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| Overboard http://www.hobie.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=71&t=47669 |
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| Author: | Coughton54 [ Mon May 20, 2013 9:48 am ] |
| Post subject: | Overboard |
Back in November, I posted a video of a fast, wet sail on Canyon Lake, TX. Both Slaughter and KayakingBob made great suggestions about adding a tether from the Island to your life jacket or some limb in the event of going overboard. Last Saturday I left Packery Channel for the rig two miles off Bob Hall Pier; on-shore wind 12-15 mph and forecast 3-4 ft swell. Sail out was uneventful and I trolled around the rig with some success, but wind was picking up and I decided to head back. The TI was handling everything fantastic but with the stronger wind and swell I decided to reef the sail to keep the downwind ama from submerging. The extension I had added to the sail line had slipped into the front seat well so I half squatted and reached forward for the line just as a big swell hit and threw me over the side. My safety line caught and the whole thing ended up being completely uneventful - however, I'm not confident the same outcome would be true without a safety line. I was wearing my PDF with radio and GPS strapped to the jacket. I like to think I could of grabbed something as I went over the side but its so damn easy to make a mistake and I can't imagine the feeling you would get watching your boat sail off into the sunset. So, from someone who's stupid enough to have been there, done that - it is possible to fall overboard, safety tether straps do work, you can learn good things from great forum contributors, thank you Slaughter and KayakingBob. |
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| Author: | KayakingBob [ Mon May 20, 2013 10:02 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Overboard |
Finally some product testing!   I'm glad everything turned out well. You're not hurt and it worked! How quickly did the TI slow to a stop and how hard did the line pull on you? Most canoe and kayaking deaths on open water (and probably sailing) are from not staying with the boat. Good Job! A well prepared self rescue made it a non-event. |
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| Author: | sailhoky [ Mon May 20, 2013 10:17 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Overboard |
Here I was thinking about adding a tether to the Mirage Drive (shown on the Forum), and I was reminded by your post to add the safety tether for ME! Thanks for your story, glad everything turned out okay. MY line will be added first, then the Mirage Drive. |
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| Author: | Coughton54 [ Mon May 20, 2013 10:32 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Overboard |
KayakingBob- I had the line attached to my PDF and there was much less pull than I had imagined. The boat stopped immediately without much shock load and I just slid back in and sat for a minute thinking about lessons learnt 
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| Author: | Tom Kirkman [ Mon May 20, 2013 10:50 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Overboard |
I never cleat the sheet in any sort of heavy wind. It stays in my hand. If I'm tossed out, I am counting on the sail to de-power and the boat to stop. I do understand that you were moving forward, which isn't easy to do while holding the sheet. ........... |
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| Author: | NOHUHU [ Mon May 20, 2013 10:52 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Overboard |
Times like that, I reflect on how sweet it is to sail in warm water.  We're thrilled you were able and willing to write this story yourself (as opposed to it making the nightly news). Thanks. |
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| Author: | Chekika [ Mon May 20, 2013 12:09 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Overboard |
Hey, Tom, that boat is not going to stop! It is just going to sail off at a slower rate. I'm not sure how slow that will be in strong winds, but I am confident it will be faster than I can swim. Again, please, what are people using for tethers? Who else has fallen off their moving boat? And, what is the rest of the story? Keith |
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| Author: | KayakingBob [ Mon May 20, 2013 12:18 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Overboard |
Chekika wrote: Again, please, what are people using for tethers? I use a 9' surfboard leash on my ankle, when sailing alone or in very rough condition (but not during launch and landing!) Who else has fallen off their moving boat? And, what is the rest of the story? Keith Sadly, we have never heard from (again?) anyone who has fallen off an AI or TI under sail without a captain's leash... 
