Hubby and I are new to sailing...have taken a few lessons and will be learning as we go on our to-be-ordered 350! This whole thing is a huge investment and challenge/adventure to me and I need to know. He'll NEVERthink to ask this, but I HAVE to: how likely is a capsizing event? What happens if you tip on your side...will it "right itself"? And what if if goes the whole way UPSIDE down? We're talking a BIG boat here, so I can't imagine that both of us shifting weight to the high-side would do much of anything. I know you are all just howling about now...but could you gain control for a minute, to answer this new-bie's question?
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Capsizing
Sylvia, My wife used to worry every time our boat (a 380) heeled over. You have very little to worry about. In normal sailing conditions it is practically impossible for your boat to capsize. First, the ballast represents tremendous counterforce to any reasonable wind and, second, once the boat goes over far enough, the sails will naturally "spill" wind and the boat will naturally come upright. The key to all of this is to understand how the sails, hull and wind work together and learn to balance those forces in a wide range of conditions. And reef early! Matt
Sylvia, My wife used to worry every time our boat (a 380) heeled over. You have very little to worry about. In normal sailing conditions it is practically impossible for your boat to capsize. First, the ballast represents tremendous counterforce to any reasonable wind and, second, once the boat goes over far enough, the sails will naturally "spill" wind and the boat will naturally come upright. The key to all of this is to understand how the sails, hull and wind work together and learn to balance those forces in a wide range of conditions. And reef early! Matt
Husband's a Lucky Man
A 350 right out of the box! My wife made me buy a 22 so she could get her "feet wet". Than I get the boat I want. Unless you are out sailing when the Coast Guard has issued a warning I wouldn't worry about it.
A 350 right out of the box! My wife made me buy a 22 so she could get her "feet wet". Than I get the boat I want. Unless you are out sailing when the Coast Guard has issued a warning I wouldn't worry about it.
Ok, now that I've regained control...
Nah, I'm just teasing. Seriously, you would have to be in either gale force conditions (can you say hurricane?) or have some catastrophic event happened (keel falling off - SOOOOOO not likely!!) to turn turtle. When you're heeling, the most you have to worry about is slipping & hurting yourself. Hold on tight and enjoy the ride!! LaDonna
Nah, I'm just teasing. Seriously, you would have to be in either gale force conditions (can you say hurricane?) or have some catastrophic event happened (keel falling off - SOOOOOO not likely!!) to turn turtle. When you're heeling, the most you have to worry about is slipping & hurting yourself. Hold on tight and enjoy the ride!! LaDonna
Unlikely to happen...
The term "Capsizing" is used when a boat falls off a large wave and falls on its side. For a large sailboat this normally occurs during heavy seas in blue waters. For a small dinghy, a large motorboat's high speed wake can cause it to capsize. The term "Knock Down" is used when the wind forces a sailboat to heel over so that she is lying on her side or even rolled completely over. A sailboat with appropriate ballast should right herself after being knocked down. If you sail in coastal waters or inland waters then your chances of capsizing your Catalina 350 is non-existent. In high winds reef early or drop your sails and use your engine to keep from being knocked down. The major accidents on big sailboats for beginners are tripping and falling during sailing. On bigger boats even with all lines lead aft into the cockpit, you still have to go outside of the cockpit to go forward if there is a problem or go below deck. Remember "One hand for the boat and one hand for yourself". Fair winds, Clyde
The term "Capsizing" is used when a boat falls off a large wave and falls on its side. For a large sailboat this normally occurs during heavy seas in blue waters. For a small dinghy, a large motorboat's high speed wake can cause it to capsize. The term "Knock Down" is used when the wind forces a sailboat to heel over so that she is lying on her side or even rolled completely over. A sailboat with appropriate ballast should right herself after being knocked down. If you sail in coastal waters or inland waters then your chances of capsizing your Catalina 350 is non-existent. In high winds reef early or drop your sails and use your engine to keep from being knocked down. The major accidents on big sailboats for beginners are tripping and falling during sailing. On bigger boats even with all lines lead aft into the cockpit, you still have to go outside of the cockpit to go forward if there is a problem or go below deck. Remember "One hand for the boat and one hand for yourself". Fair winds, Clyde
Capsizing is the least of your worries!
"Hubby and I are new to sailing...have taken a few lessons and will be learning as we go on our to-be-ordered 350!" - Sylvia You are going to get a $125,000.00 35 ft starter boat to practice on! Would you give a teenager the keys to the Bentley to learn how to drive? I would recommend getting a smaller used boat to build up your skills before investing that much money in a brand new boat just to "learn as you go". Part of the learning curve is making mistakes and marinas are full of people and dinged boats that have had a lot of learning done to them. Ask any boatowner. If you believe that you are going to be the first persons not to have an Oops! or worse, an Oh Sh*t!, then by all means go and get the 350. But it may be more prudent to learn(make mistakes) on a smaller used vessel so when a learning opportunity arises(read accident) you won't be screaming the "f" word at the top of your lungs.
"Hubby and I are new to sailing...have taken a few lessons and will be learning as we go on our to-be-ordered 350!" - Sylvia You are going to get a $125,000.00 35 ft starter boat to practice on! Would you give a teenager the keys to the Bentley to learn how to drive? I would recommend getting a smaller used boat to build up your skills before investing that much money in a brand new boat just to "learn as you go". Part of the learning curve is making mistakes and marinas are full of people and dinged boats that have had a lot of learning done to them. Ask any boatowner. If you believe that you are going to be the first persons not to have an Oops! or worse, an Oh Sh*t!, then by all means go and get the 350. But it may be more prudent to learn(make mistakes) on a smaller used vessel so when a learning opportunity arises(read accident) you won't be screaming the "f" word at the top of your lungs.
