Strange Weather Everywhere

Still here in Marathon.  The winter to remember as we started by setting record high temperatures, now we ware setting records in consecutive low temperature days and record rainfalls for December, January and February. 

I just got back from traveling to PA, NJ and NH.  The first day saw 60F, then it dropped to the 30's and snowed.  At my office in PA, it is back up to the 60's, but a snowstorm is expected by the end of the week.

We did get to sail to Miami for the boat show this year.  It was challenging sailing with cold temps and high winds.  In Biscayne Bay we saw 35 knot wind gusts with sustained winds of 25-28 knots.  First time reefing the main, we were able to point to 35 degrees in that blow and only have 8 degree leeway.  During the wind gusts, we were actually breaking 9 knots.  A fellow Lagoon 410 owner could not point high enough and had to motor the 25 miles up the bay.  Thank you again Haarstick Sailmakers!

Learned more about the boat on the way back.  The winds were expected to be high again and out of the SE.  That would make the Hawk Channel rough for anchoring overnight, so we took the inside route for the first time.  We actually enjoyed it.  It reminded us of sailing on the Indian River, but with a few narrower channels.

On the second day, the wind was blowing a steady 30-32knots with gusts up to 42 knots.  We sailed with just a single reefed main from 60 degrees to 120 degrees and making in the 7 knot area.  With all of the lobster and crab traps, we had to hand steer most the day.  Usually there is no feel to the helm and impossible to keep a steady track, but with the weather helm (which I didn't know cats could get), from the unbalanced sail plan, we effectively steered all day. 

The other thing was that sterns squatted every time the wind gusted up.  It felt like the equivalent of pushing the throttles forward and having the bows rise from the prop thrust.  What this created was a standing wake that was big enough to actually touch the bottom of the dinghy.  Because of this phenomenon, no matter how high the wind gusted to, we could not get above 7.5 knots.  We sailed the same speeds whether the wind was blowing 30 or 40 knots.  This is below 90 degrees.  Something new to ponder.    

I'll talk about our boat picks, from the show, in the next post.  



   

 Sailing through one of the narrow cuts on our first day on the inside (Jewfish Creek).  Freaked out many of the fishermen anchored along each side.  They were staying in here to hide from the high winds.     

 All to common site in Florida.  Someone's dream just rotting away on a shoal.

 Never saw a flock of cormorants before.  They were all sitting in a long line on the water before I stirred them up.  

Sunset at Tarpon Basin in Key Largo.