almost capsized!

[MrPlywood]

Today I came as close as you can come to capsizing without actually doing so. I was sailing alone and a huge gust hit, and hit, and hit. The boat heeled, and heeled and heeled. I was very surprised at how fast it got to the tipping point. I dumped the main ASAP, was standing on the centerboard trunk for what seemed like forever, water was just coming over the side. Crazy! I was trying to figure out which way to steer to lessen the wind pressure - finally got it. I saved it just in time, headed into the wind then quickly pulled down the main. The wind remained really strong and I don't have reef points so I motored in. Right before all that happened I saw a guy capsize a Laser. "Not a big deal" I thought, since he was pushing it. Then I got the wind that had hit him.

So a few thoughts went through my mind afterwards:

Install cam cleats for jib and main halyards. It was pretty dicey trying to uncleat the halyards with one hand while using the other to keep the boat into the wind.

Install hiking straps. Might not have kept this from happening, but I would have been able to get more weight over the side to begin with.

Install reef points?

Gain weight or add ballast when I single-hand. I'm all of 145 and just about found out what I weigh soaking wet.

Glad I installed flotation in the tanks and under the gunwales!

Glad I installed the tiller extension.

Pay attention when boats around you capsize.

[Peterw11]

Were you on a lake or ocean?

I'm guessing ocean, with that kind of wind.

That's why I remain a lake sailor. I'm a real chicken and I dread that kind of situation.

Hopefully you were wearing your PFD and had all your important items in a dry bag.

It also sounds like you couldn't tell which direction the gusts were coming from. You are running telltales on your shrouds, right? I run a couple on each shroud. One set is about 6 or 7' up from the deck, the second pair about 5' above that, and watch them constantly, just so I don't get any surprises (the winds on my lake are pretty shifty, on occasion. It can be frustrating.)

In any case, reef points should be your first consideration. Was the wind particularly high, or forecasted as such? The best time to reef, is to do it when you first think it might be necessary, usually when you first hoist the sails.

You can always shake them out if they prove to be unnecessary, but it's better to do it first, then try to do it when it's too late, especially when singlehanding.

As far as a cam cleat goes, that might be a good idea, but in my experience, that may not be the whole solution. If you're running a main with bolt rope, the pressure on the sail will prevent it from dropping, regardless of whether the main halyard is free or not. The bolt rope just jams in the slot and the sail stays up. Maybe consider a downhaul as well, even if you just rig a temporary one for just this type of situation.

And you probably should add a topping lift, too, to keep you from getting conked on the head by the boom, when you drop the main.

[Marv Irwin]

Been there...done that.

Can I add one more item to your list. Since you and I sail in colder Canadian climes: when I do something foolish and end up with a cockpit full of water, it is COLD. After any near death experience, the challenge of making it home still persists. Sailing home for an hour or two with your backside in 50 or 60 gallons of lake water is not fun...

So (in addition, of course, to my favourite pfd), I now have a very serviceable two gallon bucket lashed to the mast foot inside the cuddy. If (when) I go over again, I'll be able to get enough water out of the cockpit to avoid hypothermia.
(PS....I've already accomplished the personal weight goal )
M

[Peterw11]

After reading Marv's post, you also might want to consider at least one, if not two, electric bilge pumps. I have a small, submersible, Attwood pump that runs on 3 D cells and can move about 3 or 4 gallons a minute.

It's weighted, so it'll sit in the bottom of the boat and blow the water out while you're sailing. It comes with a self contained plastic hose that you can just aim over the gun'l. I've added a 3 foot section of old garden hose to mine so it hangs amost to the surface of the water. I use it to bail my cockpit should any rain water sneak past my boom tent.

They can be found at most outdoor equipment retailers. I bought mine from Cabela's (online). Cost about 55 bucks, including freight, and is money well spent.

[K.C. Walker]

Hey Plywood, that sounds pretty exciting (and not in a good way)!

I had a similar near capsize last year. A friend of mine, that likes high winds sailing, and I went out when we really should have stayed on shore. Since then I've made some modifications that I've been very happy with.

I think that hiking straps are extremely helpful and cutting down or moving the coaming so that you will comfortably sit on the rail is a big plus, as well. Being able to hang most of your 145 pounds out past the rail and leaning way out makes a huge difference.

