My first pitchpole

Today I had my first pitchpole experience. I was flying along and hit some chop and the next thing I know is I'm in the water. It was a learning experience dealing with a mast filling with water while the boat is turning turtle. Now I know what its like!

Congrats on your new experience! Pitch poling can make for some great action photos & get people injured & cold...seeing you're in Fl is it safe to assume nobody got hypothermia? Injuries? Given the comment on the mast flooding, might be a good idea to check all the rivets and seals. It probably wouldn't hurt to rinse the inside of the mast (get the salt out) and then throughly dry it out.

Kinda the opposite experience I had. I went out to the lake only to bob around like a cork on flat water for about an hour, then paddle back to the boat ramp. Kinda sucked. I think I would rather have pitchpoled.

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'88 Nationals Blue
Hobie Alter Signature Model
Sail #11

Hobie Mirage Classic

Rick and Et, Yea it was great to get out on the intracoastal and spend some time with the dolphins. Another day in paradise!!!

Do you have your mast raked back, along with your butt to the rear in this situation ?.Mast must be water tight!!!!!.Bitchen hanging out with Dolphins,last summer had a pod right next to my starboard hull and out, surfing etc all the way down to Poche beach,awesome!!!!.

It's time for a re-visit:

From the Hobie HOTLINE Vol. 2, Issue 5 (p.15)

Dr. Goephast's Medicine Bag
by Chuck Patch, Ph.D. in B.S.

Ailment: Post Pitchpole Depression

Symptoms: Sudden loss of boatspeed, severe dampness of skipper and crew, unnatural elevation at the rudders

Comments: Post Pitchpole Depression (PPD) will affect all sailors during their sailing careers. Even on shore, many prefer not to discuss pitchpoling. There are numerous strains of PPD. Any sailor knows there must be fifty ways to leave your Hobie. Below we examine various levels of the ailment.

Level 1. The "Santa Claus" Syndrome
On a reach, in flat water, the crew notices the lee bow sinking lower in the water. Regardless how many people are aboard, suddenly everyone wants to sit in the skipper's lap.

Level 2. The "Das Boot" Syndrome
This occurs sailing downwind in large chop. The bows bury into the back of a wave, and the boat slows as the hulls continue moving forward underwater. Catamarans do not make good submarines, so it is best to avoid this mode. In the performance of this maneuver, skippers have been injured, slugged by crews upset about the five gallons of ice-cold water having just went down the back of their wetsuits.

Level 3. The "Fred and Ginger" Syndrome, aka the Demicell Maneuver
Sailing upwind, double trapped, the leeward hull digs in gently, causing the boat to decelerate. Inertia causes the skipper and crew to dance gracefully to the bow, pulling the boat over on top of themselves.

Level 4. The "Wile E. Coyote" Syndrome
Sailing singlehanded, reaching and trapped out, standing behind the rear crossbar. Bows go under, the boat comes to a halt, balanced on its nose. The skipper, now 16 feet in the air, thinks, "This ain't so bad - I'll just wait for the bows to back out and sail on." Then, the fatal error: he looks down. "Hey, there's nothin' holdin' me up here! AAAAAA!" -SPLASH!-

Level 5. The "Satellite" Syndrome
Sailing downwind in heavy air, the knothead crew decides to go out on the wire. With same knothead crew standing behind the rear crossbar, the bows dig in sharply. The knothead crew is launched forward, remaining hooked in, and begins to orbit the front of the boat. The skipper, still at his post, watches helplessly as the knothead crew's weight brings the boat to a final, embarrassing halt.

Level 6. The "Friendly Skies" Syndrome
Heavy air, reaching, double trapped at the end of a long day of sailing. The crew just HAS to remark, "I'm surprised we haven't pitchpoled yet." It's guaranteed within 30 seconds the bows head straight for Davy Jones. Skipper and crew, without having filed flight plans, fly away for parts unknown. After a short yet eventful journey, the pair splash down.

Never, ever allow the crew to say the P-word whilst sailing.

