high winds on lake michigan

[romei]

My experience with the roller reefing on the stock rig was disappointing at best.  I like the concept but the reality sucked for me.  The rear of the boom sagged and if I tried to raise it by shortening the topping lift the sail lost it's shape.  Perhaps I was doing it wrong, but I really saw no other way to do it.

I have a custom rig now with a reef point in the sail that works really well.

[Cevin c Taylor]

Jason, where did you sail at on L. Michigan?  I was camping up at Sleeping Bear Dunes from Th - Monday.  I wasn't confident enough to try Lake Michigan on Thursday after I saw the waves smashing into the breakwall at Frankfort.  I would have had to take my 12 year old daughter, since we were camping alone.  I did make it out on Friday on Crystal Lake (about 10 miles long by 4 or so wide), and on Platte Lake on Saturday.  On Saturday the winds were forecast for 5 mph, but ten minutes after we launched, the lake was full of whitecaps, and I estimate that the gusts were up to 30 mph or so.  It was the windiest sailing I've ever done.  I was using an unreefed main and jib.  Very exciting and educational.  I can tell I'm getting better, because this is the first time in strong winds that I have not had the boom swing around across the stern, or lost my grip on the main sheet.  These were my first sails with my new Ida foil rudder, and I'm very pleased with it.  I wanted to go out on Sunday on Lake Michigan, but I ended up going tubing with my daughter.  On Saturday, we saw a centerboard sailboat go over, and we headed over to see if we could help, but a powerboat got there first and helped them out. 

[Jason]

Sailed out of Milwaukee.  Also, just noticed that there is a 2' rip in the stitching in the leech of my mainsail (original 1981 sail) so the winds and my sail handling were pretty tough on the sails.  Looks like I'll get that mainsail with a line of reef points sooner than later.....