Mast float for my Hunter 170

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Aug 13, 2011
7
Whinestopper Hunter 170 Columbus
Just mounted a new mast float on my 170 and I am eager to test its effectiveness. Past three years I have sailed along the Michigan coast of Lake Huron and without tipping. Reducing the risk there should make it even more fun.
 
Jul 4, 2012
10
hunter 170 Shelbyville
I don't have a mast float, but my mast is noodled and sealed. Yesterday I got to experience just how valuable that modification is. I got caught singlehanding in some 20 knot gusts as a front moved in, and when I tried to furl in my jib, the upper portion of the jib didn't twist on correctly, leaving about 2 feet exposed near the top 6 feet, flapping madly. Basically it was blowing so hard I couldn't keep some pull on the jib sheets as I tried to furl in the jib, so the lower end twisted ahead of the upper portion. Wind gusts caught the top of the jib and knocked it over on the starboard side. My first thought was "Oh, sh*t, don't turtle!" I immediately went around to the centerboard grabbed on; it came back upright so fast I almost got knocked in the head by the bottom of the boat. Climbing back aboard the back of the boat as its being blown downwind at 2 or 3 knots is not as easy as it would seem!
 
Aug 13, 2011
7
Whinestopper Hunter 170 Columbus
Last few windy days I sailed without the jib. We almost tipped last year during a tack when we couldn't release the jib fast enough. I haven't thought much about not being able to keep up with the boat once it is righted. I am encouraged though at your experience at popping the boat back up. Thanks for the reply.
 
Oct 6, 2008
857
Hunter, Island Packet, Catalina, San Juan 26,38,22,23 Kettle Falls, Washington
Were you wearing a life jacket? I always us my manual inflatable and once helped a fellow sailor that had to abandon his auto inflate after being caught under his boat after it turtled. His jacket inflated and he was hung up in the lines and couldn't surface. He had the presence to poke the jacket with his knife, took it off and surfaced.
Ray
 
Jul 4, 2012
10
hunter 170 Shelbyville
I always wear my life jacket when sailing. Actually for this tip over, things went fairly well. I had my wallet, keys, and cell phone in a dry bag in the mesh net near the mast, and my cooler under the tarped bow area. Even in the knockover and righting, my hat never came off! Only thing I lost was two small bungee cords used for transport. Unfortunately I didn't have enough hands to mind the tiller/drop the motor/attach the topping lift/drop the main/furl the jib all at nearly the same time, so over I went. Even after getting it righted, dropping the main, lowering the motor and firing it up, I still had trouble keeping headed into the wind. With my 2hp Honda running wide open I was barely making forward progress, and because of the partially open jib, the nose would keep catching the wind and falling off so hard it took both motor and rudder to get it pointed back into the wind.
 
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