at breaking down the errors and correct procedures, thank you

@ministryofsailing

4 ай бұрын

Thanks Pedro… Have a great day.

@davidbrayshaw3529

4 ай бұрын

Buy yourself a good self inflating PFD and fit it securely before you leave the peer. Don't follow the lead of those that you see on KZread.

Thanks for the analysis. The briefing, using the main to lessen pressure on jib, etc. Well done.

@ministryofsailing

4 ай бұрын

Glad it was helpful! We have quite a few in the can. Have taken the Safety at Sea Certification? If so, share the certificate with your insurance company and expect a discount.

@annhysell6064

4 ай бұрын

Will do. Thanks.@@ministryofsailing

I can't even fathom thinking the water is safer lol. That's some serious panic.

@ministryofsailing

Ай бұрын

Yes it is! Panic is the response not being prepared.

Thanks for your analysis of this incident. Found it well done and I learned a couple of things. Well done!

@ministryofsailing

4 ай бұрын

Thanks so much. We hope that you continue to watch our channel. Please let us know if there are any gaps out there is safety, we will try to fill them in. Please pay attention to the @World Sailing OSRs, they contain great information on safety standards for offshore sailing.

Great video and advice. I was skippering my Hunter 54 in a race ❤ across Lake Michigan at midnight with light air chute up and hit by 90 knot micro burst. We had only 6 crew onboard from the normal 10+ and my highly my fore deck guy was able to wrangle in the .5 ounce spinnaker after 30 - 40 mins after several knockdowns. Winds settled in at a steady 40 knots+ and we flew staysail & triple reefed main. The short stick 60ft+ and narrow beam 12ft saved us. Totally trusted my old 54 which I miss.

@ministryofsailing

27 күн бұрын

This must be the Hunter Legend. The first year out the Legend won its class in the Chicago Mack… great boat. I wish they still made them. Thanks for the comments. Did the chute live?

This is why I watch videos about sailing the high seas from the comfort of my arm chair on terra firma. I am qualified as "Competent Crew" by the Royal Yacht Association, but after my 3 day sailing course had ended and we docked for the last time, I knelt down and kissed the ground. Never again for me. Hats off to all brave souls who ply the Seven Seas to keep trade moving.

@ministryofsailing

4 ай бұрын

Thanks.

@twentyrothmans7308

4 ай бұрын

With the right crew and boat, you'll be fine with coastal work. You can do your own research on conditions, and pull out if you don't like them.

Weather reports ( as many as you can find ) are your friend. Respect the weather-window you are given. Ripped BOTH my sails moving my boat to a safe anchorage the day before Hurricane Sandy. Such a crappy moment thanks to Danny for coming out in his fishing boat and towing us into the harbor we were lucky that time.

@ministryofsailing

4 ай бұрын

so happy you are safe. That was a big day. Thanks Danny. Please note our next episode launched today.

I'm the last one to get into namby pamby safety stuff.. but this is all great advice. Especially the posted emergency call procedures.. and I think lists of other procedures for uncommon situations is a great idea too.. Even very experienced sailors have never or very rarely been really terrified.. and it's VERY hard to think when you're terrified. (at the bottom of my emergency lists I put "Evaluate if this is working, and if it's not, try something else").. tnx for a great video!

@ministryofsailing

4 ай бұрын

Thanks for your kind comments Paul. We hope to continue with this series… feel free to let us know about any safety gaps that exist, we will fill them.

@number1genoa

4 ай бұрын

Safety Gear is Namby Pamby until you need it and then its too late plan your Voyage including safety, period.

Great video. I’d love to see an episode on proper distress calls. Looking forward to seeing you again this season. Cuba

@ministryofsailing

4 ай бұрын

Great suggestion! We will do it. But in the mean time… why don’t you and Bruno practice it!

Aegean is notorious with winds. The information coming out of their weather authorities is excellent due to Greece being one of the busiest ferry countries in the world. This captain was reckless at the very least.

@ministryofsailing

4 ай бұрын

Thanks for your response. Appreciate it

Very good analysis thank you.

@ministryofsailing

4 ай бұрын

My pleasure!

Terrific video. Absolutely essential viewing. Three and a half minutes in and I've already 'learned' or been reminded of things that should've been automatic to me. (I've got an in mast furling boat). They weren't. I am always concerned about having the right information, but also having it automatically come to mind. I've got ADHD - I am designed for staying calm in a crisis. A very useful resource on a boat but no replacement for preparation, training and practice. Close off the companion way. Good practice in rough conditions. I wonder if at least some of the sailboats that disappeared without a trace had taken a large stern wave that went right into the cabin. In my sea kayak if I get even three inches of water in the cockpit (fore and aft compartments sealed) it becomes incredibly unstable. Last yea we sailed 7500nm including across the north Pacific, a lot of 3m waves, very very few of which came over the stern (catamaran, deck about 1.5 m above the water line). But one wave nearly filled the dinghy. These big aft waves were very infrequent, always a surprise. For me this means we should have specific criteria for closing up the companion way, not wait for the waves to tell us they're building and might become a problem. (I think I'll practice this.) (Once, I noticed a wave high above the 6' owner's head. He was standing at the mast >2m above the waterline. I'm shorter than him. This meant it was a 5m rogue wave. It was just like all the other waves, just higher. Except for these exact circumstances I'd never have noticed it. When you paddle a kayak, you see a lot of 'rogue' waves. They aren't roaring monsters, just a bit bigger than everything else. Looking in a different direction, you'd never notice. These include the waves that wash over the cabin.) That flapping jib would've been my job: clip in, go forward, get a rope around it and tie it. I've been on top of the dodger, clipped in tying an emergency repair to a third reef at the end of the boom. We had jacklines, I was clipped in - twice, the boom was bucking, but secured (by the main sheet and a barber hauler.) My thought at that moment? This would make a great video, but it really isn't dangerous. Really good video. Thank you.

