Capsizing and Lifejacket

G

ganderson

Tropical Fish
Hi Guys , two things :

I capsized for the first time in my new Sunfish. As I stepped on the plastic center board I felt it flex and feared it could break. Has anyone had any experience with a center board breaking while trying to right a boat?

Also, am I the only one that has problems with a main sheet getting caught on a life jacket when tacking? :confused: I obviously have to find a different one, any suggestions? what do you all wear?

-T.Fish
 
ganderson said:
Hi Guys , two things :

I capsized for the first time in my new Sunfish. As I stepped on the plastic center board I felt it flex and feared it could break. Has anyone had any experience with a center board breaking while trying to right a boat?

Also, am I the only one that has problems with a main sheet getting caught on a life jacket when tacking? :confused: I obviously have to find a different one, any suggestions? what do you all wear?

-T.Fish
Click to expand...

Do NOT despair! This past Saturday, I capsized for the 100th time (in my 1979 Sunfish), while leading two 420's at the (last leeward) mark (Corsica River Yacht Club Annual Regatta). Needless to say, I didn't win that race. But to answer your question, the board is strenghtened with metal rods to prevent breakage as you described. I haven't read anywhere to what extent that has been tested by the (really) heavy weight sailors (my 'sailing' wt is 160 lbs).

With respect to life jackets, the laser forum (www.laserforum.org) had a discussion about that recently.

Good luck!
 
You don't have to change your life jacket. Get some plastic cable ties and put one between each clip on the lower boom between the two blocks (not between the clips that contain the blocks). Thread the main sheet through the ties so the sheet doesn't droop low enough the catch your jacket when you tack. Allow the sheet to move freely through the ties, i.e. the ties should not be pulled tight enough to rub on the sheet when it's under tension. Cut off the excess tie material and you're good to go.

Fred
 
T.Fish,

Check Wind Line Sails (http://www.windline.net/index.html), in the racing upgrades section, Dan has Sheet Hangers (item "J", $7.50) that do the same as Fred ties and they also comply with the racing rules. They are also available elsewhere, I picked mine up at a dealer on Long Island while on vacation and they work great. I wear a neoprene "Ski" Jacket by Body Glove, have the sail low and don't get hung up.
 
Even easier than zip ties and "sheet hangers" is loops made of duct tape to keep the sheet from catching your life jacket or strangling you. BB
 
Hey Thanks For All The Feedback

Thanks for all the quality advice guys!
Glad to know Im not the only one
"main -sheet-life jacket-strangle-capsizing" out there!

Ill share my decisions and results!
 
Either Super Cub has lousy quality duct tape or he flips a whole lot more than me! Tape is fast, easy and cheap :) BB
 
Hey Guys,

I wasn't using the duct tape as sheet hangers, didn't even know about them. It was getting wet a lot on a little play boat, turned yucky pretty quick in those conditions (SALT water, getting wet nearly every day) . Don't remenber what brand it was (whatever was laying around), that was 35-40 something years ago.

Todays duct tape is much better than that old stuff and probably holds up well in FRESH water, but in SALT water, I have my doubts.

The commercial hangers I have work well and are cheep enough. Made from webbing and just velcro around the boom, plus you can move them from boat to boat.
 
The board shouldnt break. What you can do about the life jacket is put a shirt over it then there isnt anything for it to get cought on it.
 
Since I've darn near had a ear ripped off by a low hanging mainsheet JMHO but the mainsheet hangers are cheap and work better than any shirt over a lifejacket.
 
Even though the plastic daggerboard is reinforced and pretty strong, standing on the very end of the board to right a capsized Sunfish still runs the risk of cracking the board. A better technique is to put your feet on the board where it exits the daggerboard trunk, grab the side of the deck and lean back. If you are 150+ lbs, the boat will right fine without having to step on the tip of the board. If you are lighter than 150, keep ooching your feet away from the hull and toward the tip until you gain the necessary leverage to right the boat.

Alan Glos
Cazenovia, NY
 
To add to Alan's excellent post; if you have a mainsheet clamp, release it before trying to right the boat. A sail full of water held by the mainsheet makes it difficult to impossible to right the boat.
Not to mention with the mainsheet cleated the sail won't luft and there's a very good chance the boat will sail away without you when/if you get it righted.
 
Ok for plastic daggerboard, but are 1969 wood daggerboard good enough to support weight without breaking? I am a light sailor but about heavy sailors?
 
Blueberry

Wood boards have been standard equipment since the begining, until the plastic one was introduced about 12 years ago. I still use a '63 board (Old Round style, in well used but in good shape) with my brothers boat, my SF is a '69 with a Barrington board and I can't cell you how many times I've capsized with both boats. At my peak, I was 195 lbs and had no problems with the boards (I am now about 180 lbs.)
 
The racing daggerboard tip can possibly break off, about the 1st 6 inches or so, as it's not in the reinforced by rod area. I've not heard of a daggerboard breaking due to someone righting a boat. It is important to make sure the mainsheet is not cleated.

If you have mainsheet hangers in 1 or 2 spots over the cockpit, you will not have a problem with getting caught while tacking and gybing. However, a t-shirt will help ensure the transition is smooth.

Also, it's important to have your life jacket secured AND SNUG so that in a capsize it will float you as high as possible--giving you more righting power and easing your way back into the boat once it's up.

Enjoy!
 
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