Almost sunk

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E

Eric

I'm still here to tell about it! Two weeks ago the wind was out of the SW at about 30 Kts. Enough to put white caps on the lake. I have very little experience, but I've been rebuilding my old 1977 C-27 for three years and I was going whip myself if I missed such a nice fresh breeze on a sunny day! So, with courage and perseverance and a whole lotta stupidity I set out of port under power. When I hit the open lake the wind was at what felt like "Hurricane' force. Blowing a good 35-40 MPH. But, being the novice sailor that I am I was not deterred by my obvious bad choice.(There are names for guys like me.....The term DA comes to mind!) Bow into the wind and up goes the main'sl. I had read enough to know you put the boat 'in irons' before trying to raise the main. They should have put me 'in irons'. While grasping the mast and holding on with one arm for dear life, I managed to get the sail up about 2/3 of the way to the top of the mast. As the boat blew off to port and the wind caught the sail I instantly knew I was in deep trouble. She instantly layed on her side, the top of the mast about five feet from the crest of the waves. Somehow I was able, in my new prone position, to pull down the mainand while doing so the boat righted herself. I was shaken, but not deterred. (my wife was manic, but that's a whole other story). Again, I put my bow directly into the wind and dug out the reefing straps. One third the way up thge mast and tied off, I knew I was set. I caught the wind and over I went! When I finally righted and changed my shorts I cranked up the old engine and beat it back to port. Lesson learned. Don't mess with Mother Nature. Don't think you can sail because you've read every book ever published, and don't ever, ever, go out on a cold and windy lake without a life jacket strapped to your body........
 
N

Nice N Easy

Lesson Learned

Eric, First off, glad you are OK and none the worse for wear. Learning by doing doesn't make you a dumb a. Maybe lacking a little experience, but the only way to get that experience is by getting out there and doing it. People can tell you, you can read the books, but nothing ever beats the experience of doing it yourself. If you are going to sail, you need to learn not only your capabilities, but those of your boat. You may have skipped a few steps in the learning process, but you have learned.
 

Ross

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Jun 15, 2004
14,693
Islander/Wayfairer 30 sail number 25 Perryville,Md.
One of the most difficult concepts to grasp

is the strength of the wind. When the wind speed doubles the strength is four times as great. check out the link. http://www.weatherwizkids.com/wind1.htm
 
Jun 14, 2004
79
Ericson 29 Biddeford, ME
I know how you feel

Eric, I am also glad that you are OK. Remember, anything that does not kill you makes you stronger. Nice is right, the only way to really learn is by doing. I have had similar experiences. Once when I was first learning a friend of mine and I were out on a little 16 foot Oday. Just a centerboard so we were the ballast, something I was still getting comfortable with. And also a light boat so it does not get momentum. We were up on Sebago Lake in Maine and the wind was blowing straight at us from the other end of the lake, pretty strong too. It was kicking up some whitecaps and it made launching the boat difficult. There was a little voice in the back of my head whispering this may not be such a good idea, so off we went. We headed off from the dock on a port tack. We were going along pretty nicely until the right hand shore was starting to get pretty close. Time to tack we said. Easier said than done. We just could not get enough speed to pull that bow around. We would come pretty close and the wind would just blow us off again. All the while the shore is getting closer. Since we can't tack we decided to jibe around to a new tack. It worked, not real pretty and came real close to dumping her but we stayed upright. Oh yeah, lifejackets might have been wise. We were now on a starboard tack and heading to the other side of the lake. I wish I could say this was by plan but shortly we started to tuck under a point of land and the wind lessened. Made manuevering much easier. Turned around with our tail between our legs and headed back to shore. I'm smarter about sailing now.
 

tweitz

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Oct 30, 2005
290
Beneteau 323 East Hampton, New York
One lesson

There are a number of good lessons out of what you did. But based on your description, I suspect that you did not have the main sheet loose. When you raise the sail in a strong breeze that you can manage, and you turn into the wind, it is critical that you loosen the mainsheet (and other line, such as a pigtail that you might have to hold the boom) so that the boom can swing into the wind. If that is the case, then the boat would not suddenly heel when you raised the sail. The sail can go up and then you gradually tighten the sheet and you will soon see if you have too much wind. And follow the old adage that you should reef when you first think of it, its always easier to shake a reef our than put one in. When you have excessive heel, you also want to move the traveler as far as possible to leeward.
 
