Welcome anonymous guest

Please Support
TheBeachcats.com

Scare The Newbies Day! Let's Hear The Horror!  Bottom

Go to page [-1] 1 - 2 - 3 [+1]:

  • I check the temperature with my finger..
  • QuoteNo damage to the boat, luckily

    WILD!
    glad your ok (boat too)

    how do you check the temp? - i'm really curious about this.... please provide details
  • Thanks.
    I just touch the bearings with my finger, that's all. Usually at the first gas station after departure. If the bearings are fine they feel barely warm, if they are defective or lacking lubrication you can feel the difference.
    I'm thinking now to get something like this, it's required here on the mining industry, I thought it was an exaggeration. Not anymore....
    http://mineria.frost.cl/ima/Trabatuercas.jpg



    Edited by Andinista on Nov 03, 2016 - 11:51 AM.
  • What is that orange thing attached to the wheel?

    Many a moon ago, and before I owned a cat, a friend of mine named Warren had a Hobie 16. I had crewed for him a number of times in some regattas and he was teaching me to sail a cat. I had worked my way from skippering in light air to about 15 mph on a lake. Now I was up to sailing in the ocean with swells. This was about my third time to skipper in the ocean; we were sailing at New Smyrna Beach, Florida. It was a beautiful day. We were about 3 miles off shore in mostly one and a half to two foot swells (3ft-4ft from bottom of trough to crest) the wind was blowing steady. We had been out about 90 minutes and Warren turned the tiller and main sheet over to me. It felt fantastic, we both were trapped out and as far back on the rail as we could get. When we hit the crest of the swells it felt as if we were flying. After about 30 minutes of me taking over I was feeling real comfortable. I remember looking around hoping I would see another boat. I was thinking we were cool and I wanted someone to see how great this was. Then in a blink of an eye I stuffed the leeward hull hard. Warren flew off the rail, I held on to the tiller, till I slammed in to boom and then into the drink. Warren must of clipped the sidestay because he had a six inch deep gash on his forearm. Fortunately he was a McGiver type person who kept a bag tied to the tramp with important things like duck tape, knife etc... We ran tape around his forearm. Then righted the cat. Luckily nothing was damaged on the cat but my pride. We headed straight for shore, with Warren at the tiller. When we got to shore we stopped a car (driving is allowed on the beach in New Smyrna Beach) so they could drive him to a lifeguard tower. I got some people to pull the cat up the beach then went looking for Warren's truck and trailer. I drove down to the lifeguard tower to find out, the lifeguards had one of thier trucks drive him to the local hospital. I then drove back to the cat and got some people walking by to help me drop the mast and I loaded the cat on the trailer. By the time I made it to the hospital Warren was sitting out by the emergency room doors all bandaged up and his arm in a sling. Warren said he didn't remember hitting the sidestay. He just remebers his arm burning real bad because of the saltwater. He said the doctor that stiched him up said it looked like hacksaw had been used. It took about 15 stiches inside and outside to seal his arm up. About a month later I bought a well used Hobie 18 and we raced it for a while taking turns at the tiller.

    --
    Prindle 18 w/ wings, Prindle 16, Prindle 15, current
    Hobie 16 in rebuild
    2 Hobie 18 past
    NACRA 5.2 past

    Saint Cloud, Florida
    member Lake Eustis Sail Club
    http://www.lakeeustissailingclub.org
    --
  • QuoteWhat is that orange thing attached to the wheel?

    Prevents the scews out.
    But apparently only available for trucks, not small trailer wheels.
    Mining safety standard..
    http://images.evisos.cl/2015/02/01/arrienda-camionetas-antofagasta_f590b8ad95_3.jpg
  • I'd gotten my Nacra5.8 in the spring of the year 2004 but this day I was sailing late in the fall the same year on an inland lake. In October in the midwest, most of the summer boaters, jetskiers, sailors and fishermen are gone, so sometimes we have the lake all to ourselves. The wind was blowing lazily and I was having no trouble just cruising along not holding the mainsheet, until a puff hit me when I wasn't expecting it and I started to capsize. Being my first cap on the 5.8, I rolled to my side on the edge of the hull just to keep from sliding down off the tramp. I stayed on the upper hull and gradually lowered myself down to the hull in the water. It was then I noticed there was a little blood on my sock so I started to look for the source and found I had cut my left leg just below the knee. I say cut but it was really 'popped' open from hitting something hard as I rolled over.

