Intense Day, Wave is Tough as Nails

Had to pass this on. Yesterday, sailing on Isle of Palms in Charleston, SC. Wife and I went for a leisure sail down the beach. Wind was blowing about 15 knots, seas were 2-3 feet. Nice sailing conditions. We sailed downwind to end of the island and had to turn around to come home. Wind is blowing directly down the beach, so we need to tack and head out to sea and then tack and head in at about a 45 degree angle to head up the beach. Wind in our face, sailing into the waves, but not bad. Pretty typical conditions here.

Then on the horizon a storm starts brewing. We were about a 2 miles offshore and headed in. Storm moves closer, lightning starts, we decide to put in on beach and wait it out. Storm picks up speed and hits us right as we a beaching. A big gust of about 30-40 knots hits us as we get off boat and takes it right over on beach, mast in the sand. We pulled it over, dropped sail, pulled it on beach, and waited storm out. In 5 minutes the storm passed over.

We could see another storm on the horizon but thought we had a chance of making it home before it hits. We headed back out. Only made it 800 yards up the beach and the storm is almost on us. We put in again. Pulled sails down, pulled it up on beach to wait it out. This storm is bigger, lots of lightning, we left beach to take shelter. The storm hits and has these gusts of wind that were 50-60. Trash cans flying down the street, debris everywhere. Storm lasted about 15 minutes and pushed down the beach. I had a bad feeling the boat might be gone and when I went out to the beach it was gone. I spotted it about 200 yards down the beach, in the water, trapped against the IOP pier, mast in the water, one hull in the air. I thought it would be a total wreck. When I got to it, it looked ok. Pulled it over, up on the beach. Everything looked fine. Could not believe it.

Still had to get home. Storm is gone, wind is now blowing 25 knots, seas are 6-8 feet, I raised sails and went out solo to sail it up the beach. It was the wildest sail of my life. Basically hanging on, sailing directly into the waves, tacking was impossible through the waves, trying to gybe it downwind in that wind and surf the wind was pushing bow into water with so much force the rudders came out of the water, water filled tramp, but did not go over. After 4 attempts, finally got it gybed and sailed it home. It was pounded but made it home and took it in for the day. The bob on the mast has a big dent in it but everything else seems in order.

Not sure how a fiberglass boat would have handled the beating my Wave took today but I have a newfound respect for it. Going sailing again today.

Thanks for sharing like to read stories about the Hobie Wave

Hell yeah. Most excellent

Next time take a video! http://gopro.com/

ALL Hobies are tough as nails! Years ago, at Sandy Point SP in MD, my 16 along with about a dozen other boats of varying makes was caught on the beach in a microburst. Boats were thrown everywhere like toys. My 16 was cartwheeled down the beach and the only damage was a couple of broken mainsail battens. In hurricane Irene, the tiedowns on my 14 broke and she was hurled out by the road still tied to the trailer, landing upside down with the trailer wheels pointing up. Only damage there was a rip in the tramp and some scarring where a tiedown ratchet hit the hull (perfect impression). Also both boats have seen 30+ years of beach landings- often hard coming off the shore break out here, capsizes, and being knocked over on the beach. Both boats, though not as pretty as they once were are still seaworthy. Hobie builds a quality product-probably a good part of their survival all these years while competetors fell by the wayside!

Dave