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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