by Guest » Tue Sep 02, 1997 12:00 am
<P>Here's a response I received about this topic from Wendy J. Goodwin-Kelley of Cape Cod Ship Builders (<A HREF="mailto:ccsb@four.net">ccsb@four.net</A>):</P><BLOCKQUOTE><P>I could never have responded to this question without experiencing daysailers capsizing during the North American's in California two years ago. The winds were extreme for that area, and the water very cold. The cruising boat I was on rescued 2 teams who had capsized, and there were a few other rescue boats that did the same. It didn't matter if the boats were going up wind or down, the wind direction would change abruptly, and catch people off guard.</P><P>The DaySailer as built by O'Day had an open cuddy cabin, and when capsized, water immediately flows into the bow and sides of the boat. he boat then almost immediately turtles due to the weight in the cuddy and bow. By getting two people on the centerboard the boat will right, but swamped (filled with water). A tow to shore is nessessary in order to bail the boat out. Having spoken to several O'Day owners they tell me capsizing is a rare thing. It seems as once you know the boats capsizing limit, you know to avoid it. The hull shape makes it a sturdy daysailer, so I don't want to scare you away from pushing your DaySailer to the limit. I'm not quite sure what the exact angle of the point of no return is. My advice if you have never capsized, is to capsize the boat under controlled conditions so you know what to do when it happens by accident. Make sure you are in deep enough water so the mast doesn't get stuck in the mud, and have a motor boat close by to tow, once the boat is righted.</P><P>When Sunfish Laser re-designed the cuddy cabin to be closed off, they solved the swamping problem. When the new style DS is capsized, it will stay capsized longer, in order for you to get to the centerboard before it turtles. The air tanks along the length of the cockpit do that.</P><P>While capsized, water is unable to flow forward into the cuddy cabin, and when the boat is righted, the only water that needs bailing is in the cockpit, so the boat sits high enough to continue sailing. This is what we mean when we say self rescuing, as you can sail away from the capsize. This new style bulkhead raised quite a lot of eyebrows with DaySailer owners because they feel the space inside the boat is sacrificed. Sunfish Laser's hatch was also a concern, as it was so small that most adults would struggle to retreive gear through the cuddy hatch.</P><P>The only change Cape Cod Shipbuilding has made since aquiring the molds two years ago, was to enlarge the hatch, and have it open inward. We think this new style hatch is the best of both worlds. It can still be self rescued, but with the larger hatch you are able to move in and out easily. When the hatch is open, it is out of the way, and perfect for dousing your gear, or a chute.</P></BLOCKQUOTE>
Mike Boone (BooneDocks-at-kagi.com)