@ministryofsailing

4 ай бұрын

Thanks for your reply. We are thrilled that you found this useful. Please stay tuned for more. Please say hello when you see our team.

Lessons Learned #1 check the forecasted winds before departure and prepare accordingly or delay departure. 🤷🏼‍♂️

@ministryofsailing

4 ай бұрын

Agree…

Great advice here. Going to watch this again. Wife and I are newbie, fair wind sailors. We always point upwind to furl the genoa before the main - but we never go out in above 25 knt winds either. Guess we need to study up a bit more on emergency situations and sequences of events.

@ministryofsailing

2 ай бұрын

Glad you like - please subscribe and feel free to reach out through our web sight. Our Medical Course is very popular and affordable for couples.

That was very good. Great information... even for a seasoned sailor.

@ministryofsailing

4 ай бұрын

Glad it was helpful! Please subscribe and share. Also, let us know what gaps are out there in safety, we will cover them.

@davidzaharik5408

4 ай бұрын

@@ministryofsailing I'm subscribed and shared... got my thinking cap on

your advice is golden

@ministryofsailing

4 ай бұрын

Thanks

I think the "they wanted to jump off the boat" comment is true despite wisdom saying only abandon ships if it sinks, sometimes it can be so frightening and exhausting that you could see this envy to just jump off tu put that hell to rest. In many sea emergencies people have commented about "why did they abandon ships" etc. especially when their ships were found still floating after the emergency event, but the why they decided to abandon in these cases may have someting to do with this psychological trait of the human beeings.

@ministryofsailing

2 күн бұрын

Thanks. A great book that points this out is Fastnet, force 10. This is a great book for any offshore sailor. It’s also required reading for our offshore race crews. Many boats we found after the race, the crew were not. Life rafts were also gone. Read the book. After that 79 race, safety at sea was started!

Its funny, I took a sailing class in high school. One of the first things were told before raising the sails was to raise the main first and the jib second. If you can't get the jib up, you can still sail on just the main, BUT you can't sail on just the jib. I'm surprised at the number of skippers who don't seem to know that. I'm also surprised to see boats sailing on just the jib alone. Can't the skipper feel the boat is misbalanced? Why would anyone do that? I never really appreciated how important those safety tidbits were given were till after sailing in some adverse conditions. I owned a lousy boat, but it made me a much better skipper. One of the biggest things it taught me was to always have a plan B and a plan C for adverse conditions. We almost always wore life jackets. If the wind was less than 5 knots, we would wear them unzipped, but they were always with us.

@ministryofsailing

3 ай бұрын

Thanks for the comments. I appreciate them. Where do you sail?

@Daveinet

3 ай бұрын

@@ministryofsailingMost the time I was on the Chain-O-Lakes in northern IL. Summer vacations were down on Carlyle lake in Southern IL. The lousey boat that I had was a 15 ft boat with a cabin. Had a stub keel full of concrete. The boat was very slow, and hard to control - much like trying to sail a bowling ball. My most recent boat was an RL24, which was a great boat, with good performance. Once we got caught in 40+ knots on Carlyle lake. We knew the storm was coming, but did not head to shore soon enough. We did not anticipate the calm before the storm, which meant no wind to sail to shore before the storm hit. In the calm, we had our life jackets zipped up, everything was put away. We had little breeze for about 30 seconds, that made me think I was going finally be able to make some time, but then we got slammed. I could see the big blast coming, the main sheet was uncleated and in my hand. So when we got hit, of course I released the main sheet, at the same time turning into the wind. Ran up to the jib, dropped that and then pulled the main down, while my wife and daughter secured the jib in a bundle. With the main most of the way down, I tried to tie off the sail with about 6 ft still up, as soon as I started pulling the boom in, we just about breached. Nope, pull the hole thing down and tie it off. We had a 85 lbs thrust trolling motor running. Made a line straight for the shore. (our dock was about two miles up wind) I thought if I get close to the shore, I would have enough power to motor upwind. Shore was large concrete boulders, so no where to beach the boat. About 50 ft from shore, I tried to turn upwind. We made about 100 ft before the wind just turned the boat in the opposite direction. So we went with the wind, till we found a cove to dive into for safety. My last resort was going to be to deploy the anchor and just ride it out. Fortunately I did not have to do that. But the real point of the story is that we had several options in mind. We had our life jackets on way ahead of time, and did not have to worry about any secondary interferences. We also had the throwable cushion out with a line tied to it, incase of a MOB. When we got into the cove, we took the bimini off, tied it to a tree, so we had some protection from weather. We did not want to stay on the boat for fear of lightening. After about an hour, we sailed the boat back to our dock.

A great debrief. Question, he had a sliver of main out. Could he have lessened the heal by putting slack on the main sheet? Also what is a good angle boat angle to cover the jib to depower it? I had a similar situation with my jib roller furling sailing on the Chesapeake. I was on a beam reach and the main and jib were reefed in a bit but the wind kicked up and so did the waves out of the south. I couldn't get my jib in. I needed to jibe into a harbor but it was to risky so I tacked instead. A hairy situation. Any recommendations? Thank you

@ministryofsailing

Ай бұрын

The wave caused the heel… sail area, most likely was not a factor

Little confused here, because at 8:21 they have the main reefed fully into the mast with the head sail still out, and then at 11:03 they’re coming back in being protected from the wind by the island with no damaged mast. But in the the beginning of this video when the boat is pulling into the channel at 0:22, the mast is destroyed. Are these two different video clips?

