06/19/2019
Duane, Barbara and Denis took to the mighty Charles River on Friday for some Sonar Practice. Barbara, who just started sailing earlier this year and will be trimming main for the team, was looking forward to learning how to adjust the mainsheet traveler. However, with winds over 30 miles per hour (MPH) and at times reaching 40 MPH during practice, fine-tuning of the traveler was not needed as the team practiced windward-leeward courses. The team also successfully practiced their skills in not capsizing. The team learned it is very difficult to capsize a sonar, although Denis was convinced the boat was not going to come back up after getting knocked over during one very powerful gust. Newly appointed main trimmer Barbara executed the plan they discussed before sailing and let the main all the way out. Meanwhile, Duane tried to turn into the wind to prevent the capsize as he slid off the windward rail and plummeted towards the water below, fortunately using his left leg as a preventer against the opposite side of the cockpit. Simultaneously, Denis, convinced the boat was capsizing, started crawling over to the high side to stay dry. The cockpit half filled with water, but the mast came back up to a vertical position, much to the team’s surprise.
The team had set up the course between the MIT dock and the Massachusetts Avenue Bridge. They left the mooring before 5:00 and returned by 7:00. Wind readings for that time period taken at the MIT Boathouse are shown on the attached graph, with the steady, sustained wind in DARK BLUE with peak gusts in RED. Sustained wind speed was consistently in the 20s, sometimes reaching the 30s. Peak wind gusts were above 30 MPH with a few at 6:00 between 40 and 42 MPH and a recorded high gust of 47 MPH at 6:30. It was the 6:30 gust that knocked the team over while they were sailing close-hauled on a starboard tack.