I re-rigged my main sheet and that was a huge improvement, also. I went from stock center boom sheeting where the cam cleat opened down (a serious problem for quick gust response) to an end boom bridal set up. I set it up like a Thistle main sheet where I use a ratchet block in a swivel cleat on the centerboard trunk and a 2nd ratchet block above that on the boom. This is a great set up for gust response. When it's windy you never cleat and therefore have an instant response for letting the main out. It is also very comfortable because there is very little tension on the main sheet. I'd say this is number 1 for safety.

I also went from a 4:1 to a 20:1 boom vang which makes a huge difference in being able to de-power the mainsail. My progress to wind when the weather is getting a little heavy it's much better now and I don't feel the need to put a reef in the sail near as often. With this setup I can de-power the main for close hauled and then power it back up for reaching and really fly.

For versatility and varying wind conditions reefing is a big plus so I would recommend that you have that ability. It just makes sense on some days not to have as much sail area.

My high wind sailing this summer has been much more fun and much less tense with these modifications. Of course at 145 pounds you have the advantage that your boat will start planning at a lower wind speed. I'm guesstimating that with a light crew or single-handed and this setup I'm starting to see planing at about 10-12 kn of breeze. With an experienced crew I was sailing in 15 kn with gusts of 20+ (wind whistling in the rigging) without reefing and having a lot of fun (wet fun, though). The broad reach planing felt like I was windsurfing again.

If you are not familiar with heaving to, I think you would find it quite helpful in a tense situation. When you're single handing it's especially helpful. It gives you time to rest, get a drink, have a bite to eat, take a pee, take down the mainsail, put in a reef, bail out the boat, or whatever.

I'm off for another 4 days of sailing next week. Here's hoping for fair winds and the same for your sailing.

KC

[GreenLake]

I'll second K.C. on the heaving to.

For those who haven't tried it: You sail as if you want to tack (turning slowly), but don't touch your jib sheets. As a result, the jib backwinds. At about that time you let the mainsheet go and you push the tiller hard to leeward. The tiller now tries to round up the boat, and the jib tries to push it the other way. The main is out of action.

Result is instant quiet, with the boat gently drifting downwind. The effect is truly amazing, especially if you've just fought the wind to the utmost.

The drift is at some angle, so there's a small forward component. By tightening the main sheet a bit, you can influence the angle of drift. (So you could use this to make a controlled, slow approach a dock that's downwind - I've read of one sailing school that teaches that as a technique.)

A bungee looped around the tiller and tied to the leeward sternsheet will maintain the hove to position without any need for manual interference.

Best to practice this in medium wind. With a light boat, like the DS, it can be tricky to set it up in higher winds. While the hove to position is stable (the boat corrects for slight disturbances from wind and waves) once you get turned past the good angle, you have to start the maneuver from scratch.

All you need to start sailing is to let the jib go across, take the tiller, and pull in the mainsheet.

[jdubes]

I'll third the heaving to. Instant quiet and a moment to think about what just happened. And if your feeling saucy, pull up your centerboard as much as you can without being push towards the angle of the wind. You boat will really speed up.

I also can't say enough about the flotation changes. I capsized my DS earlier this summer in 25 knots of wind in the bay single handed. My boat would have turtled in an instant had i not been able to get on the centerboard. With the flotation i was able to quickly stand on the centerboard while the water just about covered the tank closest to the water.

[itsermam]

Getting tipped up like that will definitely get your attention. I single-hand a lot and have "dipped the rail" more than a couple of times (though I have not fully capsized yet) - it is never fun, but knowing how to heave-to and having some reliable bailing tools on hand are huge helps. I keep a scoop bailer (a bleach bottle with the bottom sliced off), a big sponge and a manual bilge pump on board for bailing out after I "let" a little water over the side. If I take on water I heave to and bail out before going on - sailing a DSI full of water in heavy wind is not a good idea IMHO.

I second, third, fourth, etc... all the other suggestions - hiking straps will help keep you flat (and probably encourage you to push your luck further ); flipping the main sheet cam-cleat right side up and using a ratchet block instead of the cleat in heavy wind will make it a lot easier to respond to gusts (I find that sail pressure can make uncleating the main sheet difficult just when you need it to be easy); and anything that allows you to better trim your sails to the conditions (vang, reef points, etc...) is a plus for all sailing conditions.

