Nearly Capsized

A

Alex192527

New Member
Hi All,
As a beginner, I nearly capsized for the first time yesterday in gusty winds, warm day.. I quickly let the main out and leant back as far as I could, and recovered it just about..
If its not recoverable, is it best to let yourself drop into the water between deck and boom, or clamber back over the top of the boat to stand on the daggerboard immediately?
Keen to know how to handle a capsize situation effectively..
 
Well my friend... number one thing to remember about laser sailing sailing is that it is slightly wetter than swimming...:D The quickest way to get back in the boat is to climb over on to the daggerboard. Keep in mind that if you are sailing in shallow water and dont right the boat quick enough, you can get the mast stuck in the mud... and that puts a lot of strain on the top section. I sail a lot in a area with roughly 12 feet of water.. so this is a valid concern for me.... just thought I'd throw it out there....
 
Very good point, I'm sailing on a river and at the outer areas the water can be as little as 4 feet deep when I tack back to go into deeper water.. how to recover a buried mast from the mud anyone?!
 
Mine was buried so hard/deep once that I needed the help of a powerboat to get it out. I was standing on the centerboard and hung onto the grab rail and a line from the boat while the driver gently backed away.
 
Alex192527 said:
Very good point, I'm sailing on a river and at the outer areas the water can be as little as 4 feet deep when I tack back to go into deeper water.. how to recover a buried mast from the mud anyone?!
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The worst possible thing you can do, particularly if you capsize to leeward going upwind, is to stay on the centerboard. The combination of your weight, the wind, and the waves will only serve to pound the mast deeper in the muck.

To get free, you need hang underneath the end of the centerboard with your feet on the edge of the boat in the water. This puts you weight in a better position to get the mast loose. You can also bounce your weight in sync with the waves to try to free it.

You may not get completely free this way, but it will loosen the mast enough that the wind and waves will start to turn the boat around. With the wind and waves now coming from a helpful direction, some more bouncing should free the boat. Once you get the boat righted, sail ashore and hose of all the muck immediately. Otherwise you'll never get it out.

Be vary wary of any "help" from a power boat. If they give you a pull, make sure it is the direction directly opposite from how the mast is stuck. If they give you a pull perpendicular to the mast, it will probably get you free but the upper section will bend.

Of course, you said you sail in a river. The current may be a help you or hurt you, depending on which way you were headed.
 
I've taught the sailing merit badge to scouts and the first thing I have them do is practice capsizing and turning the boat back up. Its going to happen and you need to be ready for it. It is essential that you
1) are wearing a lifejacket
2) make sure your rudder, daggerboard and mast are secured to your boat before you leave the dock. If any of the three are floating away after a capsize, you have problems.
3) your daggerboard needs to be down to recover the boat.
4) uncleat the mainsheet, it would probably help to loosen the vang.
5) hustle to get on the daggerboard quickly. If you are quick, it won't stick in the mud. If you take your time, problems result. If you end up in the water on the "sail" side, just swim under the boat, its much faster than swimming around.
6) It helps to have the boat pointed into the wind.
 
Very good advice torrid and HookEm - I'll get the boat into some open water and do a practice capsize then with some support from one of the club members just in case I need. Appreciate it! Assume it's not a danger situation as long as you act in the right way when it happens..
 
If sailing in shallow & silty, is there any advantage in (or prohibition against) attaching some masthead buoyancy? For a boat as light as the Laser I can't imagine it would need much to keep the mast head on the surface.

Al.
 
Al Black said:
If sailing in shallow & silty, is there any advantage in (or prohibition against) attaching some masthead buoyancy? For a boat as light as the Laser I can't imagine it would need much to keep the mast head on the surface.

Al.
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I've done this before when I used to sail frequently in shallow water on a two-person dinghy. A one-gallon milk jug should give enough buoyancy. Capsizing becomes almost a non-event, and it can take a lot of the fear out of sailing in higher winds.

There are two things to consider. One, it will cause drag and slow you down. Two, you look like a real dork. After spend $800 on a new mast I decided looking like a dork wasn't that bad.
 
torrid said:
I've done this before when I used to sail frequently in shallow water on a two-person dinghy. A one-gallon milk jug should give enough buoyancy. Capsizing becomes almost a non-event, and it can take a lot of the fear out of sailing in higher winds.

There are two things to consider. One, it will cause drag and slow you down. Two, you look like a real dork. After spend $800 on a new mast I decided looking like a dork wasn't that bad.
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I'd rather be considered a dork than buy a new mast!

Al.
 
5) hustle to get on the daggerboard quickly. If you are quick, it won't stick in the mud. If you take your time, problems result. If you end up in the water on the "sail" side, just swim under the boat, its much faster than swimming around.

I'm not a great believer in swimming under boat since my father did so 30 years back, got caught in mainsheet, and nearly didn't come up

Steve
 
Easiest way to go under the boat is put your hands on the gunnel in the water and push down and through - never let go of the boat. Takes seconds to get through compared to ages swimming round. In a race sometimes the quickest to recover gets the win!
 
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