Sailing and capsizing on Lake Allatoona
- Thread starter jeatonx1
- Start date
Wayne
Member Emeritus
You've just passed your initiation into the world of un-ballasted centerboard boating..., welcome aboard.... um ... er ... overboard
my first time out on my sunfish i had a gust of wind come over and knock my sunfish over.. (i was having rigging issues and wasn't holding the rudder) i should have been more careful..
i tryed stepping on the rudder trying to roll her over but the sail was all the way under and there was no way that technique would have worked.
i spent 30 mins in the water pulling my sailboat while swimming back to shore with one hand.
i finally had a boat help me out. thank goodness i didn't lose my mast, sail, or dagger..
i always carry a paddle, life jacket, and whistle..
i tryed stepping on the rudder trying to roll her over but the sail was all the way under and there was no way that technique would have worked.
i spent 30 mins in the water pulling my sailboat while swimming back to shore with one hand.
i finally had a boat help me out. thank goodness i didn't lose my mast, sail, or dagger..
i always carry a paddle, life jacket, and whistle..
Wayne
Member Emeritus
In all seriousness, if you are new to small boat sailing, practice righting the boat from a capsize is an essential first skill to master.
If they can right this boat, you can right a Sunfish
Wayne
Member Emeritus
The minimum safety requirements in most states... what knowledge do you carry?
If you don't wear your lifejacket it only serves as a marker buoy showing Search & Rescue where they should start the body search.
my first time out on my sunfish i had a gust of wind come over and knock my sunfish over.. (i was having rigging issues and wasn't holding the rudder) i should have been more careful..
i tryed stepping on the rudder trying to roll her over but the sail was all the way under and there was no way that technique would have worked.
i spent 30 mins in the water pulling my sailboat while swimming back to shore with one hand.
i finally had a boat help me out. thank goodness i didn't lose my mast, sail, or dagger..
i always carry a paddle, life jacket, and whistle..
Several 'issues':
Not holding the rudder probably had little to do with the capsizing. Rather, the sheet must have been stuck.
The rudder (blade) is not to be used to right the boat; the daggerboard is.
Even if the boat turtles, which appears to have happened, it's pretty easy to right a Sunfish as long as the daggerboard didn't drop out. If the daggerboard has a retainer of some sort; this won't happen.
As Wayne wrote, practice capsizing (and righting the boat) in a relatively shallow area.
typo (rudder) i meant center board..
and the boat was completely turned over, not just on it's side..
The minimum safety requirements in most states... what knowledge do you carry?
If you don't wear your lifejacket it only serves as a marker buoy showing Search & Rescue where they should start the body search.
i was wearing my life vest, and i keep my whistle attached to it.
i never took sailing lessons.. my friend took me out when i bought a AMF Puffer and showed me what not to do. i learned everything i know by my own experience.. i went sailing alone in my Puffer while the remains of hurrican Ike came into texas and had no issues.
i got over ambitous and took my sunfish out in 20MPH winds the first time i ever sailed her..
sorry for hijacking the thread jeatonx1
Pulling on the sheet "that is genius" why didn't i think of that?
i'm the type that goes backcountry snowboarding the first time ever on a snowboard... sigh.. memories
i'm the type that goes backcountry snowboarding the first time ever on a snowboard... sigh.. memories
I did'nt have a belt or vest on.... I guess I will next time. Do all of you carry paddles etc. I did'nt have much besides a cooler and a couple of vests and two passengers. I let the sheet go on the way over. I'm kind of glad it happened so I know what to expect. I've spent years on large sailboats that would take a hurricane to turn over. The sunfish is my first experience on a small sailboat. I have access to a small skipjack that I will be trying out labor day weekend.
you were not wearing your vest?
did you manage to turn it back over?
yeah, sunfish are rockets compared to my puffer..
i bet you had a motor on your larger boats, why not have a paddle on your sunfish.. the doldrums are awful esp. in the summer sun. i usually paddle my boat out to deep water and then raise my sail.
how on earth did you have 3 people on your boat?
I've been a passenger in my sunfish with 4 total people on it. yeah its crowded and every one is ducking and always shifting. I'm a strong swimmer and always have the vest with me but rarely put it on. I'm not racing or anything . just beating up and down here and there. I think I will get a paddle to keep in the boat . I like the idea of putting the pool noodle pieces on the mast to keep the boat from totally turltlin'
what a smart idea.. thx for that
except the guys down at the yacht club are going to think i'm special ed.