Is your boat trying to kill you?

Some days I'm not sure if my boat is a partner in fun or is trying to kill me. Sometimes I think we're having a bunch of fun and then WHA-BAM!! I'm airborne from a pitchpole, or WHA-BAM!! so long leeward rudder, or WHA-BAM!! I'm bucked overboard, or WHA-BAM!! that gust was a lot stronger than I expected, or WHA-BAM!! I could swear the main sheet wasn't cleated, or WHA-BAM!! I could swear the main sheet WAS cleated, or WHA-BAM!! the jib sheet wraps around the jib block in the middle of a tack with the grip of a sumo wrestler, or WHA-BAM!! I wasn't done using that trapeze adjustment line/shackle/jib sheet pigtail/ring ding.

A couple months ago the boat/temptress was telling me to take her from Gaviota State Park around Point Conception to Jalama. "It'll be great!" she said, "We can see a section of the coast few have access to," but then I investigated wind patterns and discovered why no one else is doing it.

First, i'd make sure everything on your boat is operating correctly. No sticking traveler, blocks, cleats ect then perhaps let someone really experienced take your boat out for an assessment. If parts are worn out or not rigged and functioning correctly you'll have a tough time sailing with enjoyment. Are you sailing solo when all these crashes happen?

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Tim Grover

Memphis, TN fleet 134
Hobie 20! G-Cat5.0 and 2 Hobie 14's
Photobucket now wants $100 to post pics on forums......... pass.

Skipshot, I know from where you are coming. Over the years my boats seem to want to dominate other boats on the water...it's like they see another sail and want to go over there and strut their stuff. Sometimes it takes more than is "safe" to do it...I sure wouldn't do anything rash...but my boat eggs me on. Then I get dismasted or my spinnaker goes looking for shrimp for dinner...boats are great pals except when they ain't.

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R/Thom
SeaRail 19
Triak
BMW C600
Formerly Getaway with Custom Spinnakers
Formerly raced F24 Mk II

You're just talking about the "red mist" that comes over competitive people and causes them to make mistakes. It's a common expression and the outcome of letting it take over is almost always bad.

Your crazy friends are the most fun. And the most dangerous! Keeps life joyous! Yee-haa! Carpe damn diem!

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Yet another Bob!
"Firefly" - 2012 Hobie Getaway with wings and spinnaker
"Sparky" - 1978 Sunfish (OK, it's not a Hobie, but it's a fun little craft)
Too many canoes and kayaks

Well,
That sounds about normal! Thats sailing, If your out there solo, and really pushing it, in high winds.
I try to always keep an eye to the backside a bit to see what I'm going to be coming into, as much as possible. Really paying attention to whats going on, makes the difference, because your margin of error is a lot less. Yeah, I also get that main sheet falling between the center of the tramp too, just to have to pull it all back on board ( sure, get that rope catcher thingy, but then again thats to easy)
What I find is that after a few hours, I start to get tired, or complacent, thats when stuff starts to happen, pitchpoling, capsizing, and even crashing into marshes ( because, I'm taking it to the edge, a little to much on a gybe, and my rudders kick up, because I got to shallow)
After a couple of hours out in that high wind stuff, I try to make it a point to head in. to much exposure at one time, when solo, can beat you up alittle

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79 H16 #46803

Even sailing the same venue you, or at least I, can be lulled into complacency.
This week I was taking my cousin on a cruise that is mostly the course that I race quite often.
We were chatting and relaxing on the wings sliding along downwind at about 7kts in a nice steady breeze.
I had the mainsheet in hand loosely and not cleated.
A puff hit us out of nowhere so hard that it pushed both bows well down into the water and the stern shot way up into the air.
We were just short of pitchpoling and the boat hung near vertical for what seemed several long moments.
It was long enough to see that my cousin was dangling by the jib sheet she had been holding with a death grip and her feet hanging out over the front crossbar.
Lucky for her, the sheet had gone around the side stay and was short enough to keep her on the boat!
I was hanging onto the rear crossbar with my tiller hand and holding the useless mainsheet in my left.
Hanging.
Waiting.
Trying to think of ANYTHING to do to make the boat drop back into the water.
Then slowly, it settled back down and we were moving again.
The wind did fill over the next hour to a rocking 20mph and we had a blast, but I sure didn't expect to see a gust that big from that direction with a wind otherwise so mild.
Trying to kill me? Not unless I was really unlucky. Trying to humble me? Yes indeed!

Todd

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Todd
Hobie 21SE
Bellingham, WA

It's my second season sailing and have had many of those Wa-Bams myself, the latest was while following the "old pro's" on a big reach, oh a gybe 'eh? "i can do that", I missed the part i guess where you re-center the traveler, Wa-Bam! what a turn! lol.
I remember looking at the main sheet I had loosened and then recleated as I slide down the tramp for a swim.
I wonder if that's when I got the frayed wires on my side shroud,........ Good luck, And I'm happy to have the term for what happens to me trying to keep up with much more experienced skippers, "red mist"

One of my 4, Green Lighting is one that makes me feel this way. The latest was this past weekend while braking in a new main sail. We had good wind 15 constant up to 30 in gusts. Several times I had to go into irons just to keep her on the water. As the time went by I got more and more comfortable flying the hull higher and higher. Then I got a gust under the tramp, she went over and started to point the bows into the air. As I went off the back, the main caught on something and was pulled from my hand. When I surfaced, she was tipped over but already 10' away. I started swimming as best you can in a life jacket, after 20' I looked again and she was still 10' away. So I swam harder, when I looked up again she was 15' away. I flipped onto my back and still went after her Another 25-30' and I looked, now only 10' away so I kicked some more but was wearing out and decided to give up the chase.
A pontoon boat had spotted me and came to help, dang thing sat so hi in the water I could not get aboard so holding onto the side I had them go for the boat. By then friends packing up on the shore got the last 16 and came out to help. I was so spent, it took two of us to right the boat and I still had a hard time climbing back on.
Lesson learned, DON'T try to swim down your boat if she's blowing away fast, save your energy and wait for help if it there. I know I would have been a statistic if I wasn't wearing my PFD.
(And that just the last time she tried to kill me.)

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Buxton
18' T16 Silent Lightning (16' T2 Hybrid)
11' H16 White Lightning
79' H16 Green Lightning

The water version of " Here hold my BEER and watch this"

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“Remember life is short- eat dessert first.”
The world is 70% water – So that means we should spend 70% more time sailing than mowing lawns!
Larry

So far, Firefly has been gentle with me. But now the honeymoon must be over...
I was on Lake Mendota in Wisconsin a couple of weeks ago, 15 kt winds, gust to 25 (or more), and I was solo, couldn't find crew that day.
Turned downwind, popped out the spin and away we went! Then the wind shifted wwaaayyyy forward and I was on a broad reach with the spin out, flying along, trying to keep her upright...too near the shore to turn downwind. Took another gust and the whole damn boat went underwater! Let the spin luff like crazy, all sheets out, and hauled that chute back into the bag. I have reef points, but couldn't take the time to tie them in so close to the lee shore.
She did a GREAT submarine imitation!

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Yet another Bob!
"Firefly" - 2012 Hobie Getaway with wings and spinnaker
"Sparky" - 1978 Sunfish (OK, it's not a Hobie, but it's a fun little craft)
Too many canoes and kayaks

My boat loves me, but seems to hate my crew.

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Sledder does it better

Wow, you're having a blast!! -1*F at my house today.

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Buxton
18' T16 Silent Lightning (16' T2 Hybrid)
11' H16 White Lightning
79' H16 Green Lightning

dave202 - Best. Signature. Photo. Ever!