Before we head offshore, most skippers spend a lot of time and money getting ready, particularly if you are making your first offshore passage. One of the questions that needs to be answered honestly and carefully is how well are you, the boat and your crew prepared to face winds over 30 knots? If you have a slab-reefing mainsail, how deeply can it be reefed? Veteran offshore sailors and most sailmakers will recommend adding a deep third reef so it effectively becomes a storm main. How will you control the boom in seriously rough seas? Preventers are essential that can be easily rigged and controlled from the cockpit. A boom brake is also a good boom-control solution. After all, the boom is the most dangerous piece of equipment on the boat. How will you shorten down the headsail? Most of us have roller furling genoas or jibs, so the procedure is to roll it up until about a third is still flying. But, you also have to be able to move the sheet cars forward, from the cockpit, so the top of the jib doesn’t twist off and flog itself to death. And the sail needs a luff pad so it will roll up evenly. On most production sloops, staysails are a thing of the past, yet being able to fly a storm staysail, that is braced with running backstays, is an excellent option and should be considered for long-haul passagemaking. For the crew, make sure anyone prone to seasickness is on their meds, well rested and feed everyone a good warm meal before the high wind hits. On deck, lash everything down and furl cockpit canvass such as a Bimini and insert. Below decks, secure all lockers, doors and drawers with positive dead-bolt latches if possible. Duct tape works, too. You don’t want the galley knife drawer ejecting its contents in a knockdown. If you reef early, get control of the boom, batten down the boat and choose an optimal course, storm conditions are manageable and will soon pass.