    So now the cat is too heavy to right by myself, and with no one in sight, I have to just drift slowly to the leeward shore. Upon reaching shore, I find I still can't right the cat so I drop the mainsail and shove the cat upright again. Without pulling the main all the way back up, I push off to sail back upwind across the lake to the ramp where my car is parked. My leg has stopped bleeding by now having been thoroughly cleansed in the brown lake water, but it's starting to hurt.

    After hauling the cat onto the trailer, dropping the mast and packing her up, all by myself, I head for town which is a 30 min. drive. By the time I reached the parking lot at the hospital, pulling the boat & trailer, I could barely walk from the pain. It was fully 3 1/2 hours from the time of the capsize til they got me stitched up (internal & external stitches.) Still not sure what I hit my leg on. Hello tetanus shot.

    http://www.thebeachcats.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=125988&g2_serialNumber=4

    --
    Aquacat 12 (sold)...'87 Nacra 5.8 (sold)...'03 Nacra Inter18 (sold)
    Venture 15 (sold)....'89 Nacra 5.8 (sold)...'91 Nacra 5.8NA (sold)
    '99 Nacra Inter20 (sold)
    --
  • Prindle 18 - Annapolis to Oxford 30 mile race of mixed boats on Chesapeake Bay, Sept. 2015. Sailing with buddy who sailed mono hauls but never sailed cats. Weather was miserable, raining cool. Many cats including us and even Inter 20s had difficulty tacking, winds probably 15 - 25 kts. Start was delayed for about 2 hours due to difficulty with prior classes getting to line. Sailing into wind on non boarded boat, thought about heading home but as weather was supposed to "improve" decided to go for it. After 25 miles into the wind in 5 to 6 foot tight waves went up into Choptank River. Crew was not happy and was not having a good time. Looked across bay and a solid gray curtain was headed our way. Crew said "we got to get to shore". Advised him that was the plan but we were not going to get there as winds dropped off prior to storm hitting us. When it hit rain was so hard visability was about 25 feet. Wind direction changed and immediately flipped us. Crew freaked out and said "were gonna die". Advised him that were 1/2 mile from shore with life vests on and we are not going to die. Besides I had a VHF radio in my vest and at worst could hail for help. Went to pull out radio and in getting dusted it must have come out of pocket in vest. Its gone. Uncleated main and jib and turned boat into wind to right it. Asked crew to assist in righting and he said "I don't feet comfortable trying to do that". Tried to right on my own without success. Called wife on cell in waterproof case and told to call Cost Guard and advised her of our location. As could not get mast up enough to get water out of main finally just unclipped main from boom and tried to right boat again and it worked. Got myself and crew back on boat, Coast Guard called me on cell phone. Crew would not agree to sail anymore and Coast Guard hailed Tow USA who towed us to nearby marina. Wife went to pick up trailer to get us but I forgot I had the hitch locked and I had the key. She wasn't happy about having drive another 40 minutes back to get the key from me. Not a good day.

    --
    Scott
    ARC 21
    Prindle 18
    Annapolis, Maryland
    --
  • Summer of '88, Clearwater Beach. I just purchased new H18 magnum and was happily sailing with wife in light air. Before an afternoon summer squall came through we headed for the beach and furled the jib and released mainsheet quick pin before retiring to the car for some cold brews and wait it out. After 40 minutes the rain and wind ceased and I looked in my rear view mirror only to see the boat missing! I jump out only to see our new boat steadily drifting 100' away. Now here comes the stupid part: I run 40 yards down the beach and run into the water and begin swimming after my pride and joy. After sprint swimming for 60 yards I pause to get a bearing on the boat, which by this time is now much further away, having taken a broad reach course offshore. I sprint another 80 yards when it suddenly comes to mind the hydrodynamic comparison of the human body and a catamaran. I'm very winded at this point, especially with a bellyful of beer and realize I'm near my bingo point. With my last reserves I sprint one more time, finally gaining ground until I'm near collapse. I manage to grasp a rudder blade and hang on until I get catch my breath and crawl onboard. I rigged main sheet quick pin and sailed back to beach and a very upset newlywed wife.