@ministryofsailing

4 ай бұрын

The dismast in the bumper is a future episode… it’s from Heineken Regatta 2022.

@mirror1675

3 ай бұрын

Yes and that misrepresentation reduces the value of the video. So does the ridiculous background music.

Always stay with the boat until it sinks under you

@ministryofsailing

4 ай бұрын

It sounds like you may have great experience. Have you r when at a Safety at Sea Certification?

First and foremost, did they not check the weather report? These rookies never should have head out.

@ministryofsailing

4 ай бұрын

Knowing the weather is helpful

I would have turned around and gone back when the winds increased but thongs happen very fast and can go from bad to worse pretty quickly.

@ministryofsailing

3 ай бұрын

That’s always a great option!

20+ yrs of racing experience - this is great advice.

@ministryofsailing

4 ай бұрын

Thanks for your comment. Where do you sail?

@Barnagh1

4 ай бұрын

@@ministryofsailing West coast of Ireland.

@ministryofsailing

4 ай бұрын

Great… as an FYI I have raced on and against Green Dragon. One of our team as also been her skipper.

@Barnagh1

4 ай бұрын

@@ministryofsailing a bit out of my league, 34’ club racer! (Westerly GK34)

Thanks! Great info for a novice too.

@ministryofsailing

4 ай бұрын

Thanks….

Loved your video, but more importantly we learned a few good if caught in the same predicament.

@ministryofsailing

4 ай бұрын

Very true!

Why not turn into wind before reefing? Loosening the main sheet to shield the jib in that weather would be suicidal!

@ministryofsailing

4 ай бұрын

Depowering the boat is a needed skill, and by running down at 140 to 150 lessens the loads. Larger boats like this do not furl well upwind. Where and what do you sail on?

Good advice.

@ministryofsailing

4 ай бұрын

Glad you think so!

greet debrief cap! kai lenny mentioned you in a facebook comment 😂 hell yeah

@ministryofsailing

4 ай бұрын

Yea, our Sailing Rescue Swimming program parallels the BWRA Safety. We have many of the same trainers.

Having spent decades sailing the Greek islands in the Med, I'm well aware of way the way that the Meltemi winds can funnel between the islands and that wind is not exceptional in the Med, but as you say, had they been properly prepared and briefed beforehand, it would have saved a lot of panic.

@ministryofsailing

4 ай бұрын

Thanks for the replly

Great Channel, not sure how the captain missed this front on his weather review prior to his trip.

@ministryofsailing

4 ай бұрын

Thanks for subscribing, more coming out next week. This week we are moderating safety at sea at Roger Williams university for the Cruising Club of America.

Great video - thanks for sharing! People should really learn how to drop furling headsails to the deck in an emergency as it’s not that hard. Also why the thumbnail with the broken mast? A thumbnail showing the shredded Genoa would have been just as compelling and represented the content better.

@ministryofsailing

4 ай бұрын

Thanks for the advice on the dumb nail!!! we are sailors, so we spend minimal amount of time editing. The thumb nail is on auto . We will correct it in the future. Aren’t you glad we didn’t use bodies like some?

@ontheruntonowhere

4 ай бұрын

@@ministryofsailing That would have really gotten our attention! 😂 Great debrief, thank you for the lessons.

That's how sailing is fun if done right, some people have no business being on a boat of any kind!

@ministryofsailing

4 ай бұрын

Thanks for watching

80 knot wind? Nobody would be able to film any scene aboard. There will be other priorities.

@ministryofsailing

3 ай бұрын

Ha, your thinking these were sailors!

IF the jib is already out of control and you can't furl it or get it controlled, should you not release the sheets? Yes it will flail, but it will have very little or no power in it. If released, if you keep a small amount of tension on the sheets to prevent tangling you may be able to furl it in, no? I'm asking; been sailing about 6 years but never in conditions like this. As far as life jackets go, to me that was a no-brainer from setting out in this kind of wind.

@ministryofsailing

4 ай бұрын

The sheets cowboy wrap on each other and get tangled.

@corellian2011

3 ай бұрын

Not only that, but sheets could end up in the prop. Your one last option for getting out of trouble in the engine.

@Thomasuki267

3 ай бұрын

@@corellian2011 I didn't mean let them completely out of the fairleads to drag behind you, I meant completely depower the sail by letting go.

