Finally joined the ranks of those who have capsized.

[dbk0630]

So... now you have me wondering... if I were to add a recovery line to right a DS2 after a capsize... what's the the best place to attach it (or them) to?

[K.C. Walker]

I would think attaching the recovery lines pretty much like the Albacore article describes would be the way to go. That is, I think attaching the line with an eye strap under the rail at midship and then pulling it taught underneath the rail back to the transom and using a clamcleat to secure it on the transom should work. I couldn't quite picture how they did the shock cord method of attachment by reading the article.

I guess I'm not sure how far from the center of the transom you'd want to cleat the recovery line, because as John said, "One of the things I remember most from the capsize was how big the boat looked while floating in the water holding onto the CB." So, how far up the transom can one reach easily when the boats on its side and you are swimming?

KC

[persephone]

Well, here is where I would put them on my boat. These were installed by the P.O. and actually come in very handy (no pun intended) for many things.

[img][img]http://i664.photobucket.com/albums/vv4/theflyingcloudsbucket/Daysailer/P1010955.jpg[/img][/img]

My thought on the shock cord attachment would be to leave enough shock cord to loop them on the rear deck cleats.
Not sure if you were talking to me K.C. but I'd be willing to get together with you and experiment anytime. Send a message and I could give you my phone number or whatever.

[jeadstx]

I originally added a 1" harness staple close to the same location to attach a fender. I also use the staple to lash down my oars that I added. This would also be a good place to attach the rescue strap as it is near the widest point of the boat.



John

[persephone]

On Monday I returned the daysailer to it's mooring at QYC. I decided to tinker with the gear some, then go sailing.
The one thing I decided to do that I have been totally resistant to is actually using the ratchet blocks my boat came with for the main sheet. Wow! What a difference this made. The blocks I have have a switch so they can be turned to free wheel or ratchet. I have two in the main sheet system.
It was moderate wind with occasional gusts, so I decided to set both to ratchet. In lighter wind just one would be enough.
What I noticed more than anything is that with the blocks set to ratchet the main sheet feeds out slowly, and in a smooth, controlled manner making it possible to hold course during the gust. Also this gives the benefit of being able to hold the main, uncleated in my hand without tiring my arm out. I only needed a light hold (not a grip) on the sheet to keep the boom in place. When a puff would hit I could just open my hold and the boom would feed out.
I'm surprised by how much of a difference this one piece of gear made. It is rare to find one part that can make such a drastic change.

[K.C. Walker]

Geoff,

I totally agree! My previous setup was a stock midboom with down facing cleat and I hated it! I felt it was downright dangerous when the wind picked up.

I spent last winter checking eBay for ratchet blocks and got some great deals. I got such a good deal on a new Harken 75 mm ratchet block that is what I use for the swivel block on the centerboard trunk, though I think it's a little bit overkill. It does work nice though. My second block on the boom is a 40 mm Harken, also switchable like yours. With 75 mm I really need a lot of breeze before I need to switch on the 40 mm.

I also switched to New England Ropes Bzzz Line which feels great in hand. With the ratchet blocks 8mm Bzzz line feels very comfortable for the main and really runs great. I went with 7 mm Bzzz line and 40 mm Ronstan smart ratchets for the jib. That is also a nice improvement. Even if I cleat the lines they're so much quicker to release because there is so much less tension on the cam cleat.

I've got to say though my hands still ache after 3-4 hours of high wind sailing, even with ratchet blocks. Even if holding them and releasing them doesn't take a lot of tension, you still have to pull them in.

Except for really light breeze I pretty much always have a ratchet on and really like it for control. AND, for those gusty days there's nothing like being able to hold the sheet in your hand uncleated for quick response.

KC

[dbk0630]

So last week while competing in a race, single-handed with winds in the 15-20mph range, I tacked my DS2 toward the windward mark and the jib sheet snagged on the downhaul cleat (which was located about 6" below the boom on the mast). I was moving rather well and as I moved up to free the jib sheet, the bow dipped and next thing I knew I was standing on the side of CB trunk... and the boat went over. Although it replays in my mind in slow motion, at the time, it seemed to happen really fast. By the time I swam around to attempt to grab the cb while the boat was on it's side, it turtled. It is amazing how big the bottom of the boat looked from in the water.

Anyway, a wonderfully-kind powerboater stopped and asked if I needed help. I said yes... and he threw me a line... which I pulled across the turtled hull of the boat (just before the cb) and attached around the stay/shroud on starboard side of the boat. Due to a combination of things (including me attaching the line to the shroud, him probably accelerating too much, the mast head apparently caught in some mud at the bottom), when the boat rolled over and the mast started coming up just above the water line...we heard a couple of pops... and although the boat righted (with a lot of water in my cuddy cabin), the mast was off the boat and in the water. With the help of the powerboater's son, we laid the mast and boom and sails on the boat... I then got in the boat and he towed me back to my harbor.

A quick inspection showed that the chainplate for the stay on the starboard side had come off (the original SS bolts apparently broke... and the backer plate was gone), the starboard-stay and front fore-stay were bent, and the rivets attaching the top part of the mast to the mast hinge (aka tabernacle) had popped off. The good news was the mast was not broken or bent -- the bottom of the mast and the holes in that section that go into the mast hinge were fine, the hull was fine, and the rudder assembly was intact (the rudder did come off when I turtled but thanks to an additional line I tie to the top gudgeon from the stern cleat it stayed with the boat). I did lose some old tools and random things that I had in the cooler on the port seat but it wasn't anything I couldn't easily replace.

