New Sailor Questions

S

Shaelyn Hardie

New Member
Hey guys,
So my dad and I bought a couple of old lasers last year. We sailed half a dozen times in light wind last summer but we have issues launching at the boat launch. The way the boat launch is shaped it is very difficult to launch and come back in to shore as the launch itself is at the end of a side ways u shaped bay area. It is designed for motor boats and is usually very busy. Any advice for a less stressful launch? I also have yet to capsize and am very worried I won't be able to right the boat as I only weigh 90 lbs. TIA
-Shaelyn
 
For getting around a tight launch area with other boats around, I find "Praddle" helps a lot - one-handed paddle- Praddle
You can either mount it on the deck with the included hardware or toss it in the footwell. I'd tether it to the boat.

As for capsize- I'd think the best way to tackle that is to head out there with lifejacket on, and probably with your dad along the first time, and just tip that boat over, right it, tip it over, right it, tip 'er over again, rinse + repeat etc etc etc, til the process of capsizing + righting the boat has lost all it's mystery, fear or anything else that it currently carries in your brain, other than "been there, done that ... just another day at the office" on the water with your boat.

You could find it takes a while to get the hang of it but you will. Just keep tipping it over + pulling on it. Get back on the dirt to rest + warm up if you want. You don't have to do it all in one big go. Or come back again day after tomorrow or next week or whatever. You'll get it.

The other thought I'll offer is that the full rig takes the most pull to get it out of the water, cuz the full-rig mast is the tallest. The radial mast is shorter, and the 4.7 is shorter still. So if you're just not there with the full rig, you might think about investing in a radial sail + lower mast section. If you're not racing you can get those from Intensity at pretty reasonable prices. Those shorter masts tend to go turtle a little faster than the tall full-rig, but they are noticeably easier to pull around + back up, because they are shorter.

I'll bet you get it in short order tho. It's just a matter of practice ... accumulating some familiarity with the thing. Just doing it til the fear and the "not-knowing" are pretty well gone from it. Sounds like you should have a bunch of fun with your dad + your boats!
 
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Basic very small centerboard boat righting:

Generally its easy getting the boat on its side instead of inverted. Maybe tie a float at the top of the mast to help keep it from going back to "turtle"

If possible pull the sail(s) down to the deck. Less weight high on the mast makes it easier and helps prevent you from just flipping it to the opposite side.

Foot on centerboard (all the way down) Hands on gunwale... stand up and lean back. The boat will pop right up as you take a swim.

Larger boats you may have to unstep the mast and/or use more people... be sure the mast is tied to the boat or it may go to the bottom.

You can learn to single-handed step the mast while out in the middle of the lake on a boat as small as the Lazer. Larger boats that gets difficult. However you can find videos of people dropping the mast on 25+ ft boats to go under a bridge... and having it back up in seconds.

Do what you have to to right the hull.... then deal with putting the boat back together.
 
fhhuber said:
If possible pull the sail(s) down to the deck.
Click to expand...
Not applicable to the Laser, for obvious reasons.
Larger boats you may have to unstep the mast and/or use more people... be sure the mast is tied to the boat or it may go to the bottom.
Click to expand...
I had to read this many times... and check the calendar (that it's not April 1st anymore). Unstepping the mast while capsized? What "larger" boats would this apply to?
You can learn to single-handed step the mast while out in the middle of the lake on a boat as small as the Lazer
Click to expand...
This can be done. I wouldn't even think about it, though, if I weighed 40 kg and used a Standard rig.
...you can find videos of people dropping the mast on 25+ ft boats to go under a bridge... and having it back up in seconds.
Click to expand...
This is something completely different, and irrelevant to capsized dinghies.

Shaelyn, cskudder had some good points. If I were you, I would seriously consider getting a 4.7 rig - you're actually very light even for that.
 
<< tie a float to the top of the mast >>
+1 to that, if you find it goes turtle more than you'd like. The 4.7 with the shorter mast will go upside down more readily cuz when it's sitting on it's side in the water, the mast is already pointing a little further down (compared to the taller masts of the radial + full rig).

For a float, a gallon or half-gallon milk jug with a handle works a charm. Just find an old shoelace and tie it thru the jug handle, and thru that lil "strap" across the top of the sail (that goes over the top end of the mast). It might still go upside down but the jug will help it come back right-side up faster+easier. And you can always tie another jug up there too.

I'd encourage you to work out the capsize + righting thing as soon as you reasonably can. In my experience, if somebody is scared of tipping over, it makes it kinda hard to relax and really enjoy the sailing cuz there's always this "what if" hanging around over your shoulder. Once you figure it out then you can just go sailing, and when it happens (when, not if, cuz Lasers + fun days have a tip every so often ... ) when it happens, it's just an "oh well" - cuz then you pull it up, shake yourself off, trim the sail up and get underway again. It's just a good + big step forward in self-sufficiency, safety, and fun factor.

Blah blah all that said, hope you get out there and have some fun.
 
Thank you everyone for the advice. I look forward to getting out on the water this summer and becoming comfortable with capsizing and righting my laser.
 
That throwable seat cushion life preserver (which while not required for small boats, you should have) Makes a good emergency mast-top float.

Velcro tie-straps are great to keep stuff tied into the boat rather than having them float off or sink if you lay the boat over. Doesn't make it hard to get the item quickly like using a line and knot might.