Amateur hour. I won't leave port if winds are forecast to be more than 20 knots unless I'm deliberately sea-trialing for storm sailing and am prepared for heavy weather. There's no way the forecast was off by 50 knots here. They either didn't check the forecast (likely) or storm force winds were forecast, and they didn't think it was a big deal. The only thing they did right was to issue a Pan-Pan call - and they screwed that up too. Always check the weather kids. From multiple sources. Have a conservative no-go wind speed. That way you won't get caught out like these folks. ...and when (not if) you are caught out, know how to reef, and reef long before things get out of control. Send all non-essential crew below, and instruct them to don foul weather gear and life-jackets and take sea-sickness medication. Put them to work securing any loose items, and then have them wedge themselves into secure spot low in the boat towards the center. Use cushions, bagged sails, clothing, and bedding to cushion off-watch crew in rough conditions from banging into hard pokey things. The cockpit sole right above the keel will be the most comfortable and least dangerous spot. As far as reefing, every boat is different. Know what works best on your vessel. I prefer to reef which ever sail is more difficult to reef first. On my boat, that's the main because it has traditional slab reefing and it must be reefed from the mast. To reef the jib, I head-up under reefed main, and ease the sheet until the jib luffs taking pressure off the furling gear. You should be able to reef by hand or with a single turn on a winch if waited a little too long to control the reefing line. NEVER force it - head-up and unload the sail - even if it has to flog for bit. But you should have reefed much sooner if it gets that bad. Don't wait. REEF. The only people on deck should be experienced well-rested watch-keepers. 2 is plenty: The helmsman and someone to keep them company. Anyone on deck MUST BE TETHERED TO THE BOAT. With a SHORT tether (3' or so) so they do not go overboard. Use the autopilot to steer a downwind broad reach if possible under minimal sail or bare poles if you have sea-room. This is the safest and most comfortable point of sail because you'll reduce the apparent wind, and be going with the waves, angling across their faces reducing their apparent steepness. If you are able to heave-to properly, do so, but most modern boats do not heave-to safely in extreme conditions. Alternately you can try fore-reaching under a scrap of main or jib or even bare-poles. Do not lie ahull (broadside to the waves) You'll get rolled once wave heights exceed 1/2 of the length of your waterline. in a forty foot boat, that's a 20 foot wave. I'd say "batten down the hatches" but all hatches and portlights should be closed before putting to sea. ALWAYS. Use fans and Dorados for ventilation below. I don't care what the forecast says. ALL HATCHES MUST BE CLOSED AND SECURED AT SEA. The companionway hatch boards should be put in place once you have put in the second reef to prevent down flooding if you are pooped, broached or rolled by a large wave. Be prepared to launch a life raft and abandon ship, but only do so as a last resort as the boat literally sinks beneath the waves. You are always better off on your main vessel if it's afloat simply because it's bigger and easier for rescuers to find. NEVER jump off your boat at sea under any circumstances. Physically restrain anyone who tries to do so. Assume you will not be able to recue them, and that they will DIE - life vest or not. 70 knots is hurricane force 1. It's no joke, even in a large ship. In a small boat you'll be lucky if you survive. The sea does not suffer fools gladly, and even if you do everything right she can kill you in the blink of an eye. You've been warned.

@ministryofsailing

4 ай бұрын

Thanks for spending the time to write out these great points of sailing. We appreciate it. Where do you sail?

@Hoganoutdoors

4 ай бұрын

Southern California, Baja California, Sea of Cotez. I learned to sail as a child in New England. I sailed an enginless 20’ Pacific Seacraft Flicka from Los Angeles California down to La Paz Mexico in 2012 and spent several months cruising the Sea of Cortez. We encountered a sudden gale in the Cervalo Channel 50 miles from La Paz despite having the best forecast available at the time - Predict Wind calling for maximum winds of 20 knots. Local effects due to mountains and Islands in the area created gusty 30 to 40 knot winds. I sent my partner below, and hand steered a close reach into it for 5-1/2 hours without autopilot or chart plotter due to an electrical system failure. I used the ship’s compass and back up battery powered navigation lights (the gale hit at late afternoon) We’d sailed in light air downwind all day under spinnaker and blue skies. We were hit by very strong “Coromel winds” a local thermal phenomenon that happens due to the temperature differential between the cold Pacific Ocean and much warmer Sea of Cortez sucking air from west to east across the lower Baja Peninsula I’d read about these winds in various guide books, but they were described as a summer phenomenon that wasn’t dangerous, just annoying at anchor. Well, we got HAMMERED. Fortunately I always keep a careful eye out for changing weather at sea. I noticed a dark line on the horizon in an otherwise blue seacape, and thought “That’s odd…” And grabbed my binoculars. What greeted me was a raging wall of whirling water boiling with small whitecaps “Let’s reef and clear the decks! NOW!” I said, and got to work. That meant dropping the kite and a headsail change - no roller furling was fitted - and tucking two reefs in the main, and getting everything below. We were towing our inflatable tender on a proper bridal with the transom drain open and its trolling motor secured to the rail, so I brought it up close to the stern, Within 5 minutes of spotting that dark patch of water the winds hit. HARD. Even with 2 reefs in the main and an 80% working jib that I’d sailed under in gale conditions before, we were on our ear. That little boat loved beating upwind at 30 to 40 degrees of heel. She bashed into wind and waves like a (wet) freight train, and carried us into the lee of Ispiritu Santos Island where we anchored in 80’ of water using all 250’ of chain and another 100’ of nylon rode attached to a Rockna scoop anchor twice as big as was recommended by the advertising folks. All of this was done in the dark, under sail. …we didn’t budge an inch that night, and had a leisurely sail into La Paz the next morning. I spent 3 years preparing and sea trialing that little boat for cruising. It remains one of the biggest accomplishments of my life, and an incredible experience. The sea is beautiful, but she moody, and bites hard when she’s angry 😉

Well done, but the music in the background is distracting for such important information.

@ministryofsailing

8 күн бұрын

Agree, we don’t do it any longer.

Pressumably depowering the main first and not being able the furl the jib forces a lee helm in high winds or is it something else?

@ministryofsailing

4 ай бұрын

Depends on the rig.

Newbie question: I got my Day Skipper last year, and last week did my first charter in BVI, 30knots max, no problems. I was wondering about your statement that the jib is always furled first. Is this the case for all jibs, or only big genoas? I've always done it sequentially 1 reef in main, then some jib. It seems to help weather helm. Thanks for a very interesting video.

@ministryofsailing

4 ай бұрын

When doing the rolllup in heavy winds yes, jib first. Balance is very important, so each boat is different. I can see one reef in with a full jib working. But the main point is understanding your depower sequence as winds build from one reef, two and three.

