Crossing Buzzards Bay Cape Dory 25

[J&P]

My husband is a novice sailor and last weekend we sailed across Buzzards Bay (from Fairhaven to Hadley Harbor and back) on a Cape Dory 25.

The conditions were 12 - 16 knots/seas 3-4ft. We had a single reef and 1/2 jib out. We had a great sail it was alot of fun. Our boat speed was 6- 6.5 knots. During our sail, we noticed that there weren't too many small boats out on the water and when we returned to our anchorage my husband was wondering if what we did was dangerous. I think he was a bit nervous and needs to be reassured from others that what we did was safe.

His question to me was, "When do you know you are pushing the boat too much?" What do you think?

Thks- Jodie

[Joe Myerson]

Phil and Jodie,

If you were out on Buzzards Bay on Sunday, you were in winds a lot stronger than 12-16 knots. I brought Creme Brulee around from the boat yard in Red Brook Harbor to my mooring in Squeteague Harbor (just a few miles around Scraggy Neck, but also out into the Canal channel) on Sunday afternoon, and I'd say it was gusting above 25 kts.

There were almost no other boats on the bay--but Cape Dories, especially with reefed sails, are made to take that kind of weather.

You'll enjoy your CD very much; these boats were born and bred for weather like you'll find on Buzzards Bay, and if you can sail in those conditions, you can sail in most coastal conditions.

Enjoy your boat.

--Joe

[Neil Gordon]

"When do you know you are pushing the boat too much?"

What Joe said it true. These boats can take more than we can.

If you were still having fun, you weren't beyond the limit.

[bill2]

Jodie

Many "clorox" bottle sail boats are kept in port when there's wind and motored when they're taken out. ie even my prior CD ( a 22 ) was owned by a salesman that took her out - anchored up - and drank beer/slept - many empties of which I became owner of when I bought her.

I wouldn't worry too much about the other boats. As long as you keep your boat in good running shape/repair, she'll bring you home and can handle more weather than you. As you get more experience you'll feel more comfortable ( and able to ) expand your sailing adventures.

Enjoy

[aja]

Our boats were born for Buzzard's Bay!

Have you found a home for your boat yet? We have a 25 and we keep her in Fairhaven. We would have been out this weekend but she's not launched yet! We've sailed with a lot of Cape Dorys but never with another 25. If you're still around Buzzards Bay we should sail together someday.

Don't worry - when other boats turn home - CD's keep on sailing!

Have fun,
Diana

[Carl Thunberg]

What the others have said is true. Push your boat as hard as you feel comfortable, and then push just a little bit more. Confidence is borne of experience. If you stay ashore every time the wind pipes up, you'll miss out on a lot of great sailing. Just remember to reef early if you feel the boat is over-powered, and practice, practice, practice. That, and navigate, of course.

Carl

[Al Levesque]

I agree with all the preceding. When we had our CD25 we sailed the length and width of Buzzards Bay in all the conditions it has. We enjoyed every minute of it. We also went south to Block Island and east through Woods Hole and on to Falmouth, Chatham, the Vineyard, and Nantucket. You have a great access to some great cruising and the CD25 is a great choice for it.

Perhaps the greatest challenge will be Woods Hole against the current. It gets up to hull speed for the boat. Just time it for slack or favorable current. Hadley harbor is a great place to wait it out.

[mahalocd36]

Are you talking about Sunday? We were out there. Nope, there were not too many boats, there was a small craft advisory late in the afternoon. It was gusting over 25. A boat with 5 people aboard (something small I think) capsized near Woods hole. There was a lot of wind and the seas were kind of rolly. Saturday was a little better - I think it was about 15 knots in the afternoon.

Sounds like you had the right amount of sail up. Since you had fun and didn't feel unsafe it sounds like you did the right thing. Like other posters said, don't worry about what other people are doing. You have to do what's right for you. I don't think bad of anyone who decides to stay in port though - I'll admit I'm a fair weather sailor. To me, it's my weekend and I want to have fun. If it's blowing 30 knots it's not fun *for me*. But the boat can handle it just fine. And if you can handle it, then you were born for a Cape Dory.

[Dan & Pat]

I've seen Buzzard's Bay at its worse, and at its best. As a child, I lived on Cuttyhunk Island year round for several years, as well as spending most of the summers of my life up until the mid 1970's. My famliy ran the Cuttyhunk Store up on the hill from 1959 until the early 1990's.

The Ferry trip from New Bedford to Cuttyhunk traverses the Bay north to south, and I've made that trip in flat calm waters in summer as well as the 6' to 10' icy seas of winter. Its not for the faint of heart! I've run the gambit in my own 16' runabout, 23' cabin cruiser, and several other islander's boats. In the winter of 1964 I even made the run in a 40' Coast Guard boat when I had to go to the hospital with tonsilitis. Forty years later, I still remember that ride!

