50+ KNOTS: Survival Tactics & The Danger of "Growlers" | Sailing Truth Show

You'd better tether in for this one! We're discussing what actually happens when the wind exceeds 50 knots offshore, and what real options you have when it does. At that point, you don’t have unlimited choices. You have a few. In this Sailing Truth Show, we break down: • Heaving-to vs. running off (and when to make that decision) • When drogues actually matter • Why timing is everything • The decision mistakes sailors make at 45–50 knots • How sea state changes everything • What leadership really looks like when it gets violent By the time you're in 50+ knots, you’re executing decisions you made days earlier. 📘 Be The Captain — A Field Manual for Offshore Sailing Hardcover + instant audiobook: 👉 https://bethecaptain.com/ Captain’s Locker — free offshore checklists, watch schedules, and emergency cards: 👉 https://bethecaptain.com/pages/locker Chapters 00:00:00 - Introduction: Heavy Weather Sailing with Guest Ryan Rayfield 00:01:30 - Survival at Sea: 75 Knots on Sail Libra 00:02:40 - The 50-Knot Threshold: Why Everything Changes at 50 Knots 00:04:10 - Weather Routing: Visualizing Storms with PredictWind 00:07:30 - Wave Dynamics: Primary Swell vs. Wind Waves (The Mack Truck Analogy) 00:10:00 - Understanding "Growlers": The Danger of Breaking Waves 00:11:50 - Real-time Tactics: Choosing to Maintain Momentum in Big Seas 00:13:30 - Personal Story: Sailing through "Sea Smoke" and 45-Knot Winds 00:16:10 - The Beaufort Wind Scale: Understanding Force 9 & 10 00:18:20 - Preparation & Damage: Ripped Solar Panels and Real-life Rescues 00:22:00 - Giveaway: "Be the Captain" Book Drawing 00:26:00 - Multihull vs. Monohull Storm Tactics 00:29:00 - The "Heaving To" Tactic: Pros, Cons, and Chafe Prevention 00:32:00 - Reaching and Running Off Strategies 00:36:00 - Using a Drogue: Surfing, Control, and the Jordan Series Drogue 00:41:00 - Sea Anchors vs. Drogues: Deployment and Lessons Learned 00:46:00 - Last Resort: Lying a Hull 00:49:00 - Hurricane Quadrants: Identifying the Dangerous Semicircle 00:53:00 - Q&A: Ryan Rayfield and the New Book 01:33:16 - Advanced Reefing: Using Sewn-in Blocks to Reduce Friction 01:35:51 - Closing: Future Sailing Opportunities and Final Remarks