@cellobob2358

4 ай бұрын

@@ministryofsailing Thanks!

I sail but low "captain" experience and never very heavy weather so asking: regarding covering with headsail to furl...what about optionally slowly heading up and roll as you go to gradually reduce sheet tension before it flails/flogs? I understand furling on a quartering wind/blanketed though I'd never been taught to do this so big "THANK YOU❤", but I still have concern turning downwind possibly into heavy beam sea and just that general 'full on' wind feeling. Upwind despite irons feels safe. I want to develop the right mindset on this going forward. Thanks. Appreciate the debrief btw.

@ministryofsailing

4 ай бұрын

Try to remember that flogging a sail creates shock loads. Flogging softens up the sails. If you think of each flog take 5 dollars away from the jib, it can become expensive. Then you have to replace them earlier.

As a sailmaker, it’s good to analyze the sail cloth weight/construction of the sails to indicate how much the boat could possibly handle in heavy weather. Also, the weakest/least experienced crew member should dictate the level of weather intensity. Going beyond that eliminates them as an asset which makes them now a liability.

@ministryofsailing

4 ай бұрын

This is great advice, where to you sail? We deal with Q!

@richardcranium8408

4 ай бұрын

@@ministryofsailing Scandinavia. You just have to notice what the weakest links are then adjust to them. The guy at the helm in the video looks like he has the most experience, but no judgement. He should have never left the dock or should have turned back much earlier. Yeah, yeah, live and learn.

I can't believe they didn't bring umbrellas aboard when seeing it's overcast.

@ministryofsailing

4 ай бұрын

That would have been awesome.

“They went on a three hour tour”…….Gilligan’s Island

@ministryofsailing

4 ай бұрын

I’m glad you caught that!

An excellent example of how not to do it. Practically everything they did was wrong from start to finish. The skipper should lose his job if he was a professional.

@ministryofsailing

4 ай бұрын

Hopefully he learned from this…

As someone who's sailed offshore a bit, I would simply say, look at the sky. If you have ever sailed, you should know how to check the sky for squawls and wind. That sky was typical, evil Mediterranean. This sea and especially the Greek islands is renowned for sudden, violent storms. The sky was telling you what was coming. As for not having life jackets, or crash bags or any idea about radio procedure. These people were not in any way qualified to be sailing beyond the limits of a well-marked bay with rescue boats available on call. Comment on depowering is spot on. Always consider how to put the least stress on the boat.

@ministryofsailing

3 ай бұрын

Thanks for your comments. They are helpful to our community

@12345fowler

2 күн бұрын

True that. Summer sailing here I always looked for CB's which are about the only possible danger (lake sailing, no "squalls" etc.) but I mismanaged their timing in my early sailing seasons. I got caught more than once thinking hum we still have like an hour or so before it reach us (IF IT REACH US AT ALL) Then 20 minutes later the sun disappear and a low overcast with nasty winds and rain try to dimsast your boat. Now if I see a convective front appearing on the horizon I take landmarks as reference to judge if the front is coming and how fast it comes. Even when the front is far out I sometimes put boat and crew in "emergency" mode (aka all reef taken, genoa exchanged for a jib, all people with insulated gear and SKI GOOGLES) resulted in no harm for us but about 10 boats in the same races did dismast that day.

@winstoncat6785

Күн бұрын

Hard to win a regatta when you've lost your mast 🤣

Hindsight has a habit of being 20-20.

@ministryofsailing

13 күн бұрын

So does the Sailors Debrief.

I would have started the engine, throw the sheets and turn upwind long enough to pull out the jib to reset the line before rolling it in...then reef the main and bear off back towards the starting point. (Posted at 6:00 of the video)

@ministryofsailing

4 ай бұрын

Up wind in larger boas is not recommended by sail manufacturers and pros. It can be done, but it tends to have greater loads and more risk.

when this situation hapens, maybe before waves get to high, make 360°turns until you wrap the jib around the forestay.

@ministryofsailing

4 ай бұрын

That is an option in leer winds, but as you can see, they did not have control of the boat.

Bringing in the main first is a one way ticket downwind in these conditions. If the jib comes in first then the boat will be depowered substantially amd will want to round up at which point the main can be dropped.

@ministryofsailing

4 ай бұрын

I am not clear on what you are saying.

@danielboughton3624

4 ай бұрын

@ministryofsailing the jib by itself in heavy wind will pull the boat into the wind. The main by itself will push the bow into the wind. If you drop the main, as you noted, it will be impossible to control the boat unless you can somehow overpower the jib or drop/furl it. You mentioned the sequence but this detail bears noting.

93 mile an hour winds with my peek !!!! caught in lake Michigan Manitou Island!!! There was a clear weather report thunderstorm only!!!! laid my boat down several times…!!!!

@ministryofsailing

4 ай бұрын

Sail safe… we are from the area. Lots of Mac races and Hook races here.

I learned this the hard way

@ministryofsailing

4 ай бұрын

Oh, this sounds like a great one… love to hear it over a beer.

I know nothing of sailing, but the sky seemed very ominous at the start. I would have to be very convinced to leave land in such conditions. It was a very lackidasical preflight briefing. Also as a passenger I would want to know the quality of the equipment and the crews expertise with it. Those rinks dink little inflatable vests are a bad joke. I want to see the lifeboat in case you must leave the sail boat. If all I see is cheap junk, I nor any of my family is getting on that sail.

@ministryofsailing

4 ай бұрын

Thanks, great advice. Have you watched 102?

