Had High Voltage (F16 Stealth) out solo yesterday, blasting about in puffy winds around 20 kts. Eventually messed up while working the downwind side of the power window, and didn't bear away fast enough in a big puff, and slowly capsized. Quickly scrambled aboard the lower hull and deployed the righting pole (carbon windsurf mast, larger dia end attached to the main beam with a universal joint, just aft of the dolphin striker,with a couple lines to attach to the upper hull), and worked my way out to the end. For this system to work with just my 160 lbs, I have to hook my legs around the pole to have all of my body out of the water, so all my weight is being utilized. By this time the boat had rotated so the mast was to windward, and even with the boom completely disconnected from the mainsheet, I could get the mast completely out of the water, but the wind on the partially submerged mainsail was enough to prevent the mast from clearing the water by more than a couple of feet. So I clambered back onto the hull and walked to the bow, expecting it to submerge, and the boat to pivot downwind so that the mast would be perpendicular to the pressure, allowing some to get under the main to assist in righting. Well, my weight alone on the bow was insufficient to do the trick, and I was blowing towards shore at a fair clip. So I jumped in the drink to serve as a sea anchor, holding on to the bow and actually swimming it to windward. 30 seconds of this was enough to get the orientation I needed, I again scrambled onto the hull and out the pole, and bingo, she came up effortlessly.
So my take away, and contribution to the ongoing righting discussion is this: Practice on land, and on calm water, but note that righting might be a bit more involved in the conditions you're more likely to go over in. In significant wind, getting the correct orientation to the wind can be critical to your success. On the ARC 22 we have a drift sock(Cabellas) we can deploy from the bow if needed, to maintain this orientation while we get the boat ready to right. It also keeps us pointed into the wind as she comes up, and so is less likely to blow over again before we gain control.
Another point is to fine tune the righting system to allow not only a quick deployment( should you be drifting towards a hazard), but also a quick release for the pole as well(if that's what yoy're using), at least to the point where you can get the boat sailing again promptly to get out of harms way. It takes a bit to get all the kit stowed away after a righting, and if it's still blowing, you'll need to keep the boat depowered while things get sorted, which is a bit tougher solo.
On HV, I have to go the main beam to release the fwd pole line, then aft to the rear line. The pole then streams aft as the boat gets going, and I reach into the water, grab it, and slip the bungie over the end of the pole(which extends 4" beyond the rear beam) to secure it. I then pull the lines aboard the boat(under the beam, at a hull, onto the tramp) and temporarily tie them off somewhere convenient. Fairly quick, doable for a solo guy, even when it's raging. Which, it appears, is when I like to be out there......
My two(or three) cents.
Dave
Edited by davefarmer on Jul 22, 2015 - 10:44 PM.
Recent adventure/righting opportunity
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Posted: Jul 23, 2015 - 12:41 AM
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Posted: Jul 23, 2015 - 02:03 AM
Had a similar adventure recently. Usually sail the P-18, but no crew this day so took out the P-16 solo. Sailing good for 30 minutes til a gust took me over. By the time I got the righting line over hull, hull orientated correctly & boat popped up instantly with my 142 lbs. Getting aboard was a little harder but I grabbed trap wire handle & pulled aboard. Moment later over again. This time I came up over front crossbar, but couldn't pull aboard--nothing to grab to lift weight on board. This experience has lead me to work on systems to get over the front crossbar. The 2nd or third capsize can be exhausting and Dave is right: practice hard ahead of time. Pete -
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Posted: Jul 23, 2015 - 09:18 PM
If you use a righting line that tucks in the pocket on the tramp, let a loop drop into the water just far enough that you can use it for a step to get waist high with the cross beam in the water. You'll have to wrap the line around the mast a few times to get it to stay, but it works. The dolphin striker can be another step, but I just fall forward onto the tramp once I stand up. Grabbing the mast (or mast rotator) helps with balance.
FWIW
I have a loop spliced into the end of my righting line to help get my butt outta the water and right the cat. I use the same loop to step in as above after I wrap it around the mast.
Edited by klozhald on Jul 23, 2015 - 09:21 PM.
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Prindle 18-2 #244 "Wakizashi"
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