The next day, I contacted D&R and ordered a complete new set of stays (I got the upgraded ones with the full turnbuckles), new heavy duty spreader bars, and new backer plates for both the starboard and port chainplates. I also spoke with Rudy about reattaching the mast to the mast hinge. He suggested that since my hinge had a hole through the deck of the hinge (i.e., I could get at the inside of the hinge) that instead of using rivets that I should through-bolt using 10x24 SS bolts with locknuts (i.e., using offset needle-nose pliers to hold onto the locknut).

It took most of the day, but on Saturday I got everything re-assembled and adjusted this past Saturday; and on Sunday my son and I got the boat back in the water and joined in on a couple of races. It felt good to get everything put back together and install the new beefier, upgraded stays. It was also therapeutic to get back in the boat and sail it again (i.e, to get back on that damn horse!).

As a final part of my therapy, and to contribute to this forum which has helped me greatly since I got my boat, I wanted to share what I learned through my capsize adventure.

1. I should have uncleated the main before going forward to unfoul the jib line. I was in a race though... and have been able to unfoul my lines many time in the past... and it wasn't that far... bla, bla, bla...

2. I should go ahead and install buckles or eyestraps on the side of the hull (below the stays) or on the side of the cuddy cabin... which, as others have noted, I could have used to tie onto instead of the shroud. Alternatively, though it was have been hard to do because it was under water, I could/should have tried to free one of the haylards... which would have been better to tie on to instead of the stay.

3. I should have communicated better with the powerboater... and encouraged him to pull gently when righting it.

4. I should have upgraded my standing rigging a while ago... at the least, I should ahve changed out the through bolts for the side chainplates. Redoing the rivets would seem to be prudent as well.

Ok. I think I'm cured now. The important thing is I'm sailing again and all the wiser for the experience. Thanks for letting me vent.

[GreenLake]

Great post.

[jeadstx]

Good write up. Brings back my memories of my capsize. It does seem like it goes in slow motion while it is happening. The boat does look very large when you are sitting in the water.

One thing that I would suggest (even with the upgraded stays) is to tape the split rings at the chain plate. During the 2012 Tx200 when I capsized I had a split ring come off the starboard stay which lead to the capsize while trying to fix. It was suggested to me to tape them in the future.

John

[TIM WEBB]

Not sure if they would have helped in your particular situation Dave, but you might want to consider rescue lines. I've got some pics in my gallery you can check out. Basically some fairly "fat" double braid tied around the chainplates with a bowline knot, then led aft along the deck outside the coamings to the aft cleats, where they are secured with a short length of bungee. You tie overhand knots in the line every couple feet for purchase. Mine are as yet "untested", so to speak, but the idea is that in a capsize, even tho the hull looks really big when you're in the water, the stern might be a bit lower in the water, and you "might" be able to get to the high one, pop it off the cleat, and take it to the CB, where you "might" be able to use it to help right the boat. Of course, this is all assuming you act fast before it turtles ...

Glad to hear that you are back on the horse though!

[ChrisB]

I keep looking for an anti-turtle gizmo like this sold in the US. Thus far, I haven't found one. The smaller of these (20 liters) would provide about 44 pounds of bouyancy once inflated.

http://www.marinechandlery.com/secumar- ... loat-15823

[dbk0630]

Cool looking device... makes me wonder whether you might/could adapt an auto-inflatable pfd system for that purpose.

Anyway, in addition to the great suggestions offered by the others, I've been thinking that cuddy cabin doors might have made a difference. I've never had them... and I think the reason I turtled so fast was that water got in the cuddy which weighted the bow down, leading to more water in the cuddy, etc. A set of doors with a reasonable seal might/could have, in theory, bought me time to get to the cb.

[jeadstx]

When I first capsized my boat in the spring of 2010, I didn't have the hatch covers on. My boat capsized on the port side. At the time I had an outboard and a 28 pound anchor on the port side of the boat (the anchor was inside the cuddy cabin). When I surfaced, I noticed the masthead starting to sink and quickly got to the centerboard. Two teenagers in a passing powerboat asked if I needed assistance. One jumped in the water to help and soon realized he didn't know what to do. I asked him to get flotation under my mast head. Another boat that came to help, ended up not doing anything other than collecting some soft drink bottles floating around. I couldn't right the boat. The boat floated on its' side and I ended up swimming it to shallow water a couple hundred yards away. When I got in water where I could touch bottom I was able to right the boat.

The open cuddy didn't matter as far as taking on water on my DS2. It might be different on a DS1. Keeping the mast head up did matter. In the next week after the capsize I checked the flotation and found out the previous owner had removed 90% of it. I added "pool noodle" (about 60 of them). I also added about 2 feet of foam flotation inside the top of the mast. I have a little water bottle straped up there too, but it probably doesn't really do much. I sealed all old holes in the mast. When I capsized during the 2012 Tx200, the mast head hit the bottom, but came back up due to the flotation. I know that it hit bottom due to the amount of sand/mud I found on the mast head when the boat was put on the trailer the next day. Keeping the mast head on the surface definately helps the boat from turning turtle. I also sail with hatch covers in place.

John

[K.C. Walker]

Well… I too got capsized this week. I have to say, it did not seem like slow motion. I had inexperienced crew at helm and manning the mainsheet. We were three and had anyone of us not messed up we probably would not have gone over. It had been light and variable breeze with large direction changes for hours. It was a little frustrating for the two young women trying to get a feel for the boat. One of them had asked me not more than 20 minutes before whether the boat could tip over. I had said it was possible but not in this light breeze