I always feared it, but it never happened--a capsize. After a while I became bolder and we had more flying hulls controlling the cat by moving a few degrees into the wind right before the situation got out of hand, and the hull always came down immediately. Until yesterday.

The unpredictable East wind is like on/off. No more than a mild breeze, then a violent 20 knot gust a minute later. Ten minutes later you feel like grabbing the paddle.

After flipping over, we used our home-made righting pole and I did manage to bring the cat up, only to capsize immediately to the other side. No, bows were not pointing 45 degrees into the wind, I'm aware of that mistake, also failed to grab the dolphin striker. I tried a second time, but got exhausted trying after a while, and 30 minutes later, the mast had taken about a gallon of water. With that, my 160 lbs could no longer do it.

Anyway, though they might work, righting poles seem like a cumbersome system to me. I'm tired of it. For those interested, the pole is as long as the width of the tramp, extendible to twice that length.

Righting bag then! Are there any righting bags you can recommend?

I think Andrew was the one who posted about having purchased one that was no good (can't find the post). I'd like to avoid ordering a flawed product as in my case would not be easy to return.

Thanks,
Dan

I have 2 bags, One I got from Colorado bag Co. and I think I got the other one from Murrays..... si far I didn't have to use them, but I take em. I spray mine with 'Camp Dry' it's a silicone base spray~~ (waterproof spray). A little extra weight won't hurt....

--
~ Vietnam Vet 69-71~ 17 Hobie w/big jib, ~18 Hobie mag,~DN Ice sailor,
and other toys.......
~~ I live in NY state on the north shore of Oneida lake in
Bernhards Bay. ~~~~~~
--

popeyez7 is obviously sailing wrong if he hasn't used his righting bags! (kidding)

Ok, here's my scoop. i used to carry a murry's large bag (and blocks) that i purchased HERE for $100. the weekend i got it.. i capsized my new (to me) mystere 5.5 (and went through the sail window) in a 25knot gybe (gone bad).

I was able to deploy the bag, fill it and right the cat in 5 minutes (i was in or close to in the lea of an island)

a few months later, a friend asked to borrow the bag to see if he could right his mystere 6.0 (with wings). HE COULDN"T. the bag seemed to be leaking and to much was spilling out.

it was suggested (perhaps by popeyez7) to use camping seal spray. i sprayed the SNOT out of the bag (inside and out). a few weeks later, a friend capsized (with spinnaker out) and i threw him my bag... same result.. water pouring over the side and seemingly leaking out the bag bottom too... i had to anchor up, swim to him and help him. he did not uncleat his main, he had his spin shrimped (in the water) and i dont think we had the bows 45* so i am not sure the bag was the problem...

I called murrays and they told me the bags leak,.. and spill and its normal. i said i didnt think the bag was leaking originally...

ANYWAY>.. since the murray's bag wasn't working anymore, a friend suggested i get the LARGE bag from SaltyDog.com. I did. it looks great.. and looks like it will work, but is un-tested to date.

I am also not sure they are still available as i didn't see it on their site anymore and wrote to them about it. they said it was out of production till the spring (that was last year) ...

PS the capsize wasn't that bad was it? they usually are slow and as long as you mark your landing (away from booms, sails, shrouds, daggers, etc) not so bad...

How did you get the boat back up?

It blows me away that some people can go seasons without capsizing...I think I flipped every day I sailed my first season.

Anyway, on my 5.2, which lots of people tell me I 'should' be able to right by myself, I use a righting bag from Colorado bag co. I'll take a pic of the setup and add it to the thread. It's really simple to use and pops the boat right up. The biggest problem is getting the bag back on board...its scary how easily the boat can drag around 200lbs of water. I hit a buoy trying to pull the bag in last time, but that's a story for another time.