Don't even know where the life jackets are wtf sweaty palms lol

@ministryofsailing

Ай бұрын

Yep, according to the Offshore Special Regulations, the only true offshore standards - the safety equipment should all be in a safety sheet posted on the boat.

If you get aboard a boat as guest: No thorough safety briefing, step off, immediately. When I get newbies on board, the safety briefing will be around 15 minutes. That still is short, but you can't get more attention span. Further: No one on my boat is on deck w/o proper life preservers. Ever.

@ministryofsailing

4 ай бұрын

Thanks for this.

Amazing they managed to film it all 👀 priorities? 😂

@ministryofsailing

3 ай бұрын

Thanks and love the sense of humor.

first golden rule: all useless people go under the deck in stormy conditions. Second golden rule: wear a safety belt instead of the lifevest. third: don't get caught by bad weather while you are in pijamas. Be prepared as you see it coming

@ministryofsailing

4 ай бұрын

Thanks for commenting, where do you sail?

@immanuellasker4273

4 ай бұрын

mostly in the Tirrenian sea but I had the occasion to experience some rough weather in the Aegean as well. Nothing compared to the Northern Atlantic tho, with all those crazy tides and heavy storms. Those are places where I wouldn't dare to sail without experienced seamen at my side@@ministryofsailing

100% I like to add: send all person under deck which are not necessary to operate the vessel?

@ministryofsailing

4 ай бұрын

Yes, you will still need a hand up top and hopefully the most capable.

As a delivery skipper youd be surprised how many new owners become religious in a storm

@ministryofsailing

4 ай бұрын

Thanks for the comment. Appreciate it. Where do you sail?

What happened to the mast and when?

@ministryofsailing

4 ай бұрын

It looks as if they survived. We have the video. The clips ends just after we stop the story, they were safely on the Lee shore.

@mjcooke2sailingmostly

4 ай бұрын

The boat in the video is not the same as the one pictured in the beginning. That just shows what can happen to a yacht with sails flogging or over powered.

@twidapate

4 ай бұрын

@@mjcooke2sailingmostly Thanks for clarifying.

they still had the mast up when they were behind the island yet they left the shelter of the island and went back into thise conditions?

@ministryofsailing

4 ай бұрын

I do not know how the story ended. The sensible thing to do, would be to return to the closest port and sort out the damage. However, sensibility seems to still be on the dock. Thanks for the comments

I dont like jib furlers. In 70 knots they are terrible. A storm jib is made of heavy material and its hanked on. So you can drop the main completely. And yep I know what 70 knots is like in a 25 foot light trailerable boat! We simply surfed. But very scary

@ministryofsailing

4 ай бұрын

Often, in 40 plus all your going to have is a roller furled as an option. Many sailing schools teach on very small boats and only show the upwind rollup. Tis is not a good ide on bigger boats.

No mention of heaving to?

@ministryofsailing

4 ай бұрын

We will address this in the future, but in those winds, it can still be risky.

This story ended without an ending. Did they make it? Why didn't they anchor behind the island? I hate stories without a happy ending.

@ministryofsailing

4 ай бұрын

Thanks for that. We are unsure how the story ended. We followed up and did not get a response. Their original posts ended where we did.

That weren't no 80 knot wind at best 50, probably was wash from the jib given' them a false reading. If you have a main up in a 50+ wind it is almost impossible to turn the boat down enough to blanket the jib not to mention dangerous. Winds that build that fast usually pass as fast they come so, what I would have done is tighten the jib sheet loosen the main and heave to and sit it out. I'm a firm believer in " reef early and often" key word "early". Iv'e been a fan of big wind sailing a long time been there done that and know if you're out with a bunch of "I don't knows" it is best to know what to do by yourself and to get there is practice practice practice...

@ministryofsailing

4 ай бұрын

Thanks for your comments and adding your knowledge.

@timbotim3

4 ай бұрын

I agree with this - when you get surprised with a high wind and too much sail up, heading down will result in a totally out of control boat, standing on the helm to resist weather helm, likely a broach - a bent boom, etc. you can’t control a boat when the rudder and prop are out of the water. I tried your textbook advice once- failed and had no choice but to head up and flog sails to furl. Flogging sheets have taken out dodger windows, pulled down whisker poles, tied knots, but been able to get them all down.

Not a fan of click bait screen shots, referencing of course the fact that this boat was not dismasted.

@ministryofsailing

4 ай бұрын

We will fix that for next time. Thanks.

@wavecutter69

4 ай бұрын

The opening photo was in St Maarten. So surprise when the announce the location

Very helpful video, but the background music should be deleted

@ministryofsailing

4 ай бұрын

Thanks… we don’t do background anymore because of comments like this. Please remember, we are sailors… we are learning editing. Check us out www.ministryofsailing.com

@leifquraeshi

4 ай бұрын

@@ministryofsailing your videos make us all safer sailors. Keep up the great work.

Can you cut the sails?

@ministryofsailing

4 ай бұрын

Very difficult, but good thinking.

weather report before going out maybe

@ministryofsailing

4 ай бұрын

Great observation, the weather briefing should be covered in the briefing. If reefing may be required, the depower sequence should be practiced as well.

Good video, usefull. Nice expensive boat, totally unsuited to heavy weather. Need more expertise, not less, on such a boat.

@ministryofsailing

4 ай бұрын

Very true

If you haven't been scared sailing then you're not experienced and never heard an experienced yachtie talk in mph, wind speed boat speed always knots

@ministryofsailing

4 ай бұрын

Sail GP has a lot of experience, probably more gold medals, America’s Cup and Volvo Racers on any race course and they speak in KMPH. We aren’t trying to impress anyone. Please let us know what safety gaps are out there. If you would like, you can join us as a guest and you can provide advice with us. Where do you sail?

