Mast float alternative?

i havnt actually capsized my 14 yet.. too scared to..
everyone says they are a pain in the ass to right them..
and i dont have a righting line..
so what i have done is put a couple of foam balls on the top of my mast lol..
does anyone know how to do a makeshift right line..

im pretty sure one of my mates told me to tie a line to the dolphine striker and then throw it over the top hull..
is that right?

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My H14t

currently being sanded back and repainted..

On a Hobie 16, the problem arises in strong wind, shallow water, and a muddy bottom, where strong wind pressure against the bottom of the tramp can quickly drive a non-floating mast head into the soft muddy bottom, before you have a chance to right the boat, especially if you are alone, or have an inexperienced crew member-- at that point, it is impossible to extricate without the help of a powered vessel or a winch from shore, if you are close enough to shore... "Sealed" masts often aren't very watertight, and they sink pretty fast if you can't right the boat immediately. The pressure on the bottom of the tramp and the resistance of the mainsail to the direction of motion of the capsized boat as it is pushed across the surface operate to force the mast head down even faster, even when mainsail and jib are fully released. Some kind of a float might make sense if you are sailing in these special conditions...

An alternative to the mast float is sail float. Some of the small boats around here that are used for lessons have a floatation pocket sewn into the head of the sail. It is a light alternative to the float. If you want it to be less permanent, sew velcro to the sail and the floatation foam pocket and take it off or place it on as needed. You don't need a large chunk of foam to make this work.

You could take some 1" foam about 3 ft. long and using contact cement, attach it to the top of the mast, if you painted it flat black you would hardly know it was there. I'm note sure if that would add enough buoyancy.

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06 getaway -- always remember, man with both feet in mouth have no leg to stand on.

I sail in a shallow lake with a strong current. I put a bob on my 16' and love the time it buys me. In Europe they sell long air bags that you attach to your mast. I would like to buy one for my dingy that keeps going mud hen.

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I wish winter was not so long in Sask. Canada. It's hard to sail on ice! 1984 16' hobie cat Sail# 84848

Use the hobie baby float. It's a good idea & design. Most folks here are simply putting down people who may have difficulty righting a turtled boat. We all aren't necessarily as superior as many here are pretending to be. I'm not sure why no one can't simply answer the question asked, without indirectly belittling the person. I'm 63, and plan on adapting one to my Hobbie Islander. I turtled it once in seaweed, and the mast got stuck in thick glue-like mud as well. It was nearly impossible to get it unstuck from the mud and seaweed. even with the help of others in a powerboat. I will never risk that nightmare again!