[K.C. Walker]

Peter mentioned maybe not knowing which way the wind gusts were coming from and paying attention to telltales. Telltales are helpful but it's probably too late if a gust is coming from a different angle. One of the things that I talk to young sailors about, that I'm teaching to sail, is how to read the water for wind.

If you are observant you can see the wind coming and know how much of a gust it's going to be and from what direction. I sometimes I overestimate the strength of the gust but rarely underestimate it. I usually give the sailor at the helm a countdown as to when the gust will hit and talk them through how they should respond before it ever arrives. Of course, in extreme conditions you can get overpowered regardless. However, knowing how to read water is extremely helpful for sailing in all conditions from ghosting to survival sailing. It definitely cuts down on the surprises.

KC

[algonquin]

I am glad the outcome was better than what may have occurred.

I have had a few harrowing experiences with boats larger than the DS. Biggest difference was displacement and a keel that actually weighs enough to compensate for the heeling angle.

I usually sail alone and with sudden gusts or wind shifts I have had my DS thrown on its rails a few times and took on significant amounts of water but have not capsized. With all that is going on when you are suddenly thrust into that situation you will find that most of the action is manageable. What scares me the most is the sound of the power from the wind on the rigging and sails that occurs while you are scrambling to gain some control. That sound seems to add a high degree of panic as you begin depowering your sails and coming to a heave to position. Even after that your sails will echo the beat of the wind until you are able to drop them. Next you are at the mercy of the prevailing wind. Oh what fun we have with our DSs. Brad

[MrPlywood]

Thanks for all the feedback and commiseration guys. I was debriefing myself with a friend today, just to go over the situation and what I might have done wrong.

I was sailing on my usual lake, in between a starboard broad reach and a beam reach. The winds were moderate, I was sitting . So my back was to the wind. However, I did have other hints that I should have paid attention to - the other boats and dark clouds rolling in. AND the wind was coming from a different direction than usual - from dead west instead of the usual north. (Today was REALLY windy with gusts to 35 kn, so I guess a front was coming through. Needless to say, I didn't go out.)

The wind was picking up so I decided to do a granny-gybe instead of the regulation version. As I moved into a full beam reach, and the gust hit. The main wasn't cleated and I let it out ASAP. As I was on edge I was somewhat disoriented with the suddenness of the gust, but I figured out that I needed to get to a run, which I did, but by then I was very close to shore. In the confusion I think I gybed anyway, the accidental version, which changed the boat conditions again. I was able to get the boat point into the wind but had lost momentum and was being blown backwards at a rapid pace so I fired up the motor and powered into the wind.

So:

Peter's note about the bolt rope was exactly how it played out. I had to pull the main down with two hands.

I was wearing my PFD. Had my goods in a dry bag. The lake is warm and it was a warm day, but then again I've not had to stay in for the length of time it might take to get a DS upright and bailed. And we do sail into October. I've only sailed in the ocean strait a few times, and didn't go far from shore and stayed in protected areas on calm days.

I have a large bailer, but need to attach it to the mast. That's an excellent point. It's no good if it has floated away The battery-powered or manual bailer sound like good ideas.

I have a topping lift, which was a big help.

I have end-boom sheeting with a ratcheting swivel-block. There is a cam cleat which I use while trimming, but I always sail with the sheet uncleated and in-hand.

I need to work on "heaving to". I've tried a few times but must be missing something. Though initially it wouldn't have been an option as I think I would been pushed back into the docks on shore quite quickly.

KC's suggestion of a more powerful vang would be an easy upgrade, as would hiking straps.

Reef points - that will be for the off-season. A friend suggested only points at the "second" reef, saying if you're going to reef, why not "really" reef it. He's an ocean sailor, and has been through some real weather.

Ballast is a good idea too, if I insist on single-handing. Which I like to do

I may well try a controlled capsize, just to see how things work out. Knowledge is power. I have to admit I was a little spooked, and afterwards realized that it was because even with the flotation work I've done, I still don't know how the thing will react. I was thinking "Oh, this is going to suck!" LOL. Then, like Brad said, all the noise and scrambling just added to the effect.

