10-10-2012, 12:43 PM
I capsized my Weekender in Tomales Bay. What follows is a brief description of the accident, what caused it, the steps we took to save ourselves and the boat and how the accident could have been avoided. I then offer some tips on how to rescue a capsized Weekender.
In brief, this is what happened. I had to pee. The wind had been gusty earlier in the day but was steady at fifteen so I felt secure in sliding back the cabin hatch cover and standing in the cabin. I was in charge of the main sheet which I held in one hand. A rogue gust hit. Surprised by the gust, the helmsman steereddown wind. The boat pitched and I fell against the side of the cabin hatch. I released the sheet but it was too late.
She went over so hard and fast that we were literally thrown into the bay, surfacing just in time to hear the loud WHOMP of the hull hitting the water upside down. We swam to the stern and hoisted ourselves up onto it, a difficult task due to the lack of any sort of hand hold. The hull was high in the water due to the water-tight trunks I had built into it, and it was slippery.
I had been told that righting a capsized Weekender would envolve releasing the forestay so the weight of the sail and mast could be folded against the hull prior to pulling her upright. In our case, this was not necessary. We simply stood on the rubrail and pulled on the keel and up she came. However, I must offer the caveat that we both weigh two hundred pounds.
Little did we know that our problems had just begun. The boat had five hundred gallons of water in it and roled badly with the wind and waves.It was then that I realized I had left the bailing bucket at home. We were splashing the water out with a cushion when I remembered a cooking pot in a cockpit trunk, which was submerged. Not until I opened the hatch did I remember that the trunk was a part of the water-tight flotation I had built into the boat. Water rushed into the trunk causing the boat to roll over; the two of us, leaping free, found ourselves once again floating next to the overturned boat. We righted the boat again only to find it hopelessly swamped and vulnerable to the waves. It rolled three more times before we realized the futility of trying to right it. Perched on the overturned hull, we spotted the Hog Island oyster boat. We righted the boat so as to not drag the mast on the bottom as the oyster boat hauled us to shallow water. With a borrowed bucket, we bailed it out, repaied the rigging and sailed back.
Much was learned. The boat should never have capsized if we had been properly attentive. The accident was the result of a "perfect storm" of bad moves a natures wiles. First, the accident would never have happened if I had remained seated on the windward (high) side of the boat ready to release the mainsheet. Second, the helmsman was not an exprienced skiff sailor. I think a person experienced in large craft sailing, with hundres of pounds of ballast working for him, can be taken by surprise by the sudden instability of a "pocket yaght" like the Weekender. I think captains should consider the character of their craft and any anomalies it may have (like a wheel that faces the stern) before they turn over the helm to a newcomer, especially in windy conditions. Third, never trust a gusty day. When it was gusty earlier, we were alert on the main sheet and did fine; when the wind steadied, however, I became lax. I found out the hard way that the afternoon had a couple of gusts left in it. In the future, on gusty days, I think I will reef the main not in regard to the prevailing wind speed, but to the speed of the gusts.
Here are some thoughts on self-rescue; they involve preplanning. 1) Build as much floatation into your boat as possible. 2) Build a hand-hold on the bottom at the stern. An overturned boat is slippery. 3) NEVER go out without a bailing bucket. A two gallon bucket is best. A five too heavy when balance is everything. Tie the bucket to the boat and outfit it with floatation. A bilge pump is also handy. 4) Wear your life jacket. 5) Plan for the worst. Your moves should be prescripted and gone over regularly. (Even then you will make bad moves like opening a water-tight compartment.)
Based on our experience, here are some thoughts on righting a Weekender. 1) Always pull it to windward. If you are on the lee side, the wind, combined with your body weight could cause it to roll over on top of you. 2) bring the boat up slowly and with care. It worked for us to fall backwards into the water as it rolled toward us. We finished pulling it upright from there without our weight on the gunnel. 3) Have one person climb aboard while the other balances the boat from the other side. Balance is everything. 4) If there are two of you, one should stay in the water at the stern to balance the boat while the other is bailing. A swamped boat is extremely unstable. You will likely only get one shot at bailing. If she rolls twice, the increase in trouble is exponential. Again, balance is everything. 5) Expect that everything not tied to the boat will have been flushed from it. 6) Lower the sails as soon as possible.