I agree
I agree with Don. 16' Hobie, 23' Spirit, 27'Catalina, 30' Catalina. My road to sailing. Skip a step or 2 but grow into you large boat. Small boat sailing is where you will learn the most. Good luck.
I agree with Don. 16' Hobie, 23' Spirit, 27'Catalina, 30' Catalina. My road to sailing. Skip a step or 2 but grow into you large boat. Small boat sailing is where you will learn the most. Good luck.
Thank you , gentlemen
Thank you for the INFORMATION, I appreciate all of it, and will remember it as we learn. We are patient people, but years of growing "in and out" of boats is not in our timeline. The information shared here shows there are many who are willing to share their knowledge of sailing. We'll keep reading
Thank you for the INFORMATION, I appreciate all of it, and will remember it as we learn. We are patient people, but years of growing "in and out" of boats is not in our timeline. The information shared here shows there are many who are willing to share their knowledge of sailing. We'll keep reading
Try racing...
This may sound a little odd, but you may want to try to get some experience as crew on a racing boat. Most racing boats are always looking for crew members and will happily take somebody with "a few lessons" and enthusiasm, especially if she/he can commit to a number of races. Contact some of the local yacht clubs and ask about crewing opportunities for local races. The great thing about crewing on race boats is that they get sailed a LOT harder than your average crusier: much greater heel angles, constant sail changes and trim adjustments, and all in very close proximity to other boats. If I EVER sailed our C36 the way I sail a race boat it would take days to clean up the mess below decks and seriously annoy my crew, not to mention some other boaters! Our Catalina's can generally go a whole lot harder than you might think with no danger. The other advantage of crewing is that you're generally with experienced sailors who know what's normal and what's not: your heart may well be in your mouth the first time you watch the lifeline stanchions start to drag through the water but, if you notice that the skipper and tactician are calmly chatting about who bought the beer last week, it goes a long way towards building your confidence in what a sailboat can comfortably do. Then, when you get on your 350, the gentle heel angles at which one normally sails a cruiser will feel quite comfortable. If you're an engineer, knowing that there are 6000 pounds of lead pulling you upright is comforting, but there is nothing like the KNOWING that comes from experience on boats being sailed hard. Its also kinda fun...
This may sound a little odd, but you may want to try to get some experience as crew on a racing boat. Most racing boats are always looking for crew members and will happily take somebody with "a few lessons" and enthusiasm, especially if she/he can commit to a number of races. Contact some of the local yacht clubs and ask about crewing opportunities for local races. The great thing about crewing on race boats is that they get sailed a LOT harder than your average crusier: much greater heel angles, constant sail changes and trim adjustments, and all in very close proximity to other boats. If I EVER sailed our C36 the way I sail a race boat it would take days to clean up the mess below decks and seriously annoy my crew, not to mention some other boaters! Our Catalina's can generally go a whole lot harder than you might think with no danger. The other advantage of crewing is that you're generally with experienced sailors who know what's normal and what's not: your heart may well be in your mouth the first time you watch the lifeline stanchions start to drag through the water but, if you notice that the skipper and tactician are calmly chatting about who bought the beer last week, it goes a long way towards building your confidence in what a sailboat can comfortably do. Then, when you get on your 350, the gentle heel angles at which one normally sails a cruiser will feel quite comfortable. If you're an engineer, knowing that there are 6000 pounds of lead pulling you upright is comforting, but there is nothing like the KNOWING that comes from experience on boats being sailed hard. Its also kinda fun...
Another thought
Given your level of experience, and commitment, you should seriously consider taking some more classes or, better still, an intensive course like the week-long liveaboard crusing courses offered by places like Offshore Sailing School (link below. No, I don't work there)...experience is the best teacher, but the ASA and US Sailing courses can be more efficient. Also, if you haven't owned a large boat before, having something like a bareboat charter certification may make it a bit easier to get insurance.
Given your level of experience, and commitment, you should seriously consider taking some more classes or, better still, an intensive course like the week-long liveaboard crusing courses offered by places like Offshore Sailing School (link below. No, I don't work there)...experience is the best teacher, but the ASA and US Sailing courses can be more efficient. Also, if you haven't owned a large boat before, having something like a bareboat charter certification may make it a bit easier to get insurance.
Does size matter? Perhaps.
A poll over on Sailnet shows that 10% of the people that took the poll learned on boats between 30 and 38 feet. Learning on smaller boats has some advantages, however, beginning on a larger boat does not necessarily mean failure.
A poll over on Sailnet shows that 10% of the people that took the poll learned on boats between 30 and 38 feet. Learning on smaller boats has some advantages, however, beginning on a larger boat does not necessarily mean failure.
Racing!
I agree with Collen. You will gain several years "school of hard knocks" experience with each race. It's pretty easy to be invited onboard as crew, and most captains are willing (and needing) to use you as rail meat until you learn.
I agree with Collen. You will gain several years "school of hard knocks" experience with each race. It's pretty easy to be invited onboard as crew, and most captains are willing (and needing) to use you as rail meat until you learn.
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