symo_007 Posted March 26, 2013 Report Share Posted March 26, 2013 I had an early Capercat too, and I did not think it was pitchpole prone. Had so much buoyancy in the hulls. Maybe your mast is way forward. . +1 The mast must be way too far forward to be nose diving a caper from experience, i nose dived both hulls to the main beam once after getting new side stays made and not realising they were an inch longer than the originals, scary at first then fun until we got back to shore to change the settings. Ours was at the bottom of the stay adjuster for heavy winds and 1 or 2 from the top for light winds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrSnapid Posted March 26, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 26, 2013 Ours was at the bottom of the stay adjuster for heavy winds and 1 or 2 from the top for light winds. Wow I have never adjusted it that far, maybe i'm being too subtle. I have only used 2 settings, and they have only 1 hole between them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dambat Posted March 26, 2013 Report Share Posted March 26, 2013 Yeah Dylan tells the story of how he swung round the shroud, right over his sister's head, landing out on the front beam, like it's some sort of ninja move he's proud of. But the truth comes out whenever we get near top speed and he's yelling "we're gonna pitchpole!" through the spray and I can just tell he's a bit worried now... I am planning on raking the mast a little bit more actually but since I have the older style rudders it already has a hell of a lot of weather helm, so much so that as a tiller extension I use only rope. More rake will only increase weather helm I suspect. But I really want to practice using the traveller and downhaul and outhaul more, and just finding out what the limits of this boat are, since for my intended use it's really quite perfect and as much as I like the windy 14s and the nacras they just cannot carry the stuff we like to take with us when we are just cruising about. If anyone has a set of flip down rudders I can adapt to the caper, i might be interested, last I checked calipso wanted nearly $1000 for a set I wouldn't bother. You can manage pitching readily with rake, the weather helm just helps, performance will be pretty much the same, and you can sail in shallow water without the rudders kicking up. If you're keen though, contact Norm Jones from Maroochydore (he advertises on gumtree), or there's a set of Hobie rudders on ebay http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/hobie-catamaran-sails-and-steering-/160995550412?pt=AU_Boats&hash=item257c1524cc /Damien Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leadfoot Posted March 26, 2013 Report Share Posted March 26, 2013 No one has mentioned this and I am not sure how effective it is with the small jib that you guys run. On a 5.8 the best defense against the drastic pitchpole is for the crew to dump the jib. This will allow the nose to pop back up and the boat to accelerate. This tatic also worked on a cobra. Don't know how strong your little tyke is but if he can hang on to the jib sheet and let the jib fly when he is getting nervous and then pull back on as the boat settles it should help him over his nerves Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrSnapid Posted March 26, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 26, 2013 Um doesn't the jib create lift though? Won't dumping that dip the nose? My jib is a 100%, it hits the mast as it tacks, any bigger it would be a Genoa... Wouldn't it? And yeah he's at his limits but he can operate it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seabreeze Posted March 26, 2013 Report Share Posted March 26, 2013 Arghh thanks so much for the clarification about re bearing up or down, certainly an interesting topic and, very well explained great readin' Read years ago in a book "Catamarans for cruising", by Jim Andrews, to bear away in gusts.. don't believe everything you read.. Again, thank you. errata Now i'm cruisin'.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrSnapid Posted March 27, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 27, 2013 Thinking about it if you are upright the jib would produce lift. But when heeled over and nose starting to dig in I think I can see why releasing the jib might help because it would be being pushed down once you are heeled over. It's worth keeping in mind for a last minute save, thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seabreeze Posted March 27, 2013 Report Share Posted March 27, 2013 Am in accord that releasing the jib sheet is the only way to save a flipping / pitchpoling being in those last few crucial microseconds of reaching mayhem , that is, if ones' lightning reflexes are up to it ..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leadfoot Posted March 27, 2013 Report Share Posted March 27, 2013 Some jibs may be cut to induce lift. Don't know about yours. Easiest way to find out is to go out in 15 knots, push the boat hard and try it. See how your boat reacts. I have only sailed a couple of caper cats and the sails where best described as rags. I think you will have a bit of trouble with nose diving just because you have three people on board. There is only so much room on the rudder case and I'm guessing that is where you were all trying to be. Boats are a lot less scary if you feel you have a bit of control. If your son thinks he can help tame the beast by adjusting the jib it will give him a lot more confidence. Mind you having sat around a lot of bonfires at sailing regattas everyone tries to brag about the best cartwheel. My record is 5 on the first reach of my first South east queensland cobra titles. Two of them with me and the crew landing past the hound on the mast. Luckily Lake cootharabra is so shallow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul124ac Posted April 8, 2013 Report Share Posted April 8, 2013 My first response to a gust is the trav, watch a cat of any type get hammered, dumping the main sheet tends to move the power UP the sail just where you don't want it. I've buried Mari and H14 leeward hulls under purposefully and tried both methods, dumping the trav works better and is quicker to get powered back up, it keeps the sail flat.Works the same on monos, I've played the trav in 35 plus to great effect. Totally agree about when flying a hull and you get a gust, feather the boat up and you can keep it balanced but it ain't fast. If you think about it cats don't have vangs, or at least not real effective ones, so the main sheet is there to keep the sail flat and the traveller to keep the angle of attack correct, Skiffs can vang sheet and can also foot off and raise the board a touch and remain flat and fast. If I did as the article suggested on the A I'd be swimming a lot (more than i do now).Downwind is different, If you dump the main on a Viper with the kite up you'll risk the mast, no backstay. As KOJ suggests soak in the gusts and head up for speed in the lulls. A word of caution, when gybing pull the trav back to centre as the sail swings thru the breeze, then quickly back out as you come up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.