Then you can rig the tie strap to a light line and when the boat is upright tug and the cushion comes right down.
 
fhhuber said:
That throwable seat cushion life preserver (which while not required for small boats, you should have) Makes a good emergency mast-top float.

Velcro tie-straps are great to keep stuff tied into the boat rather than having them float off or sink if you lay the boat over. Doesn't make it hard to get the item quickly like using a line and knot might.

Then you can rig the tie strap to a light line and when the boat is upright tug and the cushion comes right down.
Click to expand...

Huh?
 
When a sailboat goes upside down it can be annoying to try to get it back upright.
Dive and tie a line to the top of the mast. Use that to pull the mast up with the aid of a flotation device. You can get the boat so the mast is essentially laying on top of the water.
Revise the way the flotation device is connected to the mast top such that you can pull a light line and it comes free. (not hard)
Then once you get the boat upright and under control, you yank the line and that float comes down.

*****************

I've disconnected the forestay and pulled the mast to the transom using the boom lift line while a boat was inverted... then get the boat on its side, put a float on the mast (so if you lose it while raising the mast its not going all the way inverted again)
16 ft boat with a daggerboard. Forgot the name of the boat... that was appx 1976.
Hell of a lot easier than swinging the mast up while flipping the boat.
Creative use of the lines and pull the mast back up.

You do what you need to in order to get the boat upright.
 
Uh Ok...

for the record I don't endorse either of those techniques.

Do you actually sail?

Have you ever swum down to the end of a mast 15' underwater with a float and tied it on??
 
You don't dive dragging the float... you drag a line attached to the float.

And no... I didn't go down to the top of the tall mast. I hauled the mast up.

Current owned boats:

Minifish.
If you aren't flipping it, you aren't having fun.

Holder (Hobie) Vagabond 14 *(which has the masthead float to prevent going turtle)
If I gotta pull the mast to the transom to get it upright... I'll do it. I'm heavy enough now though that I probably won't need to.

90 lbs trying to single-hand flip a boat upright is a bit different from 225 lbs....

Sprint 277 Bass boat.
If that flips I'm really in deep trouble...
 
To the OP's original concerns about righting her Laser ... IMHO some of these other suggestions aren't really all that very relevant to your Laser. If the Laser goes over + goes turtle, you're not going to try to dive down + tie a line onto the mast, or try to lower the mast, or anything. You're going to stand on the gunwale (the one that's most upwind) and pull on the daggerboard til the masthead is back at the surface of the water and the boat is on it's side. Then you're going to climb up onto the daggerboard + reach up to the other gunwale (that's up high out of the water) + pull on it, while pushing down on the daggerboard with your feet.

If you want, just tie a milk jug to that strap across the top of the sail, + don't worry about velcro + pulling it down + all that. Tie it on. It helps a lot in preventing the boat from going turtle, or slowing it down in going turtle, and in righting it if it DOES go turtle. At 90 lbs, you will very likely be able to right it. It'll be a bit harder when there's more wind (like over 15 kts) and / or more waves. But again you'll likely be able to pull it up in reasonable wind+waves, especially after some practice with your dad or somebody.

Hope you have fun.
 
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fhhuber said:
When a sailboat goes upside down it can be annoying to try to get it back upright.
Dive and tie a line to the top of the mast. Use that to pull the mast up with the aid of a flotation device. You can get the boat so the mast is essentially laying on top of the water.
Revise the way the flotation device is connected to the mast top such that you can pull a light line and it comes free. (not hard)
Then once you get the boat upright and under control, you yank the line and that float comes down.

*****************

I've disconnected the forestay and pulled the mast to the transom using the boom lift line while a boat was inverted... then get the boat on its side, put a float on the mast (so if you lose it while raising the mast its not going all the way inverted again)
16 ft boat with a daggerboard. Forgot the name of the boat... that was appx 1976.
Hell of a lot easier than swinging the mast up while flipping the boat.
Creative use of the lines and pull the mast back up.

You do what you need to in order to get the boat upright.
Click to expand...
I had to check the date on this one ... and no it isn't 1 April.

Never in my life heard such a technique.

And, given that it is not 1 April, and given you are likely wearing a PFD and maybe even a wet suit (depending on weather, etc.) I think you should always consider your personal safety before the boat. Boat (Laser) will float, even upside down. Diving down to bottom of mast wearing a PDF ? Take off your PDF ? (Don't).

Righting a Laser that has turned upside down is not a big issue. Get somebody who knows to show you. Practice in calm weather close to shore with others around, etc.

(And having capsized, turned turtle (upside down), you are in the water, just get that mast float out of your pocket (the one you carry around in your pocket all the time ...).
 
Deimos said:
... Righting a Laser that has turned upside down is not a big issue. Get somebody who knows to show you. Practice in calm weather close to shore ...
Click to expand...
+1 !!! to "not a big deal"
+ another 1 to "practice"
I guess the only thought I'd add in regard to how close to shore, is keep in mind the height of the mast is something like 15-20 feet. Assuming you're gonna turtle the boat to practice righting it from turtle'd, do it where the water's deep enuf that the masthead doesn't stick in the mud at the bottom. That would also make it harder to right ... guess how I know. (Since I sail in narrow reservoirs, when the weather makes it more likely I might go over when I tack, I plan to tack far enuf from shore that if the boat goes turtle, the masthead isn't in the bottom.)

And one more time, just get in the boat and tip it over + practice; a milk jug tied up top does wonders; and above all, be safe and HAVE FUN!!
 
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