Why dont people hove too anymore?

@ministryofsailing

4 ай бұрын

This boat would have been on its side with the jib still out. But you are correct it was an option if they had a better depowering sequence. As to the anymore portion, racing boats these days don’t need too and they are so fast, they can sail away from the bad stuff in most cases. Weather routing is very advanced and some boats even chase low pressures down for greater speed.

Very well-made video. But why did they sail in this weather? Didn't they check the weather report for their route?

@ministryofsailing

4 ай бұрын

Glad that you picked that out. Yes… the weather briefing is an important piece of the overall brief. You can see at the end a guest on the charter asked , “what was the weather?” We think that if it was addressed early, they would not have asked.

As a greek this was not a hard sea state maybe 6 to 7 bofors. Also many island are in the Aegean sea a few miles away with thousand of vessels and rescue means including helicopters military navy ships and experienced fishing vessels . This looks to me a bit like a staged drama

@em--draws

4 ай бұрын

I don't think they staged the destruction of their jib!

@ministryofsailing

4 ай бұрын

Beaufort? Looks more than 7. Can you explain how to stage a jib being shredded?

Those "9 line" MAYDAY instructions are wrong.

@ministryofsailing

4 ай бұрын

USCG!

@itsverygreen532

4 ай бұрын

@@ministryofsailingStill wrong. There is an internationally agrred procedure for this, it is given very clearly in the GMDSS manual, issued by the IMO to which the USA is a signatory. You need to remember, that unlike almost every other country, in the USA you can be issued with a radio operators licence with zero training. In every other country there is a minimum training requirement (usually a 1 day course for VHF and a 5 day course for MF/HF) so we learn the actual procedures. That 9 step form misses several important pieces of the procedure ( and fails to make the distinction between a MAYDAY call and a MAYDAY message) Perhaps find a copy of the RYA VHF handbook, or Denise Briehaut's "GMDSS Users Handbook" which explains the correct procedure in full.

@itsverygreen532

4 ай бұрын

@@ministryofsailingAnd for clarity the correct procedure is: First, the mayday call ... M .. MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY I .. (information) this is , callsign and MMSI number if the "red DSC alert" button was used Now, the mayday message: M .. MAYDAY I .. P .. Position D .. (nature of distress, sinking) A .. nature of assistance required N ... number of people on board I ... other onformation (eg abdonng to life raft) O .. OVER Upon hearing the MAYDAY CALL vessels will stand by to copy the details of the message, and being properly trained will be expecting it in a certain order. Its internationally agreed and standardised, and it really helps to get it right in an emergency, especially if comms are weak or broken. When passing a "mayday relay" only the message is passed to the other station, not the call.

Who expects fair weather charter people to know how to handle the boat in heavy weather? Nobody. As for the mast, oh well, it's a rental.

@ministryofsailing

4 ай бұрын

thanks for the reply. Please note we posted episode 102 today.

A three hour tour .... ok

@ministryofsailing

4 ай бұрын

I am glad you got that reference.

Familiarity breeds contempt. In this instance, fair weather sailors with no respect for the power of nature. Why wait so long to reef a roller furling jib is beyond me. You saw and felt the squall coming. Then you try and furl under pressure. Life jackets improperly worn is like not having any at all. You're going to drown in those seas. Lastly I am going on 70 years old which makes me question safety and risk before I do anything. How often do people drive just down the hwy in a shirt in winter with no coat or gloves. Then a flat or skid off the road etc. You going to walk now? Same with the boat. Never leave the boat and always wear the safety tether on deck. Always plan for the worst. A rollover would have been the end of this bunch.

@ministryofsailing

4 ай бұрын

This is very good comment. Thanks, appreciate your comments. Love the fact that you’re still sailing. My dad sailed til 85.

Great video but get rid of the background music

@ministryofsailing

2 ай бұрын

We no longer do music in the back ground. Thanks for your feedback.

80? Are you kiddin me? I think you have to invest in new measurements...

@ministryofsailing

4 ай бұрын

This is what they posted… we just provide the debrief, our goal is to point to the World Sailing Offshore Special Regulations and the Safety at Sea training provided by Organizing Authorities in each country. There aren’t many opinions out there that are unsafe.

Why wouldn't you put her irons and gain sail control, fire the diesel and have steerage.

@ministryofsailing

4 ай бұрын

This is an option, the key is to under stand the sequence to de-power the sails. Every type of vessel behaves differently. Paractice

@davidbrayshaw3529

4 ай бұрын

@@ministryofsailing A knife, an engine or an anchor maybe your saviour in a situation such as this. I haven't sailed for what seems like forever now, but once they'd made their mistakes, I kept screaming at the screen, begging the skipper to fire up the auxiliary and put the bow into the wind. I'm betting that they would have kept the headsail and the rig if they'd done. It was pretty common practice when I was a kid and hank on headsails were all the fashion! OK, they weren't, but my father wasn't one for spending money. The three jibs we had were the three jibs that we had. Thanks for the video. You made a lot of great points that shouldn't be ignored.

A catalogue of errors.

@ministryofsailing

4 ай бұрын

Thanks for the comment. Where do you sail?

@twentyrothmans7308

4 ай бұрын

@@ministryofsailing Sydney Harbour, though I moved away from the water, and sailing's on hold. Some of the errors I didn't like were: * Lack of briefing. The boat will drown long before you do. Emergency procedures. * If you don't know what you're doing (not regular crew), you're donning a PFD. If it's looking spicy, or we're outside the harbour, everyone dons a PFD. * As you pointed out, you must reduce your jib while it's covered by the mainsail, though mine wasn't the furling type, and you'd dump the halyard.. I'm not particularly experienced, but some things are just fundamental.

