How Windy?

 I messed up Tuesday.

The forecast was for 10-20 mph winds, 30% chance of thunderstorms- our typical summer forecast. I invited my sister & her friend out for a spontaneous evening sail. My sister is a semi experienced boater and needed to get out of the house. Friend has been on boats before, but no real experience. So, I'm basically single handing, with a bit of help available. No problem. The ancient TP5000 tillerpilot picked picked yesterday to stop working. No big deal, we're just going for an easy sail.

We head out, and I leave the main covered and unroll about 60% of the 150 genny.  This seems perfect in the 15 to 20 mph breeze.  We're sailing nicely- easy. There is a bit of rain coming, so we put up the canvas.  I didn't see a sign of anything but a little rain, from a pretty low and thin cloud.

As the rain approaches, we get hit by a gust, maybe 40mph. I head up, expecting the gust to pass. Nope. It's steadily building. Sister is having fun, Friend is not. Friend was not impressed with the sounds of stuff flying around the cabin (which was only an empty wire spool, but it was plenty loud.) as we roll to about 35 degrees. I'm now forereaching, and we in control. I have sister hold the tiller to leeward so I can play with the sail. I was not strong enough to move the furling line at all, even after releasing the genny sheet. It's WINDY at this point. My wind instrument is inoperative, I estimate force 11.

I trimmed the wildly flogging genoa enough to have control again. Only about 2' of sail is pulling. It's mostly flogging and shaking the rig pretty well. I do not want to sheet in any more- we are doing OK and DO NOT want more power- even if I'm wrecking a sail. I'm not having any other ideas- I don't want to turn downwind & expose our beam to the wind, and I don't have canvas for the stern, so we will be getting pelted by rain, which won't help friend's stress level... I start the motor so we have more options. We are just making enough way to maintain steering. At some point, our lazy sheet pulls free from the boat, and is now tangled around the working sheet and dragging in the water. We retrieve and secure it.

After about 20 minutes, the wind finally started dropping and I am able to furl the genny.  Once the wind started to drop, it slowly clocked around about 160 degrees while still blowing 30+.  No damage to the people or the boat. The genoa lost a few stitches on the leach line cleat cover.

A nearby boat recorded 63 mph winds, while in their slip with trees around them. A local park had gusts "over 70". My house is 3 miles from where we were sailing and got no wind and little rain. Go figure! Friend's house had a tree come down & smash her shed & deck. Her husband was calling every few minutes- super helpful ;-)

Eventually, the clouds parted and we had a beautiful motor back to our slip.  

Yes, I know how to show guests a good time.

Lessons I see-
I didn't turn on my VHF, which might have warned of impending doom. My phone app weather alerts did not activate or give any warning.  (edit later- Nope, no warning was issued.  Still, I should have been listening to the VHF.)

That rain just might be hiding WIND. Consider furling/reefing until I'm sure it's just rain.

At least have a plan to lash the tiller instead of relying on inexperienced hands. (This was not a problem, but it could have been.)

At the first suspicion of WIND, secure the lazy sheet. The figure 8 stopper knot I had was insufficient.

How can I do better next time?

When I called Sheila after getting home, her words were, "You're not allowed to hurt the boat unless I'm on it." 

LOL!