J

Joe Pyles

Not Quite Been There

Learning to sail in a Mac 25, I too, tested the very edge of personal and craft limits. With a dip of the mast into the water, at the mercy of gusty wind, when violently, uncontrollably, going to wind, my head slammed into the back stay, luckly not cutting my neck, my feet left the cockpit floor and the tiller flew from my hand. From that day forth, especially when singlehandling, I wear life jacket, have radio in pocket, drift a floating line behind the boat to grab, leave the swim ladder down, and let everyone but the water patrol make fun at me. I do not sail in forecast thunderstorms, high "gusty" winds or white caps scolding the water. I'm as tough as anyone, but do not want to damage my boat or me. I've seen masts that have snapped and boats burned by lightening. No, not me. I will survive! Glad you did! I'll bet your wife had a few choice words about the experience.
 
Apr 11, 2006
60
- - corpus christi, tx
i cant believe

you took your wife with you. funny story-for sure you can look back and laugh at that one. Glad your both ok. Do you think you'll have any trouble getting your wife to go out next time?
 
Dec 29, 2004
99
- - Birmingham, Alabama
I've seen that floating line thing mentioned,

before. I wonder if anyone has ever succefully grabbed a floating line and pulled them selves back onboard a moving sailboat without assistance. To fall in, come to your senses, grab the line and hold on before it ran past you at about 6 knots seems almost impossible. I'm not being critical. Anyone ever done it or heard of it being done?????
 
T

T J Furstenau

Floating line issues

I tried to a search through the archives to find a couple of the posting that I have read related to this, and couldn't find exactly what I was looking for. But I'll try to recap what I remember from those stories. One gentleman, as a controlled experiment went overboard with a pfd on and hung on to a towed line. If memory serves, he described himself as average fitness and was in his 30's or 40's. He had a crew member power the boat at various speeds to judge his ability to hang on, pull himself forward, and possibly get back on board. They went something like this: 1-2 knots : Could hang on and make forward progress to the boat 3-4 knots : Could hang on and make some progress, occasionally pulled under 5-6 knots : Could hang on, no progress, pulled under, not good 7+ knots : Fuggedaboutit Also, at 3 knots, your moving at about 5 fps. So fall off the middle of your 30' boat with a 50' line, and you have 13 seconds to get your senses and swim to that line. Fall off the stern at 6 knots, and the end of even a 100' foot line is gone in less than 10 seconds. Now, I'm not saying that towing a line as a safety and retrieval method is a bad thing to do. My personal feeling is that with a harness, tether, and jacklines, I'm going to do EVERYTHING on my power to make sure that I stay on the boat in the first place. T J
 

MKing

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May 31, 2005
68
Beneteau 343 Ten Mile TN
More On Floating Line

I read the same article as TJ, was not very confidence instilling. I have also read several times of people who have used a towed line to get back on the boat but have never seen it. The best was a few years ago about a professional sailor (bowman) who went over during a race at the pointy end, under the boat and grabbed a line a crewman had thrown for that purpose and before anyone knew it he was standing on the stern, outside the lifelines grinning at the helmsman. I'll put this on my list of things to try this Summer. Have a great day!
 
Jun 14, 2004
79
Ericson 29 Biddeford, ME
Line to Steering

I have never heard or read of any one being able to get themselves back on board from a towed line onto a moving boat. What I have read about are people on long passages having a line attached to their steering mechanism. The idea being that if they went overboard they could grab this which would disengage the steering (Windvane usually) and the boat would round up. With the boat stopped they could get back on board. Reminds me of that new movie Open Water 2 about the group on a big sailboat and all jump in for a swim with no ladder out.
 

MKing

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May 31, 2005
68
Beneteau 343 Ten Mile TN
Humm

ASA Certification Standards -Offshore Passage making (ASA 108) -Sailing Knowledge Section -item #23 -describe how to rig a trailing person overboard line with an alarm and alternative methods of alerting the crew to a person overboard situation.
 

tweitz

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Oct 30, 2005
290
Beneteau 323 East Hampton, New York
trailing line

Every test I have ever seen suggests that a trailing line is not very useful. If you look at the US Sailing page on MOB recovery, they say that the Lifesling is the only proven shorthanded method of getting someone back aboard. They also define trailing line to mean the line which is attached to the Lifesling, and I wonder if that is what is meant in your reference. "'tow rope' The line attached to the boat with the Lifesling at the other end. This line is also called a 'trailing line' or a 'retrieval line'." I rig a line from the stern with a fender on the end when people are swimming off the boat, but that is quite different from a boat underway.
 

MKing

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May 31, 2005
68
Beneteau 343 Ten Mile TN
Exactly!

My understanding is a trailing line is rigged by a person on the boat end with floatation on the trailing end...no crew, no floatie, no cigar. As stated, I've read the stories through the years but have never seen it. Perhaps some have really pulled it off but I think the ASA and other credible sources would reference and/or teach it if worthwhile. I'll (unless I can talk some other unsuspecting soul into it) give it a try this Summer and report back. Meanwhile I'll sail with crew or tether. Have a great day!
 
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