Experiences…

A lot of the discussion on here pertains to just the boat, thought it would be interesting the change it up a bit and bring up a few “close calls”…

Had a friend of mine (a Prindle owner so judge it from there) was out solo and got boomed in the back of the head. He got knocked out and knocked off. Long story short the boat floated to shore as his girl friend just happened to be having lunch and noticed the boat come in without him on it. Quite the chain of events followed…

As he puts it, how he survived is beyond him.

Last time he ever went out without a lifejacket!

That is miraculous! It just wasn't his time. I tell my wife repeatedly to watch the boom especially on the jibe's. It's been so gusty when we've been out that the boom comes across so violently that I could definately see that happening.

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"Liquid Plumber's Edition Wave" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z78PozP9dc0

I have had a trap harness hook fail...

Back in the early 80's. I was single handed sailing in San Felipe Mexico and lucky-for-me... sailing back towards shore. Scary! I had tossed off my pfd to swim faster. Never turned back for it after realizing the boat was sailing off and not going to round up. Jib was tight and main sheeted out as I fell into the water. I had to swim a couple of miles. Boat made it to shore and I was finally picked up by a passing H18 near shore.

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

That's one of the reasons that I mandate my crew, as well as myself, wear a white hat while sailing. A few weeks ago, a Long beach lifeguard was run over and killed by it's own cutter during training. The skipper, who has years of experience, said he just didn't see her.

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Happy Sailing,

David

I was out with my brother last fall in some great wind -- 20-25 mph. I'm 180lbs and he's about 200lbs. Yeah, a little on the heavy side for a 1979 H16. We bought the boat together earlier in the summer and were taking it out for the first time in some really good wind. We were cruising along, trying not to pitchpole in the 2ft chop, and the shroud snapped. Down came the mast. We sat there for about 15 minutes trying to collect everything and prepare to walk it around the lake or to be towed in. Fortunately a fishing boat saw us and towed us in. The funny thing is that it was in October. I was wearing a shorty wetsuit and he was wearing his fishing waders. A few minutes before the shroud came down I was trying to convince him to snap into the trapeze. I wonder what the outcome would have been with a 200 lb. guy locked into a trap wire wearing waders. We were pretty fortunate. I've been a bit gun shy since then.

While we're discussing experiences, has anyone capsized without the mast bob on the top? Is it really needed?

Also, has anyone capsized while on the trapeze? Do you get stuck in the rigging?

A friend of mine bought a brand new Prindle 18 in the early eighties. He was so anxious to take it out he decided to launch the day after a major nor'easter. He convinced me and another friend to crew. There were dozens of beachcats up and down the shore but no one else was rigging up that Saturday. Northeast winds are very tricky on the Atlantic shoreline because you have to put the boat more or less broadside to the waves in order to wind in the sails and get some forward momentum. We got fifty feet or so out before a set of five or six gigantic waves rolled in. The boat started to turn away from the waves so the skipper actually jumped into the water and attempted to swim the bows back around into the breakers. Obviously that failed in the huge surf. When it looked like all hope was lost he shouted for us to jump ship. The third or forth wave in the set, at six or eight feet, picked the boat up and hurled it back to shore where it landed upside down on the mast, the mast flexed and rebounded the boat into the air again and landed on the transoms breaking both rudder castings. It also put a huge rip in the mainsail. It was almost as if we angered King Neptune and he violently threw us out of his ocean! Anyway, we survived the rip tides and got back to shore okay. That little fiasco nearly cured me of cat sailing forever.

Yes, I have capsized while on the wire. I have not hurt myself though. Usually I sit and grab the rail, but have been tossed forward of the boat a number of times.

One really dramatic one was at full speed reaching, we started to stick the bow and my buddy (holding tight to the mainsheet) and I (at the helm) slid forward, and as we did... the main was getting sheeted harder and harder for a full on STUFF! Fastest time yet from sailing to swimming.

The bob is not a necessity on most boats. It mostly offers reassurance and time to get organized for righting. The 21SC, Wave and the Getaway need the bob due to being VERY stable upside down. Don't want to turtle those boats as they are too hard to right from turtle.

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

I will add that the type of trap hook is critical, you definitely want a system that has some kind of quick release. The hook is what will kill you as it can get hooked in the rigging and hold you under.

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Bodhisatfa

I've gone over several times while trapping out. Last one was with my 19 year old son in 2 foot waves. We were struggling a bit to stay attached to the boat as we were launching off the waves. My son was on the rail in front of me when he was hit on the forward shoulder by an extra big wave. He was swept off and of course came back and knocked me off. I was still trying to steer while swinging through the air sideways to the boat. It didn't work as we turned dead down wind and stuffed the bows. Great time was had by all. Grins all around.

Virtually every time I have flipped the boat someone was on the trapeze. Remember, when you lose your footing (Peter Pan over the bows) you are essentially hanging dead weight from a cable connected to the top of the mast. All of your weight is being used to leverage or pull the boat over with the mast.

Back in the Early eighties while stationed at Myrtle Beach, had an experience after a great day of sailing.

The day was almost over and I was just about to call it when a friend of mine walked up and wanted to go for a ride. Probably should have said next time as the sun was going down and the wind and waves were picking up but thought what the hell lets go. We were having a blast as the rollers were timed perfectly and we were skipping over them when as fate would have it we stuffed one and pitch poled.

Try as we might, could not right the boat as the rollers were fighting us every time we got close. Long story short, thankfully a banner plane spotted us as we were far from shore and could only see the tops of the buildings as we crested the waves. The banner plane circled followed by some other spotter plane then the coastal rescue showed up. Took four of us to right the damn thing!

Learned some respect that day and bought a few cold ones that night!

I was in the Utah summer games this past June having a great race, when a micro burst wind blew threw the canyon at 65+ MPH. all 27 boats on the water capsized, and we had to turtle the boat and stay inside, We where there in 58 degree water for around 1/2 an hour until the harbor patrol came to get us. We sat in our car for 1/2 an hour shivering. Luckily we didn't have to get in an ambulance like some others, who's core temperature dropped down to 90 degrees.

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http://www.GetWetSailing.com It's A Great Day To Sail!

WOW, wearing fishing waders is not a good idea. That's the equivalent of strapping a huge bucket to your rear end. You go in the water and you're not going anywhere (except down).

Interesting thing is your brother isn't the first person to think of using waders. I've got an old Worrell 1000 book where they talk about using waders. It's amazing that they didn't see the danger of doing it. Wearing a wetsuit would be infinitely safer.

sm