by jeadstx » Thu Apr 22, 2010 2:19 pm
seandwyer,
My masthead is riveted in so removing it wasn't at the top of the thought process, my mistake. Removing it would certainly be better than what I did. I had been planning that day to go sailing and wanted some foam in there in case I did something stupid again and capsized. My 5 minute quick job turned into a 3 hour fix-it job. I missed getting out sailing and it rained the next day, bad weekend. Be careful filling it tho, don't need much. Stuff really expands fast, don't want to overfill and cause other problems from the expansion.
I haven't been out since the capsize. Nice weather while I'm at my office, cold, rainy, and no wind on the weekends. When I did capsize tho (I have a DS2), the boat sat high on it's port side and the mast slowly started filling with water. I didn't turn turtle. A passing boater put someone in the water to help me and kept the masthead from sinking. I think a small amount of flotation would have been enough. I needed to find out what a capsize would do as I'm getting my boat ready for the Tx200. I only wish I could say the capsize was on purpose, but I can't. Just did something stupid, not even sure how. I had trouble righting it in deep water (guy in the water with me didn't know what to do), but I held onto the CB and swam it easily to shallower water where I was able to right it. I think if my masthead hadn't been a couple feet under water causing me to have to lift a sail full of water, it would have righted in deep water as well. One other problem was that it was over on it's port side. The port side had a 28 lb. anchor, my little 2hp motor and the icebox on that side. The icebox cover opened, spilled it's contents and filled with water. I had a way to secure it shut, but hadn't done so. On a good note, the only thing I lost was a bottle of GatorAid, yet unopened. Everything that was in the cuddy stayed there even tho my hatch covers were inside at the time. I still had my wallet, phone and camera safe in the dry bag. From now on tho I think I'll sail with the hatch covers in place and certainly on the Tx200. I'm making new covers where I can fold down the top half to access the cuddy if need be.
As far as the empty sealed water bottle's position. I'm securing it as high on the mast as possible without interfering with my windvane. It's high the the head of my sail goes and shouldn't interfer with the main halyard. I'll know more if it works the next time I get out sailing, maybe this weekend.
John
1976 Day Sailer II, #8075 - Completed the 2011, 2012, and 2013 Texas 200
1952 Beetle Boat Swan Catboat
Early Rhodes 19
1973 Mariner 2+2, #2607 - Completed 2014, 2015 and 2016 Texas 200
1969 Day Sailer I, #3229
Fleet 135; Canyon Lake, Texas