Turtle a T2??

Hello all. Just trying to stir up some discussion since our board is too quiet. I came across this video:

https://youtu.be/7rKZAUwWEXA

At about 1:00 they flip the boat and manage to turtle it (with the mast float installed). I didn't think that was possible. I noticed one of the sailors sitting on the mast after they flip which I am guessing is a factor. Thoughts?

His mate sitting on the mast after the capsize drove the mast under. The mast float doesn't have that much buoyancy with that sort of weight pressing it down.

Jim Clark-Dawe

I'm wondering why the mast didn't pop off the ball when the boat turtled - In the T2s we're supposed to remove the retention pin during sailing! It didn't look like the rig was overly tight either?

I feel like there is ambiguity around the mast pin. I leave the pin in all the time based on what I read when I had a Hobie Wave. The T2 instructions say the "bolt" should be removed after stepping the mast. If they are referring to the pin, I guess I am curious why it should be removed? I have sailed hundreds of hours on this boat and the Wave with the pin in without any issues. I would think keeping the mast on the ball would be a good thing in almost any sailing scenario?

Rig tension keeps the mast on the ball. It would have to be very loose and get into a position that allows the mast to rise up several inches to get off the ball. Not common, although I used to sail 14s and with a loose rig on a hard pitch pole I demasted. Sop, it can happen.

_________________
Matt Miller
Former - Director of Parts and Accessory Sales
Warranty and Technical Support
Hobie Cat USA
(Retired 11/7/2022)

Two schools of thought on the mast pin.

One is to leave the pin in for the reason mentioned above - if you capsize, there is no possibility of the mast base jumping off of the step, causing a dismast.

The other is to remove the pin. That way if you break a shroud, when the mast comes down, it is free to pop off the step. Otherwise, if the base stays attached, it is likely to cause damage to the mast or crossbar. It could also bend the pin, making it impossible to remove, which would cause problems with recovering the dismasted boat.

So the compromise is to remove the pin but keep the rig snug.

sm