Righting problems

[Toby]

I have a Mk2 Maricat 4.3 that i recently purchased. I have sailed cats before and have righted them without any issues. I have sailed this cat several times now and when i capsize the cat, it is impossible to right. (requires a boat to pull it back over)I have moved the righting rope so it goes over the hull to give greater leverage, i release the main each time, but still can only rock the mast up about 1 ft above the water. I weigh 90kgs so this should be an easy task. Can anyone give me some pointers where im going wrong, or what is wrong with the cat.

[Pointed Reply]

There is a good chance that your mast is filling with water. If so it will be almost impossible to right. Reseal all mast fittings including all rivets. Just a small hole will suck in lots of water when the boat goes over.

[Toby]

Yeh, i thought the same thing so i ran a bit of silicone around the fittings, but i may have missed something.

could it be anything else

[dood]

Lean out and Pull hard

[darcy1945]

Next sailing trip, before rigging put the bare mast in the water and check for leaks. At 90kg you should be able to right a 16 unaided, so something is definately amiss, main off, cunningham off, turn boat head to wind (move forward to sink the bow until boat swings) then move to centre and hang out keeping your feet down near the turn of the hull to avoid damage (I have seen boats holed by misplaced feet and knees).

[humungus2]

it is important to make sure the mast is pointing into the wind. The wind will assist in a big way by hitting the tramp and getting under the sail. Putting the rope over the hull will also help.