I'm not sure that my rigging setup is correct. I still seem to have more sail than I should in the belly, and I can't really flatten it. The sails are "new to me" Jotz, nice and crisp. I don't think my mast bend is correct, which probably contributes to the sail being too full and overpowered. My mast does not look like the one on the North site – not sure it will since I have an older less-bendy profile – but I think I can make some adjustments there.

Thanks again for all the suggestions and observations.

[GreenLake]

I need to work on "heaving to". I've tried a few times but must be missing something. Though initially it wouldn't have been an option as I think I would been pushed back into the docks on shore quite quickly.

Did you try it the same way I described?

I had difficulties initially, because I somehow confused heaving to with heading into the wind. However, the boat is oriented differently, so you need to let it swing through the turn and somewhat past the direction of the opposite tack. But you don't want to be blown so far that the wind can get into the jib from behind.

The speed of drift should be on the order of a knot, so unless your dock was really close, it would have taken a while. Also, as I mentioned, it can be a technique to safely approach a downwind dock. But for that, you need to know the drift angle of the DS and position yourself accordingly (A little bit of hauling on the mainsheet would add some forward component, and, as someone suggested, raising the CB should increase the sideways component of the drift, so within reason you can even "steer").

Anyway, it's a fun thing to practice, and a neat parlor trick to show to a novice crew, because of the eerie silence after you've battled the wind.

Reef points - that will be for the off-season. A friend suggested only points at the "second" reef, saying if you're going to reef, why not "really" reef it. He's an ocean sailor, and has been through some real weather.

Hmm, on the DS you don't quite want to prepare your sails for the Southern Ocean.

Mine have a reef point around the first batten location. You can calculate the reduction in sail area - and on top of that, the center of effort will slide lower, because the sail is no longer as tall, giving you less heeling moment for otherwise same driving force.

I haven't used mine when really, really necessary yet, so I can't speak to how far up the scale they would let me go.

[K.C. Walker]

Ah yes, the unintentional jibe is a classic capsize maneuver. There are instances of racing to the leeward mark and having the entire fleet capsize on a gusty shifty day.

It's always preferable to round up if you can. If you go on a run there's no way to dump air. If you are sailing single-handed and have the jib cleated, as I do, in this situation you need to get to the jib and uncleat it quickly. Once you dump the main, the jib will pull you down wind if you don't dump it shortly. I try to keep the jib sheet and the vang in my lap so that I can dump them soon after dumping the main if I need to.

It sounds like the belly in your sail is similar to what I had before getting my mast bend correct. I have an allspar which is very bendy but I couldn't get control of it until I went with an adjustable mast step (fore & aft) and the more powerful vang.

I'm not sure I would go straight to the 2nd reef. Sure, if you were ocean sailing you'd want a 2nd reef but you'd also want a different boat. I think by the time you'd want the 2nd reef you'd prefer bare poles and motoring home. With the 1st reef the boat still balances pretty well with the jib. With a 2nd reef I think you'd probably want to have a storm jib, and that gets complicated. A single reef makes a huge difference. We as day sailors have the luxury of not having to sail much in heavy weather, after all.

This summer I was out with my niece who is not an experienced sailor. The prediction was for scattered thundershowers but we hadn't heard any for maybe 4 hours so I thought we could go for a short sail. The winds were moderate so we were out maybe 1/2-3/4 of a mile when we heard a boom. I turned around and saw the big black cloud and a bolt of lightning on the horizon. Oh shit, we turned around and sailed for home which was still faster than motoring. I got behind some islands, fired up the motor, pulled down the sails just in case the winds picked up and headed for the dock.

The downpour started before entering the channel and by the time we got to the dock and got the cover on there was 2-3 inches of water in the bilge. And, then it hit. It was a white squall and I am so glad that we made it in before it hit. It was something like a microburst and I would guess gail force or possibly hurricane force winds. No amount of sail would've been appropriate, that's for sure. It lasted about 10 minutes and was gone.

I guess sometimes it's just luck.

KC

[MrPlywood]

I'll try the heave to next time out, and take your directions with me. I was probably doing something stupid

Good thoughts on the reef points. I've never reefed a sail so I didn't know if that would be overkill or not. My friend is pretty conservative in that respect - he also ocean kayaks and errs on the side of "very" safe. But he always makes it back