Sailing with Squalls

 

“The wind is switching directions,” I yelled over the screaming storm to my dad. “Our anchor won’t hold unless we let out more scope.”  Even after letting out more chain, the wind was pushing us toward the rocks!  If our anchor slipped or unhooked while we swung through 360°, our 38-foot sailboat would be tossed up against the rocks, and the boat would eventually be torn to pieces.

 
We were in the midst of a Tongan squall.  Sheets of rain came poring in on gusts of wind. I felt the stinging rain slap against my bare skin.  It was so thick it became difficult to see the shore.  If there were any rocks under water, we weren’t able to see them.  Suddenly the wind came from a new direction, perpendicular to the boat.  Even with the sails down the huge currents of air were able to tip our boat to a 45 degree angle.  I thought we might capsize, flipping the boat over.   We kept spinning in circles around and around our anchor as the boat rocked.

Below deck, Mom was yelling and laughing as she tried to catch plates that hadn’t yet been secured.  She had to raise her voice to be heard over the pounding of rain on the hull.  Above, it was loud as well.  My dad and I had to shout to hear each other.  It was as if the wind ripped the words out of the air and carried them away.

 We kept letting out more anchor chain out to ensure that the line would hold.  You could see gusts of wind coming and going, picking up and carrying raindrops as they went.  The boat deck was slippery with the wet.  I had to keep wiping my eyes so that I could see.  The water filled up my vision until I couldn’t see, like wearing goggles full of water on dry land.  As the drafts of wind collided, eddies of rain grew seven feet high.
 
But as quickly as it started, it ended.  The wind subsided, the sky brightened, and the rain slowed to a drizzle. When the clouds finally parted they revealed a golden sun and a clear sharp double rainbow. The squall had lasted a mere fifteen minutes.

To think that all the force and power of that storm came from a few patches of hot and cold air is rather strange.  The trade winds in the southern hemisphere go from east to west.  These winds are strong and consistent.  On the day of our experience with a squall, the weather had changed.  A cold patch of air that had formed somewhere around New Zeeland blew from southwest to northeast across the trade winds. When cold air and hot air collide, they form storms.
 
We were safe as safe as we could be in this unpredictable storm because we were prepared.  We knew to watch the weather patterns.  You can recognize this change in a weather pattern by observing the clouds.  Usually a South Pacific sky is blue with high cumulus clouds.  As a storm approaches, the sky will turn to gray and will be completely covered with clouds.   Even the water will turn gray as it reflects the sky.

We also listened to the chatter among the boaters over the radio.  Boaters love to share weather reports.  Boaters nearby reported turbulent seas, so we knew a storm was fast approaching.
 
Squalls are spotty.  They are small, intense storms within a much larger storm.  You don’t want to be under sail in a squall.  Because the weather suddenly changes, you quickly need to find a safe and secure anchorage.  You don’t want to be sailing in a squall.  Look for a location sheltered from the wind behind a headland.  You need good holding ground: you don’t want your anchor to slip.  A sandy bottom is more secure than a rocky shore.  Try to find shallow water far enough from the shore that your sailboat can swing on its anchor.  If the wind changes directions and your boat swings on its anchor in the opposite direction, you don’t want to hit the beach!   Remember to let out enough scope – anchor chain – so that your anchor will not be pulled out by the strong winds and current.  A watchful eye and securing a good anchorage make for safe sailing.