righting systems for a nacra 5.0 solo sailing

Are you racing? If not a mast float may help, combined with the use of "power righting". I have one of Gary's older Solorights, and it doesn't involve any rivets or drilling. The lines simply clip around the upper crossbeams when you capsize, you place the pole in position in the centerboard slot, and holding your righting line, walk out the pole. I haven't tried it yet, but feel sure it should work. Check out his web site.

Thank you Brian, but my cat has no centerboards or lips

You're right about the power righting pole and not being any better. I have the same problem righting my Taipan 4.9 by myself. What I finally rigged on my boat, which seems to work, is the power righting pole with a water bag. I have modified the righting pole with a pulleys system (4:1) so I can host the bag full of water out to end end of the pole. This added weight combined with my 145 pounds is enough to right the boat. In heavy winds, I have still had a problem getting the bows of the boat oriented into the wind. Because the the Taipan is so light and floats so high in the water when capsized, me standing on the bows is just not enough to get the boat to turn into the wind. To correct this problem, I have add a sea anchor to the safety equipment I carry on board when I sail. I havn't tried it yet but I am hoping this will turn the boat into the wind. Another issue I'm trying to deal with is the boat can drift quite fast when capsized and I'm not that great of a swimmer. Recently, the boat almost drift away from me while I was trying to climb back on the boat to right it. I think I will start dragging a line behind the boat in the higher wind conditions so I might have something to grab onto if the boat starts to drift away next time.

Hope this information helps.

Jennifer
Taipan 4.9 #262

WARNING: If you go with the power pole, make sure you add a line to prevent the pole from swinging forward of the dolphin striker. I didn't have one the first time I used the pole and ended up ripping the power pole base out of the cross beam. Not a pretty sight on a brand new boat.

I sail a 5.2 and I did 3 things to make it solo-rightable:

1. Make the mast as water-tight a possible.
2. Shroud extenders.
3. Ditched the "stretch-righting" line and threaded a large line through the front x-bar for righting.

I've been sailing the 5.0 for a couple years and have gotten plenty of chances to try righting it solo or with a non-helpful crew (eg one of my kids). What have I learned?

1. Sealing the mast (silicone around all the fittings) to prevent turtling is absolutely essential. Since doing this, I've never needed assistance in righting the boat.

2. Positioning the boat is critical--I try to get the bows and mast each pointed 45 degrees from the wind (so the wind is pointing right at the mast step. Take as much time as necessary to get the boat into this position. Don't bother trying to right it in any other orientation (unless there is no wind--of course hopefully you wouldn't be capsized then). Also, make sure your sails are uncleated.

3. I use a non-stretch righting line tied to the dolphin striker that I flip up and over the hull. **The lack of daggerboards make it much harder to get good leverage.** I'm 180lbs and can right the 5.0 solo but with considerable athletic effort. Also, I've found it much easier to right rigged uni (main only) than rigged sloop. So if the breeze is up, consider sailing without the jib. The 5.0 sails reasonably well uni. I have an aversion to riveting extra items onto the boat if I can avoid it, so I'm sticking with the line-only system.

4. I emailed Gary once about the solo right and he told me it wouldn't work on the 5.0

5. Ed Norris who writes on this forum has installed a pole righting system on his 5.0, but I haven't heard how it works. If you can't climb out to the end of the pole, I doubt you'll get much benefit. Not having daggerboards does make it harder!

Good luck.

Thank you all for your comments. I also thought about the power pole and the righting bag,JenniferL, I think you can even forget about hiking out if you can hang a really heavy righting bag(with a 4:1 pulley, of course,)from the end of the pole and then swing it out, but it would take a lot of time.
Anyway, This morning I decided to test ashore a self-made solo-right and I lifted the mast tip about 5 feet from the ground by just leaning half my weight( I was standing )against the end of the 5 feet pole. It didn't go higher because the pole couldn't go under the ground!. I'm testing it in the water tomorrow. I think it will work.

I have e-mailed Gary about the solo-right and the lipless, boardless nacra 5.0 but I get an automatic reply. I want to purchase his wonderful invention but I live in Cadiz, Spain and I have to wait at least until December (no promises he says).

Flounder, I also thought about the shroud extenders but somebody told me the mast could go off the mast step ball and make a real mess. Is that true?

I always use a float that I raise with the main sail and my mast is sealed. I did the 40 degrees to the wind thing with the righting bag and I couldn't even get the mast clear off the water, I think I need a strong wind to right the boat with just a rope and my 160 lbs ( + the righting bag!)

Well, thank you again.

Francisco
Cadiz
Spain

Francisco,

Leave the pin in the mast base. The mast rotates fine with it in, and then there is no way it can come off the ball. That way, shroud extenders should be okay.

I'm very surprised you couldn't get the mast clear of the water, even at 160lbs, and especially with a water bag. How long were you hanging for? When I right my 5.0 alone, it seems like I'm hanging forever with nothing happening. Finally, after what seems like an eternity (but is really probably about 20-30 seconds), I see the mast start to move. Very slowly it starts to rise. Then, as soon as the mast finally clears the surface of the water, the whole rig just pops up in a matter of a couple seconds. So I'm just wondering if you were hanging long enough?

Eric,
The problem with the bag is that it is really difficult to hike out pushing it. I couldn't put my weight and the bag's out enough and long enough. I'll try the way you say without the righting bag.

As for the mast base pin, I didn't even know there was one, I have to buy one because my second-hand 5.0 didn't come with it. There is an old saying in Spain "You'll never go to bed without having learnt something"

I think I'll get those shroud extenders as well as the solo-right. I just like having double chances.

