Newbie Question

I have been involved in a number of less than safe situations in a number of different sports. The key to walking away and being carried more often than not was knowing how to fall and using the right safety equipment. You always try not to eat it but when your on the edge its gonna happen. Does anyone have any tips on what to do when you know your going over both in traps and not? In other posts about righting etc everyone just says wham!!! Im in the water... Is there a strategy to not getting hurt? Besides of course not going over in the first place....

THE FIRST AND MOST IMPORTANT THING TO REMEMBER IS NOT SAILING DRUNK

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Jeff Serene
1984 Hobie 18 Magnum
Phoenix, AZ

How else do you get the nerve to take a Hobie into a hurricane?

IMO, jump away from the boat. Off the back is my favorite. Trapeze bungee/s may need replacing, but they're cheap.

Trying to stay on board, or trying to save it, usually result in bodily contact with some part of the boat.

I was riding with my son once when he stuffed the lee bow of the 16 up to the front pylon the boat stopped, backed out and we continued sailing still double trapped. Notice I said once

_________________
Sheet In...Max Out
www.fleet297.org
sailflatlands at gmail dot com

Thanks J. That sounds like a hell of a ride! Teatherball anyone????

There are two types of crashes: 1. the expected 2. the unexpected.

The expected kind include capsizes when you are deliberately flying a hull. For these try to get off the boat on the nearest side away from the rigging, whether it be off the stern or bottom. With practice you'll know when the tipping point is reached and have time to prepare for it, mainly because the boat is moving slowly. Do what you can to avoid jumping into the sails so as not to put a hole in them, but if unavoidable then don't land feet first, and if that's unavoidable then crumple your body as much as possible after hitting the sail then gently, but quickly, swim off it towards the stern.

If you're hooked in the trapeze, you should have enough time to unhook yourself. Trouble with this is that if the boat doesn't capsize you'll get teabagged something fierce when it comes back down and you will have to rely on the strength of your hands holding the trapeze handle to keep from washing overboard.

The unexpected kind of crashes include capsizes due to a large gust and pitchpoles. Not much can be done and you'll need to rely on equal parts athletic reflex and luck to avoid being hurt.

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.
...

Other things I've heard:

"They was headin' for Cuba sideways." -remark made observing a boat on its side, crew struggling to right it, strong north winds.

"Damn, them bows was gonna visit Davy Jones." - after a pitchpole

Most anything David Beale has to say.

"Hang on to your diapies! We're going in!" -at a start line

HAHA Skipshot way too good. Level 4. The "Wile E. Coyote" I cant wait to do that one!!!! I am renting a getaway this weekend to see if it is the boat I want. Im torn between the getaway and the 21. I love the durability and carrying ability of the Getaway, but the all out speed of the 21 is calling... I live in socal and plan on sailing to Catalina and San Diego often from Orange county. After I rent the getaway I should have a better idea of which direction I want to go. A used 21 is expensive but I like the wing set-up better than the one on the getaway (a must for the wife who doesnt like to be soaked). My eyes will be glued to craiglist and e-bay to say the least.

Thank you everyone for the responses from a converted mono huller.

If you want wings then take a look at an 18 with wings, too. All 18's can be retrofitted with wings if you can't find one with wings already, however Hobie stopped selling 18 wings recently. There are two types of 18 wings - Magnum (older and original desgin) and SX (latest design and longer than Magnums), however I can't say which are preferable.

You may also try contacting the gang at the So. Cal. Beachcats Yahoo! group for assistance - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/So_CA_Beachcat_Sailors/

You can get wings for the tiger and FXone too. Not sure about the Fox.

Tipping over sideways you can usually just drop your butt to the rail or hull, unhook then bail off the boat.

Pitchpoles, you're screwed with out something to hang on to. Might as well see how the jib looks from the air.

Carefull with small boats like the H14, I've pulled them over backwards before when the wind decided to suddenly die.

the bad...Hobie discontinued manufacture of the SX wings

the good...second hand Magnum and SX wings increased in value...wait, that could be the bad...if you don't have them

_________________
Sheet In...Max Out
www.fleet297.org
sailflatlands at gmail dot com

Drunkensailor57,
You're in Huntington?? I sometimes sail my 16 to the pier from Long Beach. Maybe I'll see you around sometimes.

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Happy Sailing,

David

Most definetly David. Do you sail with any groups out of LB? I plan on getting my boat by August at the latest and would like to hook up with some other enthusiats. Let me know if you ever need crew .

Drunkensailor,
The key to not getting hurt is to always try to land on the water going down and not on any part of the boat. Unfortunately, there's no organized group of catamaran sailors out of Long Beach and when I sail down to the Huntington Pier, it's usually just me and my crew. Most of the regulars at Long beach usually stay a little loser to home. I guess I'm just the crazy one. E-mail me at [email protected] and we'll chew the fat.

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Happy Sailing,

David

Just duck, cover and roll or find a buddy with a good life jacket! It's the fun of learning the Hobie way!