In brief, this is what happened. I had to pee. The wind had been gusty earlier in the day but was steady at fifteen so I felt secure in sliding back the cabin hatch cover and standing in the cabin. I was in charge of the main sheet which I held in one hand. A rogue gust hit. Surprised by the gust, the helmsman steereddown wind. The boat pitched and I fell against the side of the cabin hatch. I released the sheet but it was too late.
She went over so hard and fast that we were literally thrown into the bay, surfacing just in time to hear the loud WHOMP of the hull hitting the water upside down. We swam to the stern and hoisted ourselves up onto it, a difficult task due to the lack of any sort of hand hold. The hull was high in the water due to the water-tight trunks I had built into it, and it was slippery.
I had been told that righting a capsized Weekender would envolve releasing the forestay so the weight of the sail and mast could be folded against the hull prior to pulling her upright. In our case, this was not necessary. We simply stood on the rubrail and pulled on the keel and up she came. However, I must offer the caveat that we both weigh two hundred pounds.
Little did we know that our problems had just begun. The boat had five hundred gallons of water in it and roled badly with the wind and waves.It was then that I realized I had left the bailing bucket at home. We were splashing the water out with a cushion when I remembered a cooking pot in a cockpit trunk, which was submerged. Not until I opened the hatch did I remember that the trunk was a part of the water-tight flotation I had built into the boat. Water rushed into the trunk causing the boat to roll over; the two of us, leaping free, found ourselves once again floating next to the overturned boat. We righted the boat again only to find it hopelessly swamped and vulnerable to the waves. It rolled three more times before we realized the futility of trying to right it. Perched on the overturned hull, we spotted the Hog Island oyster boat. We righted the boat so as to not drag the mast on the bottom as the oyster boat hauled us to shallow water. With a borrowed bucket, we bailed it out, repaied the rigging and sailed back.
Much was learned. The boat should never have capsized if we had been properly attentive. The accident was the result of a "perfect storm" of bad moves a natures wiles. First, the accident would never have happened if I had remained seated on the windward (high) side of the boat ready to release the mainsheet. Second, the helmsman was not an exprienced skiff sailor. I think a person experienced in large craft sailing, with hundres of pounds of ballast working for him, can be taken by surprise by the sudden instability of a "pocket yaght" like the Weekender. I think captains should consider the character of their craft and any anomalies it may have (like a wheel that faces the stern) before they turn over the helm to a newcomer, especially in windy conditions. Third, never trust a gusty day. When it was gusty earlier, we were alert on the main sheet and did fine; when the wind steadied, however, I became lax. I found out the hard way that the afternoon had a couple of gusts left in it. In the future, on gusty days, I think I will reef the main not in regard to the prevailing wind speed, but to the speed of the gusts.
Here are some thoughts on self-rescue; they involve preplanning. 1) Build as much floatation into your boat as possible. 2) Build a hand-hold on the bottom at the stern. An overturned boat is slippery. 3) NEVER go out without a bailing bucket. A two gallon bucket is best. A five too heavy when balance is everything. Tie the bucket to the boat and outfit it with floatation. A bilge pump is also handy. 4) Wear your life jacket. 5) Plan for the worst. Your moves should be prescripted and gone over regularly. (Even then you will make bad moves like opening a water-tight compartment.)
Based on our experience, here are some thoughts on righting a Weekender. 1) Always pull it to windward. If you are on the lee side, the wind, combined with your body weight could cause it to roll over on top of you. 2) bring the boat up slowly and with care. It worked for us to fall backwards into the water as it rolled toward us. We finished pulling it upright from there without our weight on the gunnel. 3) Have one person climb aboard while the other balances the boat from the other side. Balance is everything. 4) If there are two of you, one should stay in the water at the stern to balance the boat while the other is bailing. A swamped boat is extremely unstable. You will likely only get one shot at bailing. If she rolls twice, the increase in trouble is exponential. Again, balance is everything. 5) Expect that everything not tied to the boat will have been flushed from it. 6) Lower the sails as soon as possible.