|
Easy
Wind (20-4)
by Dusty Miller
|
 When
I’m teaching boat handling classes, I focus a
lot of attention on the wind and the effect it has on
manoeuvring your vessel. Whether you’re cruising
in an 18-foot runabout or a 45-foot sport cruiser, all
boats on the water are subject to the wind.
In fact, it’s one of the main reasons why so many
boats are tightly secured to a dock. When planning a
day on the water, there’s always a chance strong
gusts may develop later in the day. I often hear, “what
do I do if it’s really windy? I won’t be
able to get the boat back into this slip. It’ll
be so embarrassing if I make a mess of it with everyone
watching, and I might break something.”
Let me share a little-known fact. It’s easier
to bring a boat into a slip when it’s windy since
it gives you something to work with. Keeping that in
mind, always pay attention to where the wind is coming
from. The weather channel might say something like “winds
are from the northwest at five knots with occasional
gusts to ten.” That’s great information
when you’re in open water, but it’s not
pertinent while at the dock.
Inshore winds vary a lot in speed and direction. They
can bounce off nearby hills or buildings and swirl around
points of land. This is particularly true when approaching
or going though locks.
All you have to do is simply look at the water. The
direction of the ripples will instantly tell you its
direction and strength. Remember, the higher the ripples,
the stronger the wind.
If you’re tied to the dock or in the slip, there
is plenty of time to determine the direction the wind
is blowing. However, stopping on the water to determine
where the wind is blowing is a different story. This
when you should consider the safety position. This position
simply involves turning your stern into the wind, which
is very easy and an effective means to hold your position
since air passes evenly down both sides of the boat.
All you have to do is gently reverse (touching the throttle
in and out) to hold your position. If you have a single-engine
vessel, use the throttle and turn the wheel accordingly
to keep the stern into the wind.
When you are tied to the dock, the direction of the
wind can indicate what line to untie first. For instance,
if you’re tied fore and aft with two springs,
always untie the line closest to the wind last since
the line is supporting most of the boat (other lines
may even be slack). If the wind is blowing on the bow,
let the spring lines off first, then the stern line.
The bowline will hold you in a stable position. If the
wind is blowing off the dock, you have a choice. You
can let the stern line off last and the bow will swing
away from the dock. The opposite will happen if you
unite the bowline last.
If the wind is on shore, blowing your vessel towards
the dock, it doesn’t matter which order you untie
since the boat will stay against the dock. But here’s
another trick. Winds are usually gusty, some more than
others, and when you want to turn into the wind there
is usually a lull. What often happens is the lull ends
just as you’re starting a turn and you get blown
back to where you started? What you do is wait until
the wind is at its peak to being your turn. When the
gust is strongest, it has no place to go but down, so
you will be getting underway in the lull between gusts.
Try it.
In fact, consider trying all these tips. Start when
the air is light. Take your boat out and see how the
wind affects your boat, then work your way up to stronger,
gustier days. When you know how the wind affects control
– whether strong or light – you will know
how much throttle or turning you will need to do. (Page
Top) |
|
|
|
