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 Post subject: It's Summertime and....
PostPosted: Sat Jun 22, 2013 5:13 pm 
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Joined: Sat Nov 12, 2005 10:46 pm
Posts: 3017
Location: Escondido
Ah, what a lovely summer day, and my new Hobie sail works well with the Adventure. No doubt, all those years of small boat sailing helped make the gusts more manageable than I anticipated. Having tacked upwind to the dam, it's time to put the wind at my back and...SPLASH...GLUB GLUB....

Where am I? What just happened? How did I end up in the water? I've never capsized a boat -- this is impossible! But it does feel pretty wet and here's the boat beside me, capsized. Good thing I grabbed it before it drifted away! Fortunately no one's around -- this could be embarrassing to have witnesses for such an amateur mistake. I'll just turn the boat over, get in and pretend like nothing happened -- piece of cake! I should be reasonably dry by the time I get back to the dock and no one will notice.

Wait, the boat's not flipping over as easily as I thought. Oh yeah, forgot about the sail. Maybe I'll make sure the mainsheet is uncleated or not hung up. Whew, that was slow but other than the sail whipping madly in the wind, everything looks manageable.

Fortunately I'm in pretty good shape. I'll just pull myself up and......WHOA!!! The boat just capsized again right on top of me. Don't panic. I'm suddenly feeling a little tense and short of breath. I'm not liking this situation. When I read up on capsize recovery it looked so easy, I didn't need to practice -- this is not good. I sure wish someone were here to help....

The boat is upright again, I'm feeling winded -- better get it right this time. Whew, barely made it. I'll just take a moment to get squared away before this sail capsizes me again. The sun is bright, where are my glasses, hat? There's the paddle not too far away. I better collect whatever hasn't sunk before it gets too far away.
[*]

[*]First capsizing experience, 2006. Accidental gybe. Never thought it could happen to ME; never thought it would be a problem if it did. Fortunately the only price I paid for this foolish arrogance was a little humble pie. I don't like publicizing my stupid mistakes, but more importantly, I hope you'll take note and take action to prevent this from happening to you!

A capsize can happen any time, any place for any reason -- over-leaning, unseen boat wake, sailing, confused seas, striking an underwater object, shark attack -- almost always sudden and out of the blue.

It's summer time here, the water is warm, so now is the time to get out and practice. Don't be an armchair expert like I was. Don't put it off! You may not be as lucky. Having done it, you'll gain more confidence in your boat and your ability to handle unforeseen weather or other maritime events and to render assistance to those in distress.

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PostPosted: Sun Jun 23, 2013 5:10 am 
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Site Rank - Captain

Joined: Thu Apr 05, 2012 12:55 am
Posts: 29
Location: Vega$ Baby!
A great reality check. Thanks Roadrunner.

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Eric

2013 Caribbean Blue Outback


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PostPosted: Mon Jun 24, 2013 12:43 pm 
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Joined: Mon Jul 16, 2012 9:27 pm
Posts: 731
The man speaks the truth!
I took my dad offshore this weekend, his first time in a Revolution (13), but he had used a Sport in the bay before (much calmer). He handled the big waves pretty well, but then when we were half mile from the beach in nice clear calm water he turned to look back at me and capsized. I came over to offer calm advice as you know you cannot right somebody else's kayak from your own seated position.
He tried a few times unsuccessfully to right the kayak, but it wasnt for lack of fitness (my dad at age 57 is fitter than I am and I'm 30!) it was for lack of experience. Finally he was able to get the kayak righted and I coached him on grabbing the handle across the cockpit and dragging himself back into the kayak. When he was seated again I asked if he was ok, to which he replied "No worries son, I just felt like taking a swim" lol.

The clear calm water was definitely a plus for practicing re-entry techniques though. It also made it easier to reclaim lost items that had fallen out during the ordeal.


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PostPosted: Mon Jun 24, 2013 1:19 pm 
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Joined: Sun Apr 14, 2013 8:22 pm
Posts: 80
Location: Valle Vista, CA (SoCal)
I just went out last week to see how much wind my Oasis (Blew Maru) could handle. I went to our local lake (Lake Perris) mid afternoon in very strong wind with a good friend. Our goal was to push the envelope and see how far she would go without capsizing her.

Similar to your experience, suddenly we were wet and Blew had turtled. I hadn't thought about how to right her before we went out, but once it happened, we talked, came up with our plan, and righted her first time. Once we were both aboard, we did an equipment inventory and the only item we lost was the lid to my Gatorade bottle. The righting process wasn't hard, but practice will make it a more efficient process.

You're correct! Now that summer is here, everyone needs to practice this skill. If you have a tandem, I suggest that you practice it individually as well as with someone. Righting a boat is a necessary skill of all sailors.

Enjoy,
Longbikermike
sent by iPad using TapaTalk

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