Yesterday, on my first sail of the season, I had my first one too. It was a level 3 (no crew to blame). I am finally going to order a righting bag, because it is a pain waiting for help to show up.
I should have known better than to be following a thread on pitchpoling the day before I set sail!

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Alfred
'87 H16 Sail 89907
If you aren't sailing on the edge, you're taking up too much room.

I love the Pitchpole explanation!! Have only done it once. With my cousin on the wire and me at the helm, happens fast, gotta love it! Does keep me looking at the front hull a bit... Has anyone tried the front "anti-pitchpole" foils? I know, I know... how chumpy... well... call it what you want but I guarantee you if my wife gets pitchpoled which is bound to happen with my limited experience and 1977 rig set up, she will likely be thru supporting my sailing addiction... haha... Kinda lookin forward to single-handed sailing and trapeezing anyhow on the 16 as I have a home made righting bag. I will certainly need it as I am only 170 dripping wet and can't wait to get my boat back in the water and flip it solo so I can try the bag trick. If I am on the wire and have time to even catch site of the pitchpole syndrome is it wise to kick/jump upwards to try and clear the sidestay?? I doubt I can get unhooked in the fraction of a second notice I had the last time.
Thanks,
John

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MAN... DO I LOVE THIS HOBIE CAT!!!

I'm glad that my wife wasn't with me this time. Although it would have made getting righted alot easier. I hope I haven't started something bad here.

A couple tips, FLIPIT.

1. The anti-pitchpole foils are on my boat at the request of my family who thinks a pitchpole means instant death, but since learning to rig the boat better the foils aren't really necessary. If you have old sails then you might try raking the mast aft before adding the foils. New rigging and jibs are designed for more mast rake than you may have now, meaning new standing rigging and lots of mast rake will cause an old jib to flutter at the leech. Since you seem to want to push the boat to maximum enjoyment then perhaps a new jib with new standing rigging is in your future. If you get new standing rigging and keep the old jib then rake the mast back as far as the old jib will allow without fluttering.

2. Try practicing righting the boat near shore before you get way out to sea to find out you're doing something wrong.

3. Avoid the shrouds in a pitchpole? Depending on the ferocity of the pitchpole you'll be lucky to realize it happened before you hit the water. On the wire you're toast, just go with it and hope for a soft landing in the jib and not the mast. On the tramp at the helm, grab the rear cross bar and hang on! which probably won't help, but you get style points for trying.

4. In the early learning stage of sailing, if you don't come back bloody they you're not trying hard enough.

THANKS SKIPSHOT!!
Great explanation of the issues and solutions. Yes I am all in and this season money is tight so I will rake what little I can and just get my sailor legs under me like everyone else did... the school of hard knocks...ha! Always loved excitement and I did have a chance to see the pitchpole happen and grabbed the rear crossbar as you mentioned which took care of me. My cousin got a handsome rash from skimming the stay wire but such is life in the day of a Hobie Cat at full cruise with two chumps sailing her. I wouldn't give that experience back for anything and can't wait to make more memories.
I have done alot of extreme sports and enjoyed them all. The thrill of this Hobie humming loudly at full tilt is quite a rush and I may be addicted to it soon but it sure beats lots of other addictions from my youth. At age 50 I refuse to slow down or give way so its off to the races as I try to outrun anything on the lake I can pick a race with.
Thanks again for your reply as there is no substitute for experience.

God Bless you!
John

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MAN... DO I LOVE THIS HOBIE CAT!!!

People think I'm crazy to push the limits sailing. I don't get it. There is nothing more fun to be getting all of the speed possible out of the boat and passing everyone else out there.

Pitch pole is ok if you don't hurt yourself or the boat I have never failed to lose the beer I was drinking

A leak in the mast is a major problem

i have placed mast in a swimming pool to look for the leak
usually a new rivet and rivet cup and silicone will take care of these problems
note: buy the above parts from a Hobie Dealer pay a little more for quality and dependability

I must have several leaks as it didn't take long for the mast to fill up and it took a long time to drain after we got the boat upright.

if you didn't get injured I'll bet it was a Blast.

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Bodhisatfa