capsizing sunfish?

B

bella25

New Member
hi
I'm 14 years old and I just bought a used sunfish for our lakehouse. I am the only one in our family who knows how to sail, and I am really worried about capsizing it. It is an older one, from the 70's or 80's and it is in good condition. My dad keeps saying that it's not a good idea to capsize it because the centerboard could break with too much pressure. I want to go out on a really calm day and try purposely capsizing it just to make sure I know how to do it. I am about 100 pounds and im worried I'm not heavy enough to right it if it did capsize. Does anyone have any tips or advice? thanks
Bella:eek:
 
100 pounds is plenty to right a Fish and dagger boards have been pulled on for 50 years to right the boats so don't worry about damaging it.
Make sure you don't have the main sheet cleated as the sail can hold enough water that a 300 pound person can't right a boat. No to mention if the sail is cleated in some form the boat can tend to sail away when it comes up before you can get aboard.
I had that happen...LOL
Practice capsizing in light air/water is a very good idea. Head the hull into the wind so when it comes up the sail is in irons and won't tend to just blow over again. We teach lighter folks to grab the tip of the centerboard and use their toes on the edge of the boat for leverage and then PULL.

It wouldn't hurt to get a copy of "the Sunfish Bible" that give a lot of tips and tricks as well as basic Fish sailing.
 
Bella,
I would not be afraid to capsize a sunfish if I were you. Besides, it is a great way to cool off on a hot day.
Your idea of practicing on a light wind day is good plan.
People have been using the centerboard to right a Sunfish as well as other type centerboard boats for years.
 
My kids just finished a week at sailing camp, and one of the first things they do is capsize a fish on purpose, to practice righting it. As the others have said, the boat is light, and so long as you are not trying to raise a sail full of water, the board is plenty strong enough.

If you are interested in racing, or just like sailing fast, you need to know when your boat is about to capsize - you need to sail it right to the edge. That may not be the fastest way to sail, but you need to know how the boat feels when it's just about to go over. There's no way that I know to learn that without taking the boat over a few times.

To play devils advocate for a moment (or dad's advocate), flipping your boat because you weren't paying attention, or you were sloppy is not so cool, and it's true that a capsize is a stressful moment for the boat and for you, and things might be broken, or lost. Capsizing is not, itself, a goal. As a dad, I go nuts when my kids think it was cool that they capsized, just because. But I am totally OK with "I was really hot, so I decided to practice righting the boat," and "I was really pushing myself, and went over the edge."

Two things to watch for:

  • make sure your main is uncleated (as others have said), and
  • if you take a friend out for a sail, and they somehow end up in the water, under the sail, or tangled up in lines, pay attention to their saftey. First because being in the water under a sail is disorienting, and might cause them to panic, and second because having the boat come up, and suddenly sail off with a line wrapped aound someones neck is not good.
 
Bella

Your thinking process is right on. Do follow the advice given in the earlier posts and go practice. Pretty soon you will be comfortable 'living on the edge'. And remember, even very experienced sailors take a dive once in a while. Nothing to be ashamed of; it's part of sailing a dinghy.

Have fun!
 
All the above and make sure your boom is adjusted high enough.

A gust can prevent further easing of the mainsheet when the boom (clew) is dragging in the water and a capsize can result. Guess how I know? :D
 
You have nothing to worry about unless the boat "turtles" in the water and gets stuck in the mud. Other than that capsizing is perfectly safe.
 
I'm doing a lot of work teaching sailing at a summer camp, and capsize the boats on a regular basis. I'm new to small dinghys, having mostly sailed larger cruisers (22 to 37 feet), so it has certainly been an experience. On one occasion when there was no wind and we just wanted to swim, I took another staff member and three kids, and we rowed the hull out with no mast or sail, and flipped it. I don't recommend that, but it was nice to cool off.

The biggest thing to be careful of, is that when you get the boat back in, drain it out! After several capsizes, I've found that our boat often has a considerable amount of water in the hull. (probably due to sailing over-capacity, and then lettering everyone sit on the bottom for a while. Once again, Not recommended). After one or two basic flips, there is usually no water in the hull.

If I were to get into racing these boats, I would create a training regime where I would tank the boat, and than practice getting her righted as fast as possible, and get sailing again.
 
rs1sensen's post brought back memories. We had several juniors (my creaky old bones couldn't act fast enough to do it) that could actually capsize a Fish pop up on the rail as the boat went over, stick a foot over on the dagger board and bring the boat back up without more than wet feet.
Worst part was even though they capsized I still didn't gain on them...LOL
 
potatobutt said:
your probably better off going out with the mast and sail because it keeps it from flipping
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The purpose of the exercise was to flip, not to remain stable. With several people on board, and just at rowing speeds and using the rudder, the boat operated perfectly fine. We'd row out to the lake, and then the kids would jump off. I'd pull on the stern and she'd flip.

