It's been a pretty good summer, lots of time off & good wind. I've managed 35 days of sailing so far this season.
On thurs afternoon my buddy came up for the day, hot, humid, & windy. I don't know what the winds were officially clocked at, but with both of us on the wire, (350 lb total) we couldn't hold it down at times. The south winds means large swells as it has a fetch of 50 miles.
After almost 2 hours of hi speed reaching, I swapped positions with my buddy. He just took up sailing last year, & has only a few hours at the helm of a Cat. He was doing a pretty good job, though we flipped when he bungled a gybe.
I was getting him comfortable flying a hull, & building confidence with keeping it in the air, rather than instantly heading up & sheeting out as soon as it lifted clear. Things were going pretty good as I let him experience how power was dumped as the boat tilted to greater angles. We then practised some hi speed runs, surfing down the back side of the rollers.
All was great fun until we crested a wave flying a hull, & my buddy steered directly into the steep face of a couple of closely packed waves. With a gust the boat accelerated as we crested the first wave. The boat then pointed sharply downwards, driving the only hull with water contact under. I watched it submarine right to the beam, & figured it would rise, it always did before. Then the other hull came down, smack into the face of a large roller. We were powered up, & the wind just kept driving the boat down. As soon as I felt the stern lift, I knew we were phukt, but I couldn't disengage the hook quick enough to execute an admirable back flip. All I managed was a feeble hand out to prevent my face from eating the bridle wire. It would have been a good vantage point to witness my buddy going over my head, still hooked in, if my head hadn't been 3' underwater.
Basically my 5.7 went ass over tea kettle, at speed, something I've never seen it attempt before. WOW, what a ride! It tore a laced up water shoe off my buddies foot.
We got it back up, checked everything over, nothing seemed amiss, so we powered up & blasted off again for the better part of another hour.
Buddy blames me for not being far enough aft, I say if he hadn't had the reflexes of a drunken sloth all would be fine, after all I NEVER PITCHED THE DAMN THING IN THE PREVIOUS 2 HOURS
That was the best day of sailing this entire summer.
This old 5.7 might not be the newest or the fastest boat around, but it sure is a hoot to be double trapped, & just drive the hell out it through whatever comes along.
This is the first time I seen the ass end lift, & we have driven it harder, in stronger winds. Was it stuffing the wave while flying a hull that kicked our butts?
What do the more experienced people do to save it when the stern lifts? Is dumping some sheet quick enough, or are you doomed once the process begins?



Edited by Edchris177 on Sep 05, 2011 - 08:49 PM.

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Hobie 18 Magnum
Dart 15
Mystere 6.0XL Sold Was a handful solo
Nacra 5.7
Nacra 5.0
Bombardier Invitation (Now officially DEAD)
Various other Dock cluttering WaterCrap
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Edchris177

What do the more experienced people do to save it when the stern lifts?Edited by Edchris177 on Sep 05, 2011 - 08:49 PM.

Sheet in, shut up, hang on.




Edited by mummp on Sep 06, 2011 - 06:15 AM.

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Philip
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Unhook and do a backflip seems like a good idea.

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Nacra 5.2
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i won't call myself more experienced

but stuffing the bow in a wave is bad juju on any multi and something that fast multis really have to be very careful of

i guess there is all sorts of pyhsics involved esp. when there is a strong following gust

even if you can spill the main quickly your jib is normally very full and seems to become fuller as the sterns lift...

newer designs have wave peircing hulls (look at the tops of the new C2's or Vipers) that can handle being underwater well and reduce "dive"

some have their front beams moved back a smidge so they can handle being driven harder (see the viper)

all you can do is get your weight further back and try to time the waves as best as possible.

out here in the santa barbara channel waves can get steep in a hurry .As crew its your job to release the jib sheet, that always brings her nose back up.another trick is to travel out your main not alot maybe a foot!Thay way there is no twisting of the main ,it's always the skippers fault,also you could open the slot a touch that will depower a taste ,


walls
5.2-for sale-
5.5 -frisky kitty
tri-point ocean race-winner!

EC,
I'm pretty sure you got er right. Once your were headed down the steep wave and stuffed the bow into the next 2 it was too late to do much. You could have depowered a bit but I believe it was mostly a steering error IMHO. Diving the boat straight into and over a big steep waves is never a good idea. Or maybe it was a good idea! Sounds like you had fun doing it!

D.

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Dave Bonin
1981 Nacra 5.2 "Lucile"
1986 Nacra 5.7 "Belle"
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
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I SLOWLY let the main sheet out to bring'er back down. If you dump the sheet, the bows will come to a complete stop and you'll come off the boat for sure, whether it goes over or not.

Steering has got nothing to do with it once you're in recovery mode, as the rudders aren't doing much up out of the water.

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Rob
OKC
Pile of Nacra parts..
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The C2, Capricorn, Nacra 20 and Nacra Infusion will all pitchpole. Don't ask me how I know.

gbkersey

The C2, Capricorn, Nacra 20 and Nacra Infusion will all pitchpole. Don't ask me how I know.

all cats can pitchpole, but some handle stuffing bows much better than others

You don't ALWAYS want to try to save it. I busted my tiller and lost my carbon hot stick last year holding on too long. Not to mention its was a very long peter pan from the skipper slot. Smart thing would have been too let go (do a back flip), then right the boat. Instead we had to sail a crippled boat in and next day parts from murray's.

On a lighter note. The winds finally arrived on Lake Michigan. Got the Nacra into the double bonus round on Saturday by flying both hulls (concurrently).




Edited by nhanson on Sep 07, 2011 - 10:46 PM.

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nacra inter-18
CNBP
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I watched in horror as my daughters boyfriend and buddy pitch poled my NACRA 18 squared this summer.

No foul no harm. They both lost their sneakers which floated ashore and were returned the next day by neighbours.



Edited by nl_expatriate on Sep 07, 2011 - 09:40 PM.

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NACRA 18 SQ uared

Okanagan, BC, Can
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Quote

On a lighter note. The winds finally arrived on Lake Michigan. Got the Nacra into the double bonus round on Saturday by flying both hulls (concurrently).

haha! cool.
Macca (racer and developer for Nacra) had posted some videos when the Nacra Carbon20 came out of them intentionally trying to launch it out of the water on the curved boards.. it was awesome. if i find it again i will post it

Quote

On a lighter note. The winds finally arrived on Lake Michigan. Got the Nacra into the double bonus round on Saturday by flying both hulls (concurrently).

The NOAA report for on Labor Day was 8-12 foot waves with 35 knot winds near Wilmette. I chose to pass that day. Looks like Saturday was a good day.

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Scott,
‘92 H18 w/SX wings
‘95 Hobie Funseeker 12 (Holder 12)
‘96/‘01/‘14 Hobie Waves
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I choose to not sail Monday as well... just had one of those feelings.

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nacra inter-18
CNBP
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