The Shields are designed for racing and daysailing in
sheltered waters. They are not designed for heavy weather since
they have low freeboard, no lifelines and the cockpit is not self-bailing.
A prudent skipper will always check the weather forecasts and
sailing conditions before going out sailing. Call for recorded
weather at 675-0503 or listen to the NOAA radio weather broadcast
on 162.55 MH (VHF radio). There is a weather radio on the side of
the UCI Bulletin Board at the base.
Everyone must abide by these rules. They are designed to
protect the equipment and the sailors. You can take chances with
your own boat but not with UCI's. (Or HMC's)
In Newport, these signals will be displayed at the Harbor Patrol office near the harbor entrance. The signals are:
lf you are caught out in heavy weather, there are several things tat you can do to make things more comfortable and minimize strain and damage. If the winds are causing the boat to heel too far, a fast solution is to let out the mainsheet and let the main luff. This is called a "fisherman's reef, and allows the boat to continue sailing on the jib if a sudden gust hits. After the gust passes, the mainsheet can be pulled back in. Prolonged luffing in heavy winds can cause the mainsail to rip along the leech. If the wind continues to be too strong, either reef the main as described below or lower it completely, furl it and sail with just the jib (see sailing with the jib under "jury rigging").
Heavy seas could broach (capsize) a Shields if they hit it sideways, or pitch pole it (throw it end over end) if they hit from the stern. The safest course in heavy seas is at a 45 degree angle into the waves or, if you must go downwind, a 45 degree angle down the wave. Attentive and skillful steering will be needed when sailing downwind to avoid broaching or jibing and you will only be allowed one mistake, so avoid it if you can.
UCI's cruising mainsails are equipped with reef points to allow the sail area to be reduced for stronger winds. With full sails, the Shields reaches its maximum speed in about 12 knots of wind. More wind causes greater heeling, causes excess strain and makes the boat difficult to control. At this point the boats will sail just as quickly with less sail area, be easier to handle and more comfortable. It is much easier and safer to reef at the dock than underway, so consider doing this if the wind is blowing more than 15 knots or so. Our reefing gear consists of a reefing tack, 3 reef points, and a reefing clew. To reef the sail from a full hoist position, have someone hold the end of the boom and lower the main halyard until the reefing tack is approximately at the level of the boom. Pasa a d~ort length of line through the reefing tack and secure it around the boom to hold it down, then around the mast to hold it forward. Now tighten the main halyard (with the winch) to take the wrinkles out of the luff. With the main sheet and boomvang slack, tie a second short length of line with a bowline to the reefing clew of the sail and secure it to the outhaul shackle, pulling the foot of the sail as tight as you can. Take the end of the line back through the reefing clew and secure it around the boom so that the line holds the clew aft and down. Roll up the loose part of the foot onto the boom and lightly tie the reef point lines around it with square knots (reef knots). The purpose of these three reef points is not to pull the foot of the sail down (they will rip if you try), but to gather up and secure the loose part of the foot.
To take the reef out, reverse the preceding process. Be sure you untie the reef points first or you will rip the sail. Next, untie the clew, then the tack, then hoist the halyard back up.
Again, it is very difficult to reef these boats while underway. The best solution would be to lower the mainsail completely before tying in the reefing tack and clew. After this is completed, raise the mainsail back up to its new position, sheet it in, gather up the loose foot and tie in the reef points.