Going without the sail keeps the sail from getting wet or potentially damaged, and keeps a higher level of safety as the kids aren't potential caught under the sail, in lines, etc. Still, they get the experience of how to flip the boat back, and understand the concept.
 
There is absolutely no doubt that capsizing practice is safe and necessary for future safety. You are guranteed to capsize at some time even if you sail in mild conditions because wind and weather are unpredictable.
I have watched teachers take out very young kids on boats bigger than the 'fish and have capsize practice over and over. Panic and fear are two of the dangers and you will not have them if you know it is safe and what to do to get back up.
By all means go out and practice capsizing you'll be safer for it.
You will also increase your fun if you are not afraid to sail fast and on-the-edge.

Fred
 
I was 9 or 10 when I learned to right the boat. :D First, Dad had me right it without the sail with it completely upside down in the water. When that got easier, he added the sail and would have me right it (which was easier than when completely upside down).
You'll be fine. Practicing under controlled conditions is a good idea. If you get enough practice, you begin righting it without even thinking (or panicking).

If you're too nervous, see if you can get someone to go with you in another boat.
 
For those first time practices you might want to tie an empty, twisted on hard capped, gallon jug to the top of the gaff with a bowline knot. That provides more than enough buoyancy that you won't have to be concerned about sticking the gaff into the bottom of the body of water and the potential accompanying damage.

Righting a Sunfish without the rig is a pretty tough job, as is climbing back in, as the boat is much more stable with the rig in it than without.
 
Good luck, Bella.
Just yesterday, my daughter and I tried purposefully to capsize our 40 year old (new to us) Sunfish. Although we had water coming into the cockpit, the boat was too seaworthy to capsize. We, too, wanted to practice on a relatively calm day so that my daughter (new to sailing) would know what to do.

Your plan is a good one! I just hope you are actually able to capsize these great little boats. And, don't worry about the centerboard. It will work well in righting the boat.
Becky;)
 
Becky said:
Good luck, Bella.
Just yesterday, my daughter and I tried purposefully to capsize our 40 year old (new to us) Sunfish. Although we had water coming into the cockpit, the boat was too seaworthy to capsize. We, too, wanted to practice on a relatively calm day so that my daughter (new to sailing) would know what to do. Becky;)
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The adult may have to stand at the mast, and lean and pull the mast over to get the boat to capsize with 2 people aboard. Have the daughter stay in "sailing position" and have the adult do what it takes to capsize the boat. Good luck.
 
I was 8 years old when my dad began teaching me about all this capsizing fun. He wanted to make things the most difficult before sending me on my way so I had to learn to right the hull that didn't have a sail on it. It was completely upside down when I first began. I was still able to right it so at 14, so should you. :D Then, he added the sails and once comfortable with it, I was allowed to sail alone. When it went over, the practicing kicked in and I had righted the boat before realizing it instead of panicking.
If you're uncomfortable with it, have someone hold the boat while you practice righting it just to keep it from drifting away until you get better at it. They'll also serve as simply another person there for comfort.

I applaud you for practicing. I don't know how your lakes are, but around here, when the boat is over, you're most vulnerable. We have some stupid-crazy motorboaters here who have run over people in low profile watercrafts in the past. The sail is what makes you visible to those types, so it's important to get back up as soon as possible.
 
When I was your age, my friend and I sailed his minifish upside down more than right side up. The turtled boat made a nice swimming platform. Then we'd get it on its side and slide down the hull, use the daggerboard to do flips and jump off of. We could flip that boat over better than anyone we knew. Right side, left side frontways backways and we still never broke it.:D

Youtube for "california roll" maneuver also referred to as shamu roll. That's a lot of fun too if you tip over the wrong way.

Too bad capsizing is not an olympic sport. It sure is fun.

P.S. Shock cord on the daggerboard is a good idea to keep the board in place as much as possible and to keep it attached to the boat.

Also, you are probably not set up with a cleat on the mast, but if you are, make sure you run a "vang" or similar to hold the mast in the boat.
 
potatobutt said:
You have nothing to worry about unless the boat "turtles" in the water and gets stuck in the mud. Other than that capsizing is perfectly safe.
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I believe the Maritime Insurance Industry and Admiralty Lawyers call this "Liquidate the Asset in Place" if the boat is big enough and goes keel up.
 
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