Discussion from long term Goat Island Skiff owners about sailing upwind in choppy water and how the GIS handles it with Video evidence. They share some tips for sailing fast in rough conditions and reducing slap to next to nothing.
Mark asked a question on the GIS Facebook group, and three of the most experienced owners answered
Mark Asked on the GIS Facebook Group:
Does anyone sail their GIS in very choppy locations?
How does she do with very steep, close chop (0.5-1m)? Added power boat wakes?
I am thinking specifically about Buzzards Bay in MA, USA, if anyone has sailed there. I am wondering about the flat bottom banging much like a sunfish or other “board” boats, and ability to keep momentum which is an issue in my Beetle Cat. Thanks for any comments!
Simon Lew in Florida explains his experience with rough water and the GIS. Compare with Beetlecat
The GIS is a very light, flat bottom boat.
You can get into conditions that will make it slap but it can be minimised.
The solution is to heel a bit and then she presents a very sharp V entry that does quite well. Upwind in chop there’s a balance between optimal sail trim and optimal heel for punching through.
Worst is light wind with left over chop where you don’t have enough power to slice through it. I’ve sailed with beetle cats on many occasions.
Upwind in chop the GIS is a much drier ride. The Beetle cat puts up a lot of spray whereas the GIS slices through.
The GIS is always significantly faster.
If the wind is light enough that the Beetle cat is not fully powered up I have to literally sail a circle around it to slow down enough to carry on a conversation. On the flip side, they capsize less. 😁
Here’s an example of us making good progress into a decent chop.
Video image can take a moment to load.
The boat is loaded down with 4 adults so has a lot of momentum to punch through. Notice how dry it is even with a lot of weight in the bow. Wind is mid teens. If it was pounding you would hear it in the audio as it’s pretty loud against the thin ply hull when it happens.
How to stop the Slap – John Goodman in Texas does long treks in sometimes very rough conditions
Bow Down Trim is the Secret of a Smooth Ride
I have found that keeping the bow down so it slicing into large waves makes the boat more comfortable when it’s choppy.
Some of these early videos show us keeping the bow up which we don’t do any more when going upwind.
The picture here is me sailing solo sail in about 12-15 knots of breeze. Note that I am sitting at the mid-seat and the bow is down. I sat on the rail for about 5 hours going to windward.
Note from the Designer – this isn’t really bow down, it is sailing with the crew where they were intended to be. Skipper just behind the mid seat, Crew on the mid seat.
And immersed bow also can generate a lot of lift to windward. The water also braces the bow from being blown or knocked sideway by wave and wind.
Simon Lew replied:
John Goodman, that’s my experience as well. I don’t race so it’s hard to be sure but I think I point a good bit higher with my weight on the rail, at mid seat.
John Goodman also supplied this video. It is a bit reachy, but can see that meeting large waves and close spaced chop doesn’t make the bow bounce – as there is not much buoyancy forward to make it lift. And if it doesn’t lift … it doesn’t drop. That is part of the reason that cramming forward upwind works.
Video image can take a moment to load.
Paul Hayslett of NY confirmed that keeping forward makes the boat faster Upwind in waves
Ditto. I sail in Long Island Sound, where a short, nasty chop is pretty common. Keep your weight forward and let it heel a little and you don’t get much slap.
Compare the widths of the bow panel and normal bow height above water when sailing to a Sunfish
The videos above are a better comparison, but can get a feeling for the much narrower bow of the Goat here. Mark sailing in Norfolk, UK.
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