Are you sure about 80 MPH (= 12 Bft)

@ministryofsailing

4 ай бұрын

Yep.

That was nowhere close to 70-80 knots wind. At worse it is 55-60. Still atrocious seamanship.

@ministryofsailing

3 ай бұрын

Thanks for your comments. We only used the footage on TWS based on what was presented. Thanks for watching, please subscribe we have more coming out soon.

lolol

@ministryofsailing

4 ай бұрын

Glad you enjoyed

Typical charter "sailors" : one member is somewhat ok with basic sailing (although reefing mainsail before reducing jib area is incorrect as it was said several times in the video), and the rest of the crew is only able to do what they are told to do… in good conditions. People should have their vest and be clipped, but better all crew that are not working on deck should remain below, let them be seasick they'll be safer. Skipper is barely able to use the CHF. His Pan Pan call is faulty, and it would have been better that he followed the instructions as shown in the video : saying "pan pan" only once and asking "do you speak english" is a joke Otherwise this is heavy weather and nasty, but nothing such a boat with an able crew couldn't manage. Once again the state of sea and wind is relative to the human factor : in this case it was pretty lame and it may well be they avoided a massive catastrophe.

@ministryofsailing

4 ай бұрын

Thanks for the response.

A lot of bla bla when the the bottom of the matter is simply that these people should not be there, period. The problem is the moneymaking greed of all these bareboat charter companies that should not exist to start with. There is nothing wrong with not being a sailor. Everything is wrong with playing at being a sailor. The whole pleasure yacht industry, not just the charter business, is culprit of all the nonsense happenning on the water in the last thirty years, and it is getting worse.

@kirkstable

4 ай бұрын

You had me at “a lot of blah blah” in your comment

@ministryofsailing

4 ай бұрын

Thanks for the comments. Where do you sail?

@kirkstable

4 ай бұрын

@@ministryofsailing thanks for the video. I found it informative although at the end I would’ve been down below smoking with the women.

@pascalgrinberg5530

4 ай бұрын

@@ministryofsailing i sailed professionnally nearly 40 years, beginning in the Med back in the early 70s and finishing my last 20 years based in Ushuaia, sailing in charter to Antarctica, South Georgia and that whole area until 2010 on my own boat, Fernande, an old aluminium racing ketch. I have followed the advent of chartering in all its forms in the Aegean, in the Caribbean, in the Bahamas, and the evolution of pleasure sailing, especially since the introduction of the GPS. Not pretty.

not impressed with this video

@ministryofsailing

4 ай бұрын

Thanks, please let us know what gaps you see out there in safety. Do you have a Safety at Sea Certification? Where do you sail? Our goal is not to impress anyone, we are provide sound safety advice based on World Sailing OSRs and Safety at Sea Certifications.

@billfromgermany

4 ай бұрын

I’ve been sailing for 70+ years and was very impressed by your video. Both the calm and non-judgmental tone, and the excellent advice. I would have found it VERY difficult to be non-judgmental. Unfortunately the majority of people who charter are not qualified to handle heavy weather, and the boats themselves are not equipped to do so. The fact that the crew were able to film much of this is one very big positive.

I'm wondering what the water temperature is as the only thing that lifejacket will do is make your body easier to find--that's if it stays on.

@ministryofsailing

4 ай бұрын

I agree with you. This is why we recommend following the World Sailing Guidance (OSR) Offshore Special Regulations 5.01 Lifejacket 5.01.1 A lifejacket which shall: a) i if manufactured before 2012 comply with ISO 12402-3 (Level 150) or equivalent, including EN 396 or UL 1180 and: • if inflatable have a gas inflation system • have crotch/thigh straps (ride up prevention system) • have an integral safety harness in compliance with OSR 5.02 ii if manufactured after 2011 comply with ISO 12402-3 (Level 150) and be fitted with a whistle, lifting loop, reflective material automatic/manual gas inflation system: • crotch/thigh straps (ride up prevention system) • an integral safety harness in compliance with OSR 5.02 b) have an emergency position indicating light in accordance with either ISO 12402-8 or LSA code 2.2.3, c) be clearly marked with the boat’s or wearer’s name, d) have a sprayhood in accordance with ISO 12402-8, e) have a PLB (as with other types of EPIRB, should be properly registered with the appropriate authority), f) if inflatable, be regularly checked for air retention. 5.01.2 A boat shall carry at least one gas inflatable lifejacket spare cylinder and, if appropriate, spare activation head for each type of lifejacket on board. 5.01.3 A boat shall carry at least one spare lifejacket as required in OSR 5.01.1, (a spare PLB described in OSR 5.01.1 e) is not required), 5.01.4 The person in charge shall personally check each lifejacket at least once annually. 5.02 Safety Harness and Tethers 5.02.1 A harness that complies with ISO 12401 or equivalent. 5.02.2 A tether that shall: a) comply with ISO 12401 or equivalent, b) not exceed 2 m (6’-6”) including the length of the hooks, c) have self-closing hooks, d) have overload indicator flag embedded in the stitching, and e) be manufactured after 2000. 5.02.3 either: a) a tether not exceeding 1 m (3’-3”) including the length of the hooks, or b) an intermediate self-closing hook on a 2 m (6’-6”) tether. 5.02.4 a boat shall carry spare harnesses and tethers as required in OSR 5.02 above sufficient for at least 10% of the crewmembers (minimum one unit). 5.02.5 A tether which has been overloaded shall be replaced.