The Indestructible Boat

After my experiences last weekend, I'd like to start a thread where we post all of our "indestructible boat" stories. I'll start:

I did Ruff Rider regatta last weekend in South Padre Island. Storms blew in at different points both days and we decided to beach the boat in order to not have to weather the storm.

It was my first time sailing in the salt, and also my first time beaching the boat. I didn't know that you're supposed to go straight through the waves. When I approached the finish line the first day with 20+mph winds, the breakers capsized us in the shallows mast plummeting, luckily, seaward. My crew wanted to right the boat in the waves, but I told him to just let the waves push us towards the shore. At the shore, we righted it (stupidly, without pointing the bow into the wind) and the wind blew the sails and mast around and it smacked on the sand. Watching it blow over, I told myself "well, there here goes $1000 for a new mast" and it surprisingly didn't break.

One of the F18 sailors sprinted over and coached us on what to do. We righted the boat on the beach(this time with the bow in the wind) and walked the boat the remaining 1/4 mile to the finish line. Despite the crash landing and walking the last part of the race, we still got a bullet!

Talking with the other boats over dinner on the beach, pretty much every cat in the non-spin class had also capsized at some point during the race.

The next day another storm blew through during the middle of the race. 7' waves (when we were out there) and according to the weather reports, 45mph winds. We decided to beach the boat (properly) before the real part of the storm hit, and we withdrew from the race. Out of 11 boats, only 1 finished the race that day, and 10 (including us) withdrew from it. Less drama the 2nd day because we played it safe. Still, sailing in 20+ was real fun before beaching it! The spray was everywhere!

We got 2nd overall due to the bullet the first day. Despite getting last place the first day, a hobie 20 finished both races and since they were the only one to do so, they took 1st in the regatta.

Thanks for such a durable boat hobie!

To continue with the "Indestructible Boat" topic. Out solo on Great Salt Lake watching thunder bumpers march North up the lake. As long as they were going North I was ok. When one of them stopped moving I knew it was either coming at me or going away from me. Headed to the marina just in case. There was a German guy out solo in a kayak so decided to let him in on the problem. He immediately paddled to the beach and walked back to the marina to tell the rental folks. I was not so fortunate. Got within about 200 yard of the marina opening and was hit by about 30 knot winds and torrential rains. Tried depowering but just could not make it work solo. Over I went. I tried to keep track of how many times I righted and went over again, but can only give an estimate of around 10. Finally too exhausted to keep trying and just rode it on it's side to the Antelope Island causeway. Lucky that it was a sandy area where I came ashore. Just walked the mast around out of the water and sat down behind the tramp to get out of the rain and breath for a minute. Had quite a crowd sitting in their cars watching the whole event. To their credit a couple of folks got out to help when I came ashore, but by that time I was walking the mast around and there was nothing for them to do. I was pretty beat up by the end, but the boat was fine. Only damage was to a couple of batten pockets where the waves had been hitting them pretty hard and the battens came through. Amazingly tough boats. Thanks Hobie.