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| Author: | vetgam [ Mon May 20, 2013 1:40 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Overboard |
Coughton54 your not alone. I guess it's time to confess my own story. I fell off my AI two weeks ago. I was sailing alone in a bay and was waiting to cross a ship channel. Ship traffic was high and I was in a waiting pattern. Winds were 12-15 mph and I was not leashed to the boat. The perfect storm of events occurred. A gust of wind caught me sideways just as a large wave did. My center of gravity was high because I was siting on a quarterdeck. I was in the center of the quarterdeck but the wind flipped the sail to the leeward side, catching me off guard and knocking me leeward. The wind caught under the tramps and the leeward tramp dug into the water lifting the windward side of the boat. Rather that loose complete control and separate from the boat I made a decision not to fight it and instead, grab onto the aka for dear life and take the plunge into the bay. I was able to stay with the boat and with me in the water and hanging on, the boat did not move in the water. I'm 220#. I was able to quickly get back on the boat and regain control. Had I separated from the boat, I would have drifted into the ship channel and been at the mercy of the tankers. Needless to say, I made a few changes in my sailing. 1. I bought a very strong paddle tether and plan to tether myself to the boat from now on. 2. I will avoid ship channels whenever possible 3. I purchased TI amas for my AI for better stability. 4. I tie the Ama handles to the pad eye on the bow to prevent the amas from collapsing when offshore. I will likely run a rope from ama handle stern as well. This is why I have been actively looking for stability and safety options. And now, you know the rest of the story. |
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| Author: | sailhoky [ Mon May 20, 2013 2:01 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Overboard |
I often sail with the mainsheet locked into the cam cleat but always on the lookout for the wind gusts. When I see one coming I uncleat the line. I also uncleat it whenever I'm squirreling around the boat and paying attention to something besides the sail/wind. That way I can feel the sail/tension and be able to react quickly if I need to. I'm still going to do the personal leash tho as KB has always recommended cuz if I go overboard with the line in my hand, it's going to cleat itself. My only hope is to remember to let go of the line and pray that the extra mainsheet isn't tangled up in my body parts and cleating itself as I go overboard. Letting the line go is not my knee-jerk reaction. I've ridden horses for many years and the maxim is Never Let Go Of The Reins. That would be a hard habit to break. I'm opting for the tether. That way I don't have to be smart while I'm going overboard, I'll have already been smart PREPPING for overboard. 
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| Author: | snjsanders [ Mon May 20, 2013 2:19 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Overboard |
Over the last 5 years of deep sea kayak fishing I can truly say that I am alive, only by the grace of God! One of the bazillion potentially fatal mistakes I made was falling overboard 6 miles off shore. It was off Jupiter, Florida and in the gulf stream that runs 5 knots to the north. If I had fallen overboard I am not sure if I would had ever been found! It happened when I had fully furled the sail of my TI and stood up to retrieve some gear off one of the tramps. About that time a wave hit the boat and I fell into the sail line. Unfortunately, I did not securely cleat the line and it deployed under my weight. The wind was blowing hard so as it deployed the boat took off and threw me overboard. I was able able to grab a loose line and was dragged with the boat until I was able to crawl back on. Because of that experience, I now fish with a Mustang Deluxe Manual Inflatable PFD with Harness clipped to a jack line with a West Marine Safety Tether with quick release. Securely attached to the PFD is a ACR ResQLink, GPS, personal locator beacon. Live and learn! |
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| Author: | chrisj [ Mon May 20, 2013 3:01 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Overboard |
I think I've mentioned before, I tie my main sheet to my furling line and pass the loop thus created through a large carabiner attached to my PFD (as suggested by NOHUHU). Not only am I tethered to the boat, but it keeps the lines always to hand and tends to stop them dragging in the water. Tethering is really essential IMO if you are using a quarterdeck or Hakas, as your centre of gravity is much higher. |
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| Author: | Coughton54 [ Mon May 20, 2013 3:51 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Overboard |
ChrisJ - is this on a AI or TI you clip the loop? On my TI the dealer recommended I loop the front seat and rear seat sail lines and I have seen a couple of times they can drag far enough to loop around the rudder. Your idea of the carabiner would solve this issues |
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| Author: | chrisj [ Mon May 20, 2013 7:16 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Overboard |
Coughton54 wrote: ChrisJ - is this on a AI or TI you clip the loop? On my TI the dealer recommended I loop the front seat and rear seat sail lines and I have seen a couple of times they can drag far enough to loop around the rudder. Your idea of the carabiner would solve this issues I have an AI, but I don't see why it wouldn't work on a TI. Worth a try. |
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| Author: | tonystott [ Mon May 20, 2013 7:50 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Overboard |
Yup, works a treat on a Tandem Island too! |
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