Tips for catamaran sailing in storms and heavy weather – Catamaran sailing techniques

[mathewdavis-adventuresandd]

Thank you for that bit of information as I near retirement and the next chapter in my life.

[bmoorewiz]

Yeah these are great, I have a bareboat next week in the VI and I have been watching all of these.

[MrMusinus]

thank you for sharing your documented skills on sailing! considering buing a liveaboard for performance type catamaran.

[calledout]

Thanks for the video. As somebody looking to buy a catamaran, I'm curious how you hand huge waves? If you find yourself in the middle of a giant storm with huge waves, how do you handle the cat to ensure you don't tip over?

[MikeFloutier]

I too am about to spend a week or so on a 4800 in the BVI having only ever sailed my MacGregor 26 so this familiarization, especially in the main video, has been so helpful. Thank you Matthew and Nigel!

Before commenting on Nigel Irens' input, I'd suggest you read Dame Ellen MacArthur's "Taking on the World", specifically pages 117-120. If I may be permitted to quote; "He was a big man with a warm smile and could not have been more gentle natured...Nigel had been designing and sailing for years, winning races himself back in 1983 with boats built from his designs....I think he could justly be described as one of the nicest guys in the world...Nigel was a wonderful support...(he) gave me confidence!

And the rest, as they say, is history - yes, that is a big man!

[BriansGeminiMC]

Its near dead calm, Try it in a storm or big waves,

[mrmrlee]

1:45 If you're trying to get upwind, then motorsailing is a good thing to do...hahaha! Spent how much on a boat that can't sail to weather?

[edwardburns]

400K Boat and someone skimped 200 quid by not getting a full size plotter. Thanks for the vid tho.

[clobbyhops]

1:00, looks like a 65 year old David Duchovny

[derekge]

Is turning into the wind to reef the main the best strategy? Just thinking out loud, but seems dangerous, the apparent wind will spike and you could end up with a bouncing flapping main and boom. Plus you'd have to get through the dangerous 105-85 degree wind angle. Just thinking out loud, but what about heading deep downwind, then bringing the main in to 10 -20 degrees off centerline and seeing if you can pull it down from there? Not sure. Just thinking out loud, but I'd definitely want to try a strategy where the apparent wind works for me, not against me. And if turning is the best strategy, then I would go dead into the wind, I'd head up to ~50 true and have the main out to slightly luff - not flapping like crazy.

[dobryden]

What I won't like is the advice to use the engine for sailing techniques

[TheJalipa]

Can you Heave To in a Cat?
Is it advisable in heavy weather?
If so, how?

Is use of a drogue advisable in heavy weather?
(To prevent “surfing” over the waves”

[pavomrnarevic]

This is very helpful, we will be chartering a 45 cat in April in Tortola . Thank you for the videos .

[sailfast]

Nigel, that cat is equipped with full battens and cars on a ball bearing track, with lazy jacks. If it’s all working properly you should be able to reef while running downwind.

[MethosFilms]

Why get a cat sailboat and cant sail in bad weather?

[jazldazl]

Plenty of dissent below.
The point to remember is to reef/drop early .

[matthewwillis]

With a Wharram wingsail you can reef while running.

[hangemhigh]

Good stuff. You know what really hurts though, "How much wood can a woodchuck chuck chuck?"

[PaleBlueDotCitizen]

The point he makes about being towed by the headsail and being pushed by the mainsail are completely fallacious. The center of effort is on the mast and the rigging and it is irrelevant which sail is working. In fact if the sheet point of the headsail is behind the traveller then the headsail center of effort would be behind that of the mainsail.

[louismiller]

I hope they are not calling this heavy weather