Oops - over she goes....

gerrynj

New Member
Well it was bound to happen; after sailing in the Capri for over 2 years in ever stronger winds - today was the day the I capsized and turtled the boat. I had kind of been expecting this as I kept pushing the envelope each time I went out.

To sum up - it was a bear to right the boat. The BIGGEST problem was getting up on the upturned hull. Once on the hull, then it was a case of holding the dagger board and leaning over - it took a while but it did right it self (and for a Mod 1 there was surpsing little water in the cuddy).

So my question to all out there; IS THERE AN EASY WAY TO GET ON THE UPTURNED HULL WHEN IN THE WATER? I eventually succeeded from the back - but there is nothing grab hold off. Am I doing something dumb?

I am going to get a mast buoy - as the boat turtled within about 20 seconds after capsizing - a mast bouy would have stopped the boat rolling completely over.

Gerry
 
I mounted a two step folding boarding ladder for use after a capsize, when the boat is right side up, but I see no reason it would not work when turtled. Note: I have no plans on testing this theory. As I understand it, your not getting the most out of the boat if you don't capisize it once in a while. I have not capisized mine in the year and a half I have had it, but I have come very close...........
 
ladder

"I mounted a two step folding boarding ladder "

would you have a picture of your set up? I'm having a hard time visualizing where it would
mount.

thanks
 
This is an age old issue... suggestion... a line you can leave tied to a stern cleat... long enough to drape across the turtled boat. You'd tie the line onto the windward side once she was over completely, swim to leeward, and scale the boat using the line.

You pull yourself up onto the bottom of the boat towards the centerboard, the righting moment of you pulling on it, and trying to climb onto the boat should start it up, if not, you have a pretty good climbing line to get onto the centerboard. Either way, ONE person should be able to right the boat... plus you will have climbed onto the windward side if you manage to pull yourself ALL the way around.
 
getting on hull of turtled boat

"a line you can leave tied to a stern cleat... long enough to drape across the turtled boat."
This is a great idea - I wish I had thought of this when I turtled last week; I could have used the jib line and thrown it over the hull and used that to haul myself onto the upturned hull. Great tip - I hope NEVER to use !
Gerry
 
It's a sunfish trick from when I was only #110 soaking wet (as a kid)... was only way I could right the boat myself.

Now I am old and fat, have have plenty of RIGHTING MOMENT (heheh)...
 
turtled boat

The only time I turtled, I was able to climb over the top and onto the bottom as it was going over. It might not have turtled if I had only jumped in as it was going over, I think my weight on the top side forced the mast under. I ended up dry on the top of the boat, but still had to jump in and unsheet the cleats before it would go all the way up.

One thing to watch out for if you are going to run a rope across the bottom... One time I had a jib sheet get wrapped underneath the boat when I capsized in the shallows and the centerboard got pushed up pinching the line into the centerboard slot. I had to intentionally capsize the boat again in the shallows to be able to undo the whole mess, and that was in a heavy wind as well. I would rather capsize in deep water any day after that struggle.

I also like the idea of the fold down ladder on the stern of the boat. I currently run webbing out a drain hole and back over the transom as my ladder when the boat capsizes, and it is still pretty difficult to get back in with the webbing.

-Robert
1989 Capri 14.2
1984 Catalina 22
 
The person from whom I bought the boat installed a rope ladder, which was attached to the hiking strap at the rear. When I capsized in my first season, it worked great. I reached over, pulled the rope ladder down and climbed in. It just sort of folds up and sits in the bottom of the boat at the stern.
 
Sew some flotation foam into the top of the Mains'l and it should stop it from turtling. I never turned mine over but the foam was just insurance. Some people even just tie a milk jug on top the mast or buy a hobie float, but they are expensive and give windage.
 
I've tried boarding from the water and can't seem to do it from the side. Rope ladder on the transom seems like a great idea, but doesn't the rear traveller lines/sheets get in the way? I moor my boat with a topping lift for the boom and keep the main sheet tight.
 
I replaced the axle bolt for the pulley at the top of the mast with an eye bolt, to which I tied an empty 5 quart pennzoil jug (the pulley wheel runs on the unthreaded protion of the eye bolt). Testing it in shallow water the mast came right back up every time I pushed it under.
 

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