NavList:

Hey Sean and All,
My boat is a sturdy 1976 Westsail 43 and she is a heavy cruiser. One night just west and about 45 pts stbd; 20 miles out, off the Azores I ran afoul of a squall and was caught up in no time among the heaviest seas I have yet to encounter. It was supposed to be a pleasant crossing and all hell broke loose. I was hit at about 4 pts starboard by the lead waves towering 15 feet above my waterline, I then tried to turn myself into the wind and the waves when the second wave of nastiness came upon me, this time I estimate the waves to have been around 25 to 30, in a relatively small single-handed boat, 30 foot waves are about the limit, and then a good 3 minutes later came the granddaddy of rogue waves, easily a 50 to 60 footer and breaking amidships. Worse possible scenario for troughing. Nice thing about a Westsail though is that they were made for heavy weather and they are simply put: a lifeboat with good sails. A westie can get knocked down and do a full 360 or 180 and right herself on the next pass of heavy, energy socked waves. Loosing a mast however is another story, especially on those deck stepped and booted masts. That is why I prefer the fishing trawler/full keel and keel-stepped mast design of the Westsails, I am not out for speed, just to cruise along and bide my time and get to where I am going in one piece.

The guys in this video (were they USCG?) hit the waves just right, but power can do that for you. Go bare poled and power up. Thing is, engines flood and wash out quickly, that is why canvas is a sure thing.

Give me a boat and a star to steer by and I am in heaven. Math problems and solving them with a slide rule make for good fun in the doldrums. Heavy weather calls for a single hander like myself to be all hands on deck in more ways than one!
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