I hesitate to post this as it reveals my lack of skill/experience

Made a stupid mistake at the gate in some breeze and ended up going over. Un-cleated the main, traveler, and jib and righted the boat within a few seconds.

The challenging part came when the boat took off on a nice broad reach with my crew and I still in the water hanging on to the front beam. I'm in pretty decent shape, but the speed/drag was far too much to heave myself up. We both tried moving to the windward side to try to get the boat to round up, but no joy. Finally, my gymnast son was somehow able to hoist himself up, get back to the tiller, and head up. Exhausted, I finally climbed up. All ended well.

This is the first time this has happened to me, so I had a couple questions:

1) How to prevent the runaway train in the first place.

2) Best way to recover if you can't get over the front beam.

Regarding #1 - Should the main stay cleated, just eased a bit? Seems like the balance of pressure was too far forward. I couldn't sheet-out the jib any more (even tried while I was hanging from the beam).

Regarding #2, I had a couple thoughts. a) a preventative idea would have the crew stay on the lower hull and climb on the tramp once we're sure its coming up. Or if its too late, b) Hand-over-hand down the righting line to the back beam where I can grab the tiller cross bar and get it to head up.

Any other thoughts? Appreciate your input/advice.

I/we use #2. I also move to the back of the boat so I can steer the boat into the wind if the smaller team member misses their opportunity to get on the boat. Once my team member is on and has stablelized the boat I move to the windward outside hull and haul myself onboard with the trap handle. For me this is the most efficient way to get on the boat and it conserves my energy, I'm 51 and overweight and I sail on an F18 so if I can do it anyone can.

Grabbing the tiller cross bar will likely break it. Don't ask...

I've gone to the back of the boat and held on to the foot strap and steered the boat with my other hand a few times. The i20 was probably easier to board in the back than the newer f18 boats though.

This is not a stupid problem. I've been there too...barreling across Charleston Harbor by myself hanging onto a rudder. The newer boats like to bare away with no weight onboard and sails eased. I suspect, however, that if you leave any sheet on the main that the boat will likely continue to roll over and re-capsize when you right it.

If I'm on a course race where help is available, here's my process: the first thing I try to do is get a crew on the low hull and have them roll over the hull as the boat comes up so they're on the deck ready to get things under control. If that fails, I make a solid effort to make sure I'm clear of any lines and QUICKLY duck under the hull (with a foot on the daggerboard if possible) and get to a trap line before the boat has a chance to start accelerating.

If I'm in a distance race where help may not be available, I came up with a system a couple of years ago where I had a pocket sewn into the bottom of my trampoline that houses a "drift sock", some line, and two carabiners. If we capsize in breeze that leaves us at risk of the bear-away happening - or if one of us got separated in the capsize, the idea is that the bitter end of the line for the drift sock is clipped to the dolphin striker and a second flow-through carabiner clipped to one of the forestay bridles. Then the drift sock is thrown off the bow. It will do a couple of things - 1) it keeps the bow oriented into the wind to make single handed righting easier. and 2) keeps the bow to the wind once righted so you don't risk having the boat bear away. Once the boat is righted, you haul in the sock (from the line clipped to the dolphin striker) and can just leave it dangling at the forestay while you go back to pick up your crew.

That's how I drive it when in the water too, and yes the back of an N20 is easier to deal with than the back of an F18.

If everything is loose (as it should be), hanging onto the dolphin striker crossbar near the windward hull should cause the boat to pivot into the wind right away.

The other thing to consider is the angle at which you started your righting attempt. Ideally, you want the wind to be ahead of the mast when the boat is on its side. 90 degrees, or wind behind the mast will put the boat instantly on a reaching angle when it's righted.

As mentioned, we've all been there. Like anything else, the best thing is to practice under controlled circumstances. Capsizing a boat is usually the last thing anyone wants to do intentionally, but the peace of mind is well worth it in the long run. I wish I didn't ignore this advice when younger.

Hope this helps.


Mike

to get back on my mystere 5.5 I grab a trap handle .... and get my feet on board first... one they are on the hull I can pull my torso up and on the tramp

For what it's worth. After loosing my crew at Hiram's a couple of years ago, he went floating by grabbing at the tiller and rudders to no avail. Afterwards I went back and tied a line from rear beam bolt to bolt. I laced slack in the tramp ties going to the back side of the beam. In other words I have slack loops tucked up in the lacing, so when you go over, now you can pull the line down and it drags behind the boat just past the tiller tie arm. This allows you to drift under the tramp and catch it going out the back side and right at the tiller/rudders. Now, got to see if it works.

mental note: beware of skipper tossing crew overboard unexpectedly under the guise of "trying to see if it works"...

I was always taught to go hang on the dolphin striker on the windward hull to keep the boat from continuing to roll over. It does make sense that it also creates a pivot point. I really cannot think of a time where the boat tried to sail off without us onboard - it has probably happened but I don't recall it.

In our case, we hung on to the dolphin striker immediately as the upper hull came down. Boat took off on us anyway. I don't think we righted at the wrong angle - perhaps an untimely wave pushed us that way. Regardless, we only had about 5 seconds between "up" and "moving quick..."

Frankly I was quite surprised. I've righted my TheMightyHobie18 more times than I care to admit and never had this issue...

Edit: I know the difference is due to the self tacking jib.

5 seconds is it (if you're lucky), once the boat is up you need to execute whatever plan you have to get back onboard otherwise you're off on Mr. Toads Wild Ride.

I've only had this problem with the F16, which happens to be the only flat top sail I've owned.

It happens more often than not.

You ARE old!
MTWR has been closed since 1998.
(See, Siri is good for something.)

Exactly. At the moment the crew doesn't make it on the hull, I'm working toward my duck under the hull to get to the outside. You don't have long (which is one of several reasons I don't hook into the righting line).

Yes I am but I have a huge dong.

That's what gravity does for you...it just takes a while.

Yeah, but Dumbo's ride is still there.

Sadly, the Delta "If you had wings" ride (the only one that didn't require TICKETS) is gone...

For you fellow old-farts, remember those ticket books? You'd be stuck with about 10 "A" tickets, but burn up the "E" tickets fast on Space Mountain and the like...

Oh, and the go-carts are still cranking after all this time. But Future-ville (or whatever they call that section) looks a little dated (George Jetson).

I will say for as old as the FL park is they do an outstanding job of keeping it from looking that old.

It's all sort of automatic to me now (having done it way too many times), so it may not be coming across correctly.

The idea is, once the boat starts coming up, get to the old bottom hull (when capsized), which will be the new windward hull (when righted), pulling down on the dolphin striker cross-piece.

That should kill two birds: puts you in the right place to keep it from rolling all the way over, and for you to be the pivot point to make it turn into the wind.

Mike