--
Rob
OKC
Pile of Nacra parts..
--

I never once flipped my h16 (one time a girl i let skipper did) in 6 or 7 years of owning it (i admit i didnt sail all that often)


i have only flipped my mystere 2x. Once mentioned above when i porly executed a gybe in 25-30, and 1 time coming out a pass, on the wire, with tide,curent and wind all in different directions, spun my cat around and put me on leaward (and still on the wire) and the boat flipped ontop of me (didnt hit me)

I have the large righting bag. As it happens, I don't use it much (no I still capsize, I just had crew or a righting pole!) and I'm getting ready to sell it. If you want to contact me offlist, I can try to work out something for you.

Sheldon


nesdog1122 at yahoo dot com



edited by: nesdog, Nov 19, 2009 - 01:23 PM

Quote

The biggest problem is getting the bag back on board...its scary how easily the boat can drag around 200lbs of water. I hit a buoy trying to pull the bag in last time, but that's a story for another time.

also dont forget to tie a stopper know in the line used to lift the bag... a friend of mine watched his $100 bag sink as it slipped through the blocks after he righted the cat.

PS if you can grab the bag.. turn it upside down before lifting out of the water :)

andrewscott

PS the capsize wasn't that bad was it? they usually are slow and as long as you mark your landing (away from booms, sails, shrouds, daggers, etc) not so bad...

How did you get the boat back up?

A classic--tipping over in slow motion, and you only believe it is really happening the moment you start falling... I landed on the sail, while my sailing partner unfortunately hit the boom. Nothing serious, just hurt.

The harbor police rushed to our rescue after someone had called them. I had to convince them that there was no need to save our lives, just help pulling on that line...

Thanks everyone for your recommendations.

Dan

Here's mine. I used some trapeze parts, a cheap snap shackle, and an SS D ring. Works perfectly.

Quote

also dont forget to tie a stopper know in the line used to lift the bag... a friend of mine watched his $100 bag sink as it slipped through the blocks after he righted the cat.

PS if you can grab the bag.. turn it upside down before lifting out of the water :)

ditto on all this. If I had a clue how to sew I'd stick a handle on the bottom of it as getting a grip on the bottom while the pressure of the water is trying to fill the bag is a pain.

edit: I just kicked my shoe off to put in the pic to show some scale.



edited by: yurdle, Nov 19, 2009 - 06:21 PM

--
Rob
OKC
Pile of Nacra parts..
--

No intent to discredit the manufacturer, but I agree with Andrew that the bag should not leak, especially with that price tag. Is
this the one?

http://www.murrays.com/mm…-3280&Category_Code=C-RI

There is nothing at Salty Dog.

Thanks,
Dan






edited by: catdan, Nov 19, 2009 - 06:46 PM

Does anyone have this one?
http://www.murrays.com/mm…-3280&Category_Code=C-RI
Again, at that price tag I will assume it is no flawed product, but I better ask around before.

Dan

yes that is the bag i had that leaked.
it was used and did work 1 time, but i can't chance it again

in the image of the bag they show a girl with it. the guy from murray's said, the pic should show water spilling over the side (makes sense that it will spill out when you pull it up as it squeezes) but not from the bottom.

Yurdle:
that looks like my new Salty Dog bag.. .is it?
also, that line (and block) look pretty thin for 200lbs of water.. you can pull the bag up when full with that system?

PS, i thought the shoe was to throw at your crew for making your boat capsize (always crew's fault)

@Andrew: Its from Colorado Bag co's ebay store. The line is 3/16 Sta-set, the block is the block from the Nacra trapeze system...actually I use that same line on my trapezes, so that's basically the exact same thing that I use to hold my crew up (I yanked those blocks from the skipper trap lines). I can't imagine that 200lbs would ever cause it any problems...maybe the jam cleat could slip or something, but it sure isn't going to break.

I only fill it about 3/4 of the way full. It's easy enough to hoist with the 2:1.

Capsizing is certainly the crew's fault, but that bag is my crew, so a good dunking is where I stop. I think i'd just lose the shoe.

--
Rob
OKC
Pile of Nacra parts..
--