Help me out please! On our second sail, the wind was in my favor and in spite of best efforts to get all our weight to windward, the boat heeled over enough to get the starboard deck just a bit underwater...the kids and I loved it, but my wife wasn't so sure. Ok, my sailing skills need some help, but how do I convince my wife that the boat will round up once the keel pulls out of the water? Under what conditions will my Catalina 22 actually go over? Any web links to the geometry that shows when the swing keel comes out of the water? thanks! Ed
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P
Pete Peterson
Trouble
Ed, If you are heeling over so far that your gunnel is under water and your keel is exposed, you may want to place more emphasis on learning how to sail flat than convincing your wife that everything is all right. Yes, the 22 will tend to round up in a strong wind. But sailboats can get knocked down, and they don't always right themselves - e.g., water can enter the open hatchway and flood the interior. If you have a swing keel, make sure it is locked tight, since it can swing up in a knockdown and prevent the boat from righting itself quickly. You don't say how strong the winds were when this happened. You should be thinking of reefing the sails if they get too high, say above 15 knots for a 22. If a strong puff comes up, you can also let the main and jib sheets out, or bear off the wind to a beam or broad reach. A happy wife leads to many more enjoyable sails.
Ed, If you are heeling over so far that your gunnel is under water and your keel is exposed, you may want to place more emphasis on learning how to sail flat than convincing your wife that everything is all right. Yes, the 22 will tend to round up in a strong wind. But sailboats can get knocked down, and they don't always right themselves - e.g., water can enter the open hatchway and flood the interior. If you have a swing keel, make sure it is locked tight, since it can swing up in a knockdown and prevent the boat from righting itself quickly. You don't say how strong the winds were when this happened. You should be thinking of reefing the sails if they get too high, say above 15 knots for a 22. If a strong puff comes up, you can also let the main and jib sheets out, or bear off the wind to a beam or broad reach. A happy wife leads to many more enjoyable sails.
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Rick
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Dan
Dipping the rail
can be exciting, but it just isn't good sailing technique, not to mention all the beer spillage and cds flying around the cabin. For thrills and chills, join a racing club. Racing is a gas, and you'll become a better sailor, too.
can be exciting, but it just isn't good sailing technique, not to mention all the beer spillage and cds flying around the cabin. For thrills and chills, join a racing club. Racing is a gas, and you'll become a better sailor, too.
T
tomD
luffing your sails
Ease out your jibsheet and especially your mainsheet to the point where the sail is just about flapping--but not quite. That'll give you speed and reduce the heeling. If easing out the sheets to this point is not enough to stop excessive heeling, such as you describe, then reduce your sail area by reefing or changing out the jib for a smaller one. Heeling to that extent is unsafe and hard on the rigging too. C-22's kind of like to be sailed flat--which is to say, get good at setting your sails just slightly harder than a flapping, luffing point for any upwind point of sail, and get really really good at reefing. then sailing is fun and safe for everyone. enjoy the boat--it made the Sailboat Hall of Fame for good reasons.
Ease out your jibsheet and especially your mainsheet to the point where the sail is just about flapping--but not quite. That'll give you speed and reduce the heeling. If easing out the sheets to this point is not enough to stop excessive heeling, such as you describe, then reduce your sail area by reefing or changing out the jib for a smaller one. Heeling to that extent is unsafe and hard on the rigging too. C-22's kind of like to be sailed flat--which is to say, get good at setting your sails just slightly harder than a flapping, luffing point for any upwind point of sail, and get really really good at reefing. then sailing is fun and safe for everyone. enjoy the boat--it made the Sailboat Hall of Fame for good reasons.
K
ken
keep the admiral happy
Tom.............. If you want your wife to share the sailing experience with you........... cool it when she is aboard. Many wives don't like sailing because of a few bad experience at the start. You need to ease her into the heeling ...SLOWLY! Women don't think the need for speed is as cool as most guy's. If you want to sail like a banshee......... join a racing club and leave the wife at home. Good luck!!
Tom.............. If you want your wife to share the sailing experience with you........... cool it when she is aboard. Many wives don't like sailing because of a few bad experience at the start. You need to ease her into the heeling ...SLOWLY! Women don't think the need for speed is as cool as most guy's. If you want to sail like a banshee......... join a racing club and leave the wife at home. Good luck!!
B
Bayard Gross
C-22's will broach and sink.
At the Catalina 22 National Sailing Association championships this year, a very experienced C-22 skipper, Gene Furgensen, managed to braoch his boat at a mark. Fortunately, due to his experience and that of his crew, they were able to quickly right their boat by placing their weight onto the keel that was lateral to the water. Once a C-22 actually sank during a race in Texas when again she braoched and water poured into the hatches. Please don't make the error that swing keel C-22's have the same ballast and righting moment as larger vessels with their huge lead keels. C-22's will flip over, and you better pray no one is caught in a bad place.
At the Catalina 22 National Sailing Association championships this year, a very experienced C-22 skipper, Gene Furgensen, managed to braoch his boat at a mark. Fortunately, due to his experience and that of his crew, they were able to quickly right their boat by placing their weight onto the keel that was lateral to the water. Once a C-22 actually sank during a race in Texas when again she braoched and water poured into the hatches. Please don't make the error that swing keel C-22's have the same ballast and righting moment as larger vessels with their huge lead keels. C-22's will flip over, and you better pray no one is caught in a bad place.
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Ed
Still married...and sailing!
Thanks all, particularly to Rick for the link. My wife and I enjoyed your responses, and we'll definately be quicker to ease the sheets next time! It'll save on cabin cleanup! Your participation in this site helps make sailing all that much more fun...keep up the good work!! Ed
Thanks all, particularly to Rick for the link. My wife and I enjoyed your responses, and we'll definately be quicker to ease the sheets next time! It'll save on cabin cleanup! Your participation in this site helps make sailing all that much more fun...keep up the good work!! Ed
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