Big wind on the north channel.

[paulkayak]

Spent two weeks out on the North Channel of Lake Huron this summer in our M26S. Had a wonderful time but most days there was little to no wind. I think we would say our favourite anchorage would have been at Kirkpatrick Island where we stayed for two nights by choice. We had a view of the big water out one side and the LaCloshe Mountains on the other side. With the water at 23 deg c the swimming was great. We really like gunk-holing so this spot was perfect for us but may be a bit shallow for some.
The second to last day we woke at at the anchorage at Louisa Island and wanted to head back the 20ish km to Fox Island so the next day it would be a relatively short sail to Spanish to haul out. When we settled in for the night we actually had winds forecast for the next day at 20km/h gusting into the 30's. Sounded like we were going to get to sail. It was going to be a head wind but sailing is sailing.
When we woke early the next day tucked deep into the bay with a stern line to shore we were surprised by the swell coming in and rocking us. The wind was already building the seas and the coastguard was putting out small craft warnings.
Building on the saying that experienced sailors are not made in calm winds we decided to head out and see how our Mac would do in this wind. We secured everything on board. Took the foresail off and stowed it. Put one reef in the main and tied it down and secured the boom from swaying. Even stowed the cockpit cushions under deck. We had no intention of going the 20km but we did want to get a feel for the sea state. With the sails down and under motor we headed out around the point and into the wind and waves. I thought the waves were 4 to 5 feet with 1 in 5 waves white-capping. We made our way out far enough that we knew we could feel the full force of the wind and waves. "I think we can handle this" I said to my trusting wife.
"Ok" she naïvely said.
Not wanting to be on the foredeck in this sea state we headed back to the bay to raise the main to the reefing point. Than we headed back out on a starboard tack. We were making some forward progress so I shut down the motor and raised it. (Thankfully It is a new the week before the trip 9.9 with electric start and power tilt.) We have been out for maybe 5 minutes and doing ok when a wall of wind hits us. It just a gust I think just hold on and it will pass. We are heeling to what feels like 45 deg but the new inclinometer says it is only 30deg. I have the till hard to port but the nose is being blown down wind to port. "I have no steering it won't turn into the wind." I yell to my wife.
I look around to try to figure out why. I realize that we are not moving forward anymore. We are being blown sideways. There is a rock shoal and islands 500m to our port side. 500m is a long way but it is rock and it has my attention.
Now we are being knocked over to actually 45deg With the main just tight enough to not to be flogging. So that is what 45 deg actually feels like. I would rather be heeling than rocking in these waves so I try to keep some wind in the sail.
"Let's try motor sailing so I have some forward motion and control."
We are now heeling hard to port and of course the motor is on the port side of the boat, and the start button is on the port side of the motor right at the level of the transom and back a few inches. Not exactly the place I want to be reaching on the boat at this angle. I lean down press the down button to get the motor in the water and than hit the start button and she fires up right away and I scamper back to the safety of the high side. Right then I was thinking that every cent I spent on a new motor with electric start and power tilt was worth it.
With about 25% power I have enough to get the boat moving forward and I again have control and the heeling is not as bad.
Well that gust has become the sustained wind and the seas are building to 5 to 7 feet in my mine and about 30 feet apart with white-caps on every wave. We are doing really well motor sailing. The boat is heeling to about 30deg and we are riding the waves nicely. Mind you there are times that about half the boat is in the air as we crest the waves. And then when we land on the next wave a wall of water comes over the deck and hits us in the face. I am having fun. A high stress kind of fun but we are getting further from the anchorage and I am feeling that this is enough excitement for the day.
"Do you want to head back to the anchorage?"
I get a very quick "yes."
Not wanting to be broadside to the biggest waves I start focusing on the pattern of the waves. It seams that we get three progressively bigger waves than they get small again and build back up after three or four. As we clear the next three big waves I add power and quickly tach to starboard and head down wind on a port tach toward our anchorage. We are doing nicely so I put the motor in neutral but keep it running. There are two other sailboats heading straight down wind under just a foresail to the same anchorage. The sail back is much nicer and we are just flying but tensions on the boat are still high. We make it back into the bay in a fraction of the time. As soon as we are out of the wind we drop sail and head straight to a spot close to the beach where the wind and swell are at the least. Drop anchor in 5 feet or water with 65 feet of scope out and a rope to shore to keep the nose straight into the swells coming into the bay. The stern is in about 2 feet of water so we can easily walk to shore.
We watched two more sailboats come in to get out of the wind and waves. One was a BayField 25 that was heading straight into the wind at full power and making only about 2 km/h. There were times when it would crest a wave and you could see the keel.
Through all this there was a 43 foot power cruiser in the bay that when he saw the waves that morning he decided to just move closer into the bay and stay put and watch the sailboats fight their way in the wind. Most of the sailboats there were part of the trailer sailers association on their Annual North Channel Cruise.
The day turned out to be an enjoyable social day where everyone met on the beach chatting about the excitement of the day. I was assured by a more experienced sailor that although the waves felt huge they topped out at 5 feet.
That evening we got invited on the 43 footer for drinks. Always pays to be kind and helpful to others. I am not much of a beer drinker but after that experience and not having a fridge for 11 days a cold beer sure tasted great.

[NiceAft]

Good story, and a happy ending.

Ray

[Interim]

did you find out what the actual wind speed was--sustained and gusts?

--john