Jump to content

my amazin' capsize of this day..


seabreeze

Recommended Posts

Hey Ladies and Gents, howz thingz?

I sail out of JBSC, Woodman's Point WA - near Fremantle. Naturally we've held W14 State tiltes here before at Jervoise Bay Sailing Club, and, it must be about time for a Nationals sometime maybe soon?

y'all cordially invited ......

Well, now, to my most amazin' capsize of this day.....

took my little windy 14 out for a sail 2day

i got it in October last year, but the first time i sailed it last year i jumped out on the traeeze, off the beach somewhat, and the trap wire let go, drats, i could see it flying off as i fell gracefully into the ocean flat on my back (hanging on grimly to mainsheet so the boat would capsize and not sail off without me)

it was the rig with 2 pop rivets aside atop the main and fore stays tang and the aluminium pop rivet had corroded enough to let go (monol pop rivets is for me in the future me mateys)

couldn't right it quick enough

mast filled with water

it turtled anyway

not feeling so graceful now..

and then got back to beach, eventually, hours later, the mast got jammed in the sand on the way back after a while and had to drop mast via the snap on hooks, heck it then got stuck in the sand as it dragged along

small surf

with the mast dragging along and i couldn't get boat out

she then spent the night being pounded on the beach in a most ungraceful fashion

me done the long walk of shame back to club a coupla times now..

next morning a coupla hobie mates helped get it back

so, yo, months of fixing up and some pampering later

off we go again, 2day went out for a blast

whacko the dilio it was fun..

sailed to near mewstone rocks and out near carnac island, mostly on the wire

ah, life's a breeze

anyway coming back

got a bit complacent stretched out on tramp watching the sails looking good

and capsized not that far from club

dammit...

far out the bloody thing turtled real quick

dammit

so for an hour or so tried straining, pullin, heaving,

maybe some occasional cussin'

mate it looked like another long drift session ...

past the club down to near the jetties

well, now, genius is persistance!

is it not?

to achieve one must heap up small things ..

in desperation i went and stood on the back beam leeward side

wind from SW

bows facing W

it sank at the stern heaps

[almost like if you put to much main on at the start line, get into irons and over you tip backwards]

so anway with the bows pointing to the sky from my weight on the rear beam

i then ran along the hull a bit

real quick like

wow

far out man

it popped back onto it's side!!!

then took ages to get it over 'though

had to loop the jib sheet onto the righting ropes thru the harness hook and exert mega further leverage

even climbing like a spider up the tramp etc

and here and there

whatever

[had to temporarily loosen off downhaul, being as prior read on this informative Forum..

yep, and making sure the main is off too ..]

and, righted it without the nose pointing into wind and she didn't cartwheel thank goodness

probably coz i was clinging in desperation to the windward hull as she came over..

so blow me down!

she turtled

and i stood on the rear beams

the bows kissed the sky

yep and i was sure kissin' the deck not long after a certain mad scramble

yeehah!

steady as she goes!

back to the beach we go with an earlymark

just in time for lunch

a coupla snaggers on the barby and a hot cuppa for lunch in the club's camp kitchen

Later in the day, helped out a drifting kitesurfer in his travels, wind was more gusty and bit stronger and the boat went right way up all arvo like a bullet, life's good

so there you have it -

my personal discovery of how to right a turtled windy

maybe you already knew how, but,

hope it helps someone else out sometime

whadda ya reckon?

hope to talk with you personally soon at the JBSC Nats ..

hey now, you might like to maybe hear too about the time i capsized my H16 when sailing by myself

(it's pretty near impossible to right the boat without a righting bag, a righting stick or knowing how to angle off the wind with the jib hard cleated on - and let it off as up you come and hopefully not over again, kinda like a windurfer water start)

anyway i'd drifted for hours to get near beach on the H16

a friendly kitesurfer came to my aid

bless his heart and cotton sox

held his hand out

i grabbed it

the hobie came over in a real trice

you beaut

but as i slid down the righting rope i'd been hooked into and leaning out on in an earlier futile attempt to right

and as the boat came over really, really megafast

the flamin' dolphin striker cracked me on the scone

damn and double damn..

dunno how i wasn't knocked out

wild

the kitesurfer chappy, a french dude, gybed around and was kinda amazed to see me still breathin'

cripes it was a real sore episode that one, ouch, long sail home back to the club

and a bit stiff necked for months too!

moral of the story - don't try hooking into righting ropes and then forgeting as she comes back over..

it musta knocked some sense into me 'though

that is, to later buy a windy 14, and,

note this particular story probably sounds best over a beer at the club anyway

maybe when you could then amaze me and others with your own exciting tales

so we'll see ya at the JBSC Winners Bar then ..

Lifes a beach now for sure.

and ya can stick your blasted windy turtles and keep 'em off our beach thanx!!

And, thanking you for reading this windy passage...

Cheers

:p

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks Robbieandrew - flattery will get you everywhere - more tales of astoundment soon ...

Cool for cats Gareth - will be only to pleased to see you and the orange peril on the day!

Meanwhile hope you other crew get out an' have a wet, wild weekend with your pants on :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...