Last August I had the pleasure of visiting New Bedford, and the picture below is of the lighhouse at the entrance to the harbour, taken from the park on the East side of the hurricane dike. Cuttyhunk is on the far right side of this picture.

[img]http://www.geocities.com/danothomsn/pic ... thouse.JPG[/img][/img]

[Dave Brandt]

Jodie,

Your story reminds me of our weekend. My wife Jane and I are also novices, and still learning our Cape Dory 25.

We went out on Sunday for a fathers day sail. There were quite a few boats out on Lake Pepin when we arrived at the marina. There seemed to be a pretty good breeze, but I could not see anyone with a reef in their sails. Trying to be conservative ( small steps in the learning process ) we decided to only pull out about 100% of the genoa and the full main.

After sailing a while and fighting the boat ( too much healing and quite a bit of pressure on the tiller ) we decided we really needed to put a reef in the main, even though I still could not see anyone else with a reefed main. We headed up into the wind got the reef in and the sailing became much more pleasant, about 15 deg. of heel.

Shortly after we put the reef in we could see other boats doing the same. It was almost like everyone was thinking the same thing we were, looking around and figuring that if no one else is reefed, I guess you don’t need to. I checked the weather when I got home and there were gusts of 20 to 25 kts reported during the day.

We were one on the last boats into the harbor that evening. All in all a great fathers day. Well, with the possible exception of when the dog got sea sick in Jane's lap. It was his first time sailing, I don’t think he was too impressed......

Dave

[Mike Thompson]

Jodie,
I used to keep may CD25 GRACE at West Island near Fairhaven and often
sailed it to Hadley Harbor near Woods Hole. Frequently the outbound trip
was easy with a comfortable wind. Coming back was another matter
as the afternoon wind worked up. It was often close hauled all the way.

The CD25 is in difficulty when the wind is so strong as to turn the
bow downwind and you have keep pushing on the tiller rather than
pulling. The boat can brotch and fill the cockpit under such conditions.
It is very helpful to buy a storm jib. Even when the lee-helm situation
doesn't arise you can get a more comfortable sail with the small jib.

Here is "To West Island", Pastel, 12 x 16. The water tower seems to stay
forever far away on a windy day.
[img]http://www.cunliffethompson.com/bio/ima ... 50x380.jpg[/img]

[John B]

I agree w/ the above comments. I too find myself out on Classic Girl in heavy seas while other larger vessels remain in port. However part of the original Q was, "is this dangerous?"

My answer to that is yes. Of course life is dangerous. I think that as we challenge ourselves to ride the rough seas, while appropriately cautious...this makes life worth living.

It is memories of days like these that will get you through some cold January days.

Sail on!

[Neil Gordon]

... we decided we really needed to put a reef in the main, even though I still could not see anyone else with a reefed main.

I'd probably rely more on the opinion of others when it comes to shaking reefs out! That might be the time not to be first.

All boats are different in how/when they get overpowered. I tend to need a reef earlier than most. The good news is that if you feel a need to reef, the boat will likely be just as happy in terms of speed. It might be faster as the sailing (and the steering) gets more efficient.

Find a breezy day, tuck in a reef and have fun passing unreefed clorox bottle boats all day long.

[Dick Kobayashi]

I remember similar experiences in my first typhoon while crossing BB. Buzzards Bay is not big in the overall scheme of things but it is big when you are the inexperienced captain of a 19 foot boat, having what you fear will be a once in a lifetime experience.

You did just fine and had the good sense to ask (men don't like to ask for directions or advice on sea or land).

I sail out of Mattapoisett and feel fortunate that we live/sail in an environment where there is plenty of wind, but also lots of places to tuck into out of the weather. You have a fine craft and will have many exhilarating, but secure sails in her.

[Joe A]

I was out there last Sunday as well. I launched my new CD Ty Weekender "Hardtack" in Mattapoisett Sat. and sailed over to Little Bay, Fairhaven on Sun. afternoon. Good thing I reefed before I left the mooring as the wind was starting to pick up. You can count on the steady SW afternoon breeze most days out there.
I have seen Buzzards Bay at its worst, during Hurricane Carol in 1954, I was on West Is. The day before the storm, we were out swimming at the beach with no warning of what was on the way.
The bay is a great place to sail and fish. I used to sail with my neighbor on the old "Wooden Shoe"( Dutch built blue lapstrake 30 footer) when she was the only sail boat from West Is. On weekends we would go out to Cutty Hunk or Woods Hole etc. It was so much fun to straddle the bow sprit and dangle your feet in the waves. As crazy kids we used to circumnavigate West Is. in our inner tubes chasing schools of Blue Fish and Striped Bass. Now there are tons of sail boats, kyaks, and Jet skies.
I have been reading this board for about a year now and enjoy it very much. Great group of people out there and am looking forward to seeing some of you out on the bay. I purchased my boat from Steven Dupuis from NH back in May. Couldn't find a more forthright and gracious person to buy a classic boat from. Steve got himself a CD 22. Thank you Steve.

Fair winds, Joe A