Thanks again

Francisco

Sounds really good, but one suggestion: don't leave the mast base pin in place continously. The reason is that if you dismast, the pinned-on base will damage the dolphin striker rod, the mast base ball, and possibly the main beam. So carry the pin on boat, but only install it when you wish to use the shroud extenders.

good luck

I did right my 5.0 with the self-made solo right I mentioned. I spent some time deploying it (I have to make some changes) but as soon as I was near the end of the 5 feet pole, the ship came on her two hulls immediately. My pole is very rudimentary and it's not easy to keep it in place before you step on it but i'm going to attach a sort of v-shaped craddle which will make deploying much easier. I can't thank Gary enough for his great idea. I think solo sailors do owe him a lot.

Francisco

Thanks for the warning Andrew

I need to make a righting system for my Prindle 16 and it sounds like Gary has the best system out there. Way to go Gary and good luck on your product. But I am money poor since my two daughters cost more to raise than it would be to buy a small country. I think of myself as a McGyver type of person so I am sorry to say (Gary) that I must build my own righting system. Francisco, what kind of hardware did you use to make yours and what should I watch out for??? Any suggestions would be very appreciated!!!!
Thanks.,.,.,

Well, Prindlefish, I use a piece (165 cm long) of a fiberglass windsurfing mast. I attached two eyestraps to it, one near each end and run a line through each of them and around the pole so that you have 4 line ends with a snapring each. I also tied a line around both ends of each crossbeam so that I have 4 line rings. I also have a thick 10 meters long righting line tied to the dolphin striker rod. Once I capsize I first take the righting line and throw it over the upper hull and then tie the other end arond the rear end of the upper hull so that you have an u-shaped line, then I clip the four snaprings onto the 2 line rings of the top hull and put the v-sahped end of the pole against the keel of the bottom hull. Then I walk up the pole grabbing the righting line for balance and up she goes! Before testing I was scared the upper hull will land on me but it doesn't: you sink right in the middle.

Problems: The v-shaped pole end is too narrow and it's diffcult to keep it in place; besides it puts pressure on a very small area of the keel(but this can be avoided attaching a v-shaped craddle at the end of the pole).
Once you are on board again you untie the righting line from the rear hull and stow it in the pouch, unclip the snaprings from the forward line ring and then the ones at the rear, you pull the lines grab the pole, coil the lines, secure them to the pole with velcro straps and then secure the pole to the rear lacing again with velcro straps.

Hope this will help

Francisco

The Power Righter is designed for two people on a two-man boat, however, it works fine for me on the Taipan 4.9 as a single-hander.
Jeffifer on her T4.9 is much lighter than I am, so it might not work for her at the standard length. And the reason there is a "standard length" is due to shipping costs. The pole is the maximum length that will allow for reasonable shipping rates.
As the word goes, "... give me pole long enough and a place to stand and I can move the earth!"
So, if you want to solo right and do not have enough weight, add length to the pole. Perhaps you can find an old windsurfer mast that will sleeve inside or outside the righting pole and epoxy it in place.
Good luck,
Rick

Hello Francisco,
I am speaking from the point of view of the so called 'shroud extension system'. There is much more to this system than the 'shroud extenders' but as long as that is what everybody wants to key on, let's call it that.
The 'shroud extender lever' is just one key part of the system but it is not all of the system by a long shot. The shroud lever when opened takes the tension out of the rig and that is its total job in the righting system. The next step is to pull the clevis pin, a push button Avibank pin, at the lower end of the shroud. Then there is a parallel shroud extension wire connected to the chainplate that slides down the main shroud and extends the overall length of the shroud about 18 inches. This allows the upper hull to move 18 inches away from the sails in the water while the lower hull moves 18 inches toward the sails. This 36 inch relative position change between the hulls changes the upper hull from a position of 'retarding the righting of the boat' to 'helping to right the boat'. This greatly reduces the weight required to right the boat, like from two people to one person.
When the shroud was extended, it is possible for the mast to come unstepped if your boat is not equipped with a captive mast step and ball. If this is the case, then it is necessary to rig a connecting line between the bottom end of the mast and the main beam. This line is in place and slack at all times while normal sailing. In the case of a turnover, step number one, is to tighten this line and cleat it in a cleat located on the main beam and pull all of the slack out of it. This will keep your mast base on the ball when the shroud is extended.
Extending the upper shroud and allowing the hulls to change relative position by three feet makes it possible for one small to medium size person to right the boat. The harder the wind is blowing, the smaller the person can be, like 120 pounds.
When the boat is righted, the unchanged, unextended, shroud is to windward. Hold the helm down and keep the boat on same tack it was righted on while reconnecting the leeward shroud, the extended shroud. Once the pin is back in place and the lever is tight, continue sailing.
This is 1976 SuperCat technology and is on every SC of every size ever produced.
Good Sailing,
Bill

The previous edition of the SoloRight used three, 3/16" bridle lines, while the new SoloRights use only one set of 7/64" bridle lines.

The old ones had a bridle that supported the end of the stick that contacted the hull. They held the stick from fore-aft movement, up-down movement, and in-out movement. You may consider this approach. If you would like to see a picture and a (poor) drawing of it, check out post number 18165 on this forum. I'll try to give the link here:
post number 18165
http://www.catsailor.com/forums/sho... page=&view=&sb=5&o=&vc=1

Heres one I made from a piece of conduit...
it has a limit control that prevents hitting dolphin stricker and is offset on its pivit that makes it self extend as you put your weight on it.
Bungee cord retracts it after righting.
It stays permanetly installed.
To test tip your assembled boat over and put rolled up sail at top of mast... if you can lift that you should be able to right it on water.
I don't fear sailing single handed with this installed.
Much faster righting too.
A sailbaord mast would be ideal if you ever come accross one cheap.
photos.yahoo.com/klattu2

or

http://f2.pg.photos.yahoo.com/klattu2

look in Sol Cat folder and hit the show all button.