Floatation foam

[Doug J]

Noodles are good

I posted the video on google about a year ago. In case anyone is interested you can go there to get it.I like the swimming noodle idea too. I've been intending to do it, but sadly haven't gotten around to it yet. The entire mast could be filled with the noodles, and easily removed if needed for maintenance of wiring, etc. Not only would it help to keep the boat from turning turtle, and keep the wires from clanging inside too, there is another benefit as well.I was at WM one day buying a lot of standing rigging parts, new head stay, etc. The guy there asked me if I was the one who lost his rig over the weekend. What happened was a Santana 23 got caught in an unexpected heavy gust, one of the shrouds broke, and down came the mast. Vessel Assist came out to help. Apparently the mast, or part of it was in the water along side the boat, still attached with the remaining shrouds, head stay, back stay, etc. The first thing Vessel Assist did, for safety purposes, was cut all the cables and let the entire rig go to the bottom, sails and all. This was off the coast of Oceanside, CA. The swells can get big, and with conditions like that, there is the potential to puncture the hull with the mast in the water.I carry heavy duty wire cutters, and keep them at hand for this purpose. If the mast is full of those noodles, and it has to be cut loose from the boat, it may float.

 

[70623]

Turning turtle

The only time I ever went turtle in a sail boat was many years ago, not counting a sun fish I had. It was a 30' boat sailing south east of Nantucket in some large waves. An exteamly large wave was breaking as it hit the beam and the boat rolled around so fast, a full 360 degrees, that noodles wouldn't have done anything. Sailing my mac, I figure it wouldn't take near as big of a wave to roll her, and if rolled the noodles wouldn't help there either. Most of the self righting boats that ever get into a turtle posistion are from a knock down, and recovery will have much more to do with balast than any floatation in the mast. You have to have been rolled to under stand this really, It's the force of the water and noodles just don't stand a chance of helping. Most will never go out in 15' seas so really don't need to worry. Oh the boat didn't take on hardly any water (cabin was closed up) and the best part was the rig survived. It did break a batten in the double reefed main. What was done right was the main wasn't belayed so it ran free durring the roll. What was done wrong was that we should have been heading more into the waves, not sailing a beam reach. Come to think about it we did continue our beam reach untill we could swing more north and sail a broad reach to Marthas Vineyard. Just a rouge wave, maybe 20-25 foot high and breaking. It took hours to straighten up the cabin that night. One thing for sure, after this I swear by harnesses, much more that life jackets. Noodles might be great in a sun fish mast though.

 

[70623]

Turning turtle

The only time I ever went turtle in a sail boat was many years ago, not counting a sun fish I had. It was a 30' boat sailing south east of Nantucket in some large waves. An exteamly large wave was breaking as it hit the beam and the boat rolled around so fast, a full 360 degrees, that noodles wouldn't have done anything. Sailing my mac, I figure it wouldn't take near as big of a wave to roll her, and if rolled the noodles wouldn't help there either. Most of the self righting boats that ever get into a turtle posistion are from a knock down, and recovery will have much more to do with balast than any floatation in the mast. You have to have been rolled to under stand this really, It's the force of the water and noodles just don't stand a chance of helping. Most will never go out in 15' seas so really don't need to worry. Oh the boat didn't take on hardly any water (cabin was closed up) and the best part was the rig survived. It did break a batten in the double reefed main. What was done right was the main wasn't belayed so it ran free durring the roll. What was done wrong was that we should have been heading more into the waves, not sailing a beam reach. Come to think about it we did continue our beam reach untill we could swing more north and sail a broad reach to Marthas Vineyard. Just a rouge wave, maybe 20-25 foot high and breaking. It took hours to straighten up the cabin that night. One thing for sure, after this I swear by harnesses, much more that life jackets. Noodles might be great in a sun fish mast though.

 

[70623]

Turning turtle

The only time I ever went turtle in a sail boat was many years ago, not counting a sun fish I had. It was a 30' boat sailing south east of Nantucket in some large waves. An exteamly large wave was breaking as it hit the beam and the boat rolled around so fast, a full 360 degrees, that noodles wouldn't have done anything. Sailing my mac, I figure it wouldn't take near as big of a wave to roll her, and if rolled the noodles wouldn't help there either. Most of the self righting boats that ever get into a turtle posistion are from a knock down, and recovery will have much more to do with balast than any floatation in the mast. You have to have been rolled to under stand this really, It's the force of the water and noodles just don't stand a chance of helping. Most will never go out in 15' seas so really don't need to worry. Oh the boat didn't take on hardly any water (cabin was closed up) and the best part was the rig survived. It did break a batten in the double reefed main. What was done right was the main wasn't belayed so it ran free durring the roll. What was done wrong was that we should have been heading more into the waves, not sailing a beam reach. Come to think about it we did continue our beam reach untill we could swing more north and sail a broad reach to Marthas Vineyard. Just a rouge wave, maybe 20-25 foot high and breaking. It took hours to straighten up the cabin that night. One thing for sure, after this I swear by harnesses, much more that life jackets. Noodles might be great in a sun fish mast though.

 

[70623]

Turning turtle

The only time I ever went turtle in a sail boat was many years ago, not counting a sun fish I had. It was a 30' boat sailing south east of Nantucket in some large waves. An exteamly large wave was breaking as it hit the beam and the boat rolled around so fast, a full 360 degrees, that noodles wouldn't have done anything. Sailing my mac, I figure it wouldn't take near as big of a wave to roll her, and if rolled the noodles wouldn't help there either. Most of the self righting boats that ever get into a turtle posistion are from a knock down, and recovery will have much more to do with balast than any floatation in the mast. You have to have been rolled to under stand this really, It's the force of the water and noodles just don't stand a chance of helping. Most will never go out in 15' seas so really don't need to worry. Oh the boat didn't take on hardly any water (cabin was closed up) and the best part was the rig survived. It did break a batten in the double reefed main. What was done right was the main wasn't belayed so it ran free durring the roll. What was done wrong was that we should have been heading more into the waves, not sailing a beam reach. Come to think about it we did continue our beam reach untill we could swing more north and sail a broad reach to Marthas Vineyard. Just a rouge wave, maybe 20-25 foot high and breaking. It took hours to straighten up the cabin that night. One thing for sure, after this I swear by harnesses, much more that life jackets. Noodles might be great in a sun fish mast though.