capsize

[Hawk4661]

Water ballasted boats, including my Hunter, requires the water vale to be open when laungching.
Then immediate closing the same water ballast valve completely after checking water level in ballast visually. I use a dole rod to prove it is full totally. Never sail with hafl full.
Competely full level and closing the same valve is unquestionably required before hosting sail...... period.
Without the water ballast valve completely closed the water can run back out(loss of ballast) while sailing due to heeling and water seekijng its own level.
Water ballast boats are completely safe if sailed by following mfgs specs and as importantly common sense.

Who would be to try and sail a water ballasted boat witout water...?

 

[Ray Bowles]

We started our sailing life by buying a 1995 Hunter 26 water ballasted boat and absolutly loved it.
It MUST be explaned that there are water ballasted boats that for most all purposes are the same as most other sailboats. The water tank is filled as soon as the boat is launched off the trailer. These boats use 4 to 9.9 hp outboards and will run under power at no more than about 6 kts.
This catagory of boats are wonderful to own and sail and are totally safe. The main safety factor is the common sense of the operator and his understanding of all safety factors relating to the boat and sailing itself.
The type of boat mentioned in this terrible accident is one of the newer and ever growing type of high speed and high powered sailing craft. They have different opperating factors than the other type of water ballasted sailboats. Properly understood these are probably very fine craft in their own right.
I just wanted the experence of the standard style sailboat and loved the Hunter 26. The advantage of leaving that #2000 of water ballast at the launch ramp when towing this lovely lady to another new body of water for our next 7 to 10 days of liveaboard crusing was fantastic. She towed like a dream with my 1/2 ton pickup. That was the reason they made these boats.
Fido, go look at a Hunter 24 or 26 and you'll be aboard. If you want more info about these boats or have questions about our experences I'll be glad to help. By the way, we liked this boat so much that after the 2nd year of sailing the wife said we should sell our house, sell the boat and go liveaboard crusing. 9 months after that day we bought a 1990 Island Packet 38 foot cutter and did exactly that.
Good Luck and get on the water.
Ray

 

[kenn]

A hybrid boat like a MacX or Hunter Edge, isn't my cup of tea, but I see many and they very much fill an important boating niche. I'd never before heard of a capsize accident before. Something to remember.

Our society has removed most of the responsibility from the individual, and placed it on the ones with the deeper pockets. That WILL be ruinous to the american way in the long run. This subject hits a raw nerve with me, otherwise I would have declined to comment. Take nothing for granted.

The nanny mode of governance has a lot to do with this as well.... Common sense has fallen by the wayside, and a lot of people don't have any at all any more... Laws requiring warning labels on cups of hot coffee (contents may be hot) and other such idiocy is a result of this.

Um... Society? Government? Sorry, blame individuals and lawyers first. Did you notice in the Mac capsize tragedy how the fingers were flying back and forth?

Martin's lawyer, Rubin, said the absence of a warning about the ballast tanks posted on the boat is significant.
"There's nothing on the boat that warns the operator that the boat is unstable without ballast with more than four or five people on board,"
​

I can imagine the finger-pointing and blame-laying extending to the brother-in-law who owned the boat: did he remove the sticker? did he sufficiently train the boat driver? had he adequately explained the importance of water ballast? Lawyers gonna make out well on this.

Coffee cups have warnings cos some idiot was able to sue some company or government after they parboiled their privates, not because government frets about cooked crotch.

 

[solosailier]

stupidity cannot be outlawed

A few years ago the Potter 19 made headlines when absent minded people tried to sail it with the drop keel up. The boat promptly flipped over, turned turtle and sank (cabin hatch open and foam removed for addtional storage space). Three people drowned.

There is no way to prevent people from doing that st uff. They will not read instructions and they will always overload boats..

 

[Jim J]

Water ballasted boats

I just read this entire thread. I am flabbergasted by the assumptions made by people who don't have water ballasted boats. How much common sense does it take to know water ballasted sailboats need to have water ballast.,

I have a '94 Mac S and don't know squat about the Xs and Ms. That said, I wonder, if on an X, you had no ballast, a 50HP motor and at full throttle turned as sharply as possible how close you would come to going over. My guess is that it could be a close call. With people or cargo in the wrong spot it could be really exciting.

Sum your posts on this are, as usual, sensible and complete.

 

[Joe A]

I was warned when I bought my boat

I bought my '90 Mac S used from an old coot. When I picked up the boat he took me aside, looked me square in the eye, put his finger in my face, and said "Sonny, ALWAYS fill the tank". I remember that day every time I launch.