    My lesson learned from that point on, 1. Pull boat further up onto the beach fully out of the water and 2. Don't drink until all the sailing is done for the day.

    --
    Todd

    Virginia
    --
  • I was in a race sailing my H18 solo at Santa Cruz CA 5 or 6 years ago. Going to weather in 12 to 14 know winds I went over. No big deal. A chase boat comes up asks if I'm ok I respond yes and they leave to help another H16 that's over while my boat is still on its side. I felt comfortable that I could right myself. Next I take out the water bucket and proceed to fill and hoist it to my shoulder (other end of bucket line is connected to dolphin striker) and right the boat. So far so good, up she comes and I drop the bucket and grab the low side dolphin sticker to keep it from going over the other way.

    What happen next frightened me. The rope from the righting bag/bucket wrapped my ankle and the boat starts to power up. The bucket is now acting as a sea anchor! The boat does not want to round up, I'm facing the crossbar and being draged under the tramp and can't see what I'm sailing toward. I know I'm at least a 1/2 mile off shore so I have some time before hitting the rocks but I don't know if there are any other boats that I might hit. I also can't reach down to release the rope from my ankle for fear of loosing my grip on the dolphin striker. If I would have let go my worry was that I would now be dragged by the boat and be worse off. After several minuets the wind eased momentarily and I was able to get the rope off my ankle but it seamed much longer.

    Once the boat was righted the chase boat must have thought all was well and I did not see them again until the end of the day. From that day forward I do not sail or race alone on the ocean and I now carry a knife!



    Edited by Corkmaster_1 on Nov 04, 2016 - 09:49 PM.
  • Whew, very scary stuff!!!!! icon_eek

    --
    Marty
    1984 Hobie 16 Redline Yellow Nationals, "Yellow Fever"
    Opelika, Al / Lake Martin
    --
  • http://www.thebeachcats.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=125981&g2_serialNumber=4

    Early may, few years back, I had to sail my P18-2 back to the club solo, after camping a few days in the south.
    My girlfriend would drive the camping-gear and cattrack back to the club at Warder.
    What should be a rather rough 15 Nm trip, turned into a personal nightmare and embarrassment .
    The wind-prediction was a steady 16 Knts westerly and the water was really cold.
    So, I opted for a dry-suit with multiple layers underneath.

    Beating to the first mark, the wind wasn't steady, but really gusty and slowly veering to the north, I flipped
    the cat already once, and it was hard work to gain some height.
    On my way to the island Marken, the wind slowly turned north and increased to a gusty 20-25 Knts.
    Every time I went to much east, I got set back by the building steep waves, so the tacks had to be short, wich
    was really exhausting. This was not the trip I expected, it was becoming more and more a survival trip.
    By the time I reached Marken, The boat flipped again.
    While righting the cat, I didn't pay attention to the wind direction and she went straight over again. By this time I
    was really getting tired being on the water over three hours now.
    The drysuit kept me warm though, so I decided to go on.Past Marken I made a long tack east and while tacking back,
    I managed to tear my suit open, big rip, just above my left knee. Now it was survival-mode big time. On the ride back to the shore a big gust caught me and over I went.

    The left leg of my suit immediately filled with ice cold water and slowly filling the right leg too. Man this was cold.
    Managed to sit myself on the hull of the flipped cat and took a moment. There were no other boats around and I was loosing body-temp rapidly.
    So I decided to right the cat and sail to the nearest port on a reach. Wich was Volendam.
    I cut the dry-suit open at both ankles and started righting when the scariest thing happened.
    The cat was up allright but I simply had no strenght to climb on board.
    Thats where I threw the towel and got my cellphone out and called 112 ( European 911) .
    The life-boat was with me in 15 minutes or so, their station was less than 2 miles from my position.
    They took me on board, wrapped me in a thermal blanket and rushed me to their station at Marken.
    There I was checked by a nurse and allowed a shower and dry warm clothes.
    They had put an anchor and marking buoy on the cat and while I was in the shower they retrieved the boat to the station.
    The hardest part was to come, calling the girlfriend and explain what happened.....



    Edited by catmodding on Nov 09, 2016 - 06:24 PM.

    --
    Tornado (80's Reg White)
    Prindle 18-2 (sold)
    Dart 16 (hired and hooked)
    13 mtr steel cutter (sold)
    Etap 22, unsinkable sailing pocket cruiser.

    Amsterdam, the Netherlands
    --
  • This thread could be sub titled "Lets Scare the Old Salts Too"!

    --
    John

    Nacra 5.0
    CT
    --
  • QuoteThe cat was up allright but I simply had no strenght to climb on board.


    After my similar experience (a few posts back) I made a system to provide foot support to climb on board. I think I found it here.

    http://www.thebeachcats.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=126000&g2_serialNumber=3

    It's at the same time a towing line and a climbing step:
    - Release the (cheap) carabiner and you have the towing line on your hand
    - Or release the carabiner, pull back from the "Y" to the stopper knot.
    - The "Y" (now more like a "V") is under the beam to use it as step, the stopper knot keeps it from moving aft of the boat.



    Edited by Andinista on Nov 09, 2016 - 02:30 PM.
  • That's a great system. When I right my boat, I grab the dolphin striker to keep it from going back over, then quickly go around to the side of the boat and pull myself up using the trampoline handle. That is asking for disaster because the boat powers up and starts sailing while I go to the side to get back aboard. I am going to use your system to be able to get on right away, before the boat starts going...
  • Andinista
    QuoteThe cat was up allright but I simply had no strenght to climb on board.


    After my similar experience (a few posts back) I made a system to provide foot support to climb on board. I think I found it here.
    It's at the same time a towing line and a climbing step:
    - Release the (cheap) carabiner and you have the towing line on your hand
    - Or release the carabiner, pull back from the "Y" to the stopper knot.
    - The "Y" (now more like a "V") is under the beam to use it as step, the stopper knot keeps it from moving aft of the boat.Edited by Andinista on Nov 09, 2016 - 02:30 PM.


    Looks like the boarding-aid I posted a long time ago..

    http://www.thebeachcats.c…opic/topic/14029/start/0

    Thanks for the input!

    --
    Tornado (80's Reg White)
    Prindle 18-2 (sold)
    Dart 16 (hired and hooked)
    13 mtr steel cutter (sold)
    Etap 22, unsinkable sailing pocket cruiser.

    Amsterdam, the Netherlands
    --
  • Quote
    Looks like the boarding-aid I posted a long time ago..


    exactly!
    the first time I read it I thought I didn't need it..
    until I did ...
  • So did you have the boarding aid installed this time? Or is it the same horror story?
  • AndinistaSo did you have the boarding aid installed this time? Or is it the same horror story?


    Its the same horror story, when I posted the "boarding-aid" topic.
    I still felt like a "twat", really embarrassed to ask for help from outside.
    So, I somewhat changed the introduction on that topic.
    Did fire the smoke-signal tough icon_cool icon_cool .

    The boarding aid is on all my cats ever since.

    --
    Tornado (80's Reg White)
    Prindle 18-2 (sold)
    Dart 16 (hired and hooked)
    13 mtr steel cutter (sold)
    Etap 22, unsinkable sailing pocket cruiser.

    Amsterdam, the Netherlands
    --
  • Having the stuff to ask for help and using it is a good thing, you should be proud not embarrassed.
  • Exactly, no shame in asking for help. Live to sail another day!!!!

    --
    Marty
    1984 Hobie 16 Redline Yellow Nationals, "Yellow Fever"
    Opelika, Al / Lake Martin
    --

Go to page [-1] 1 - 2 - 3 [+1]:

No HTML tags allowed (except inside [code][/code] tags)

  • Options
  • 0 users

This list is based on users active over the last 60 minutes.

Upcoming Beachcats Events

VIEW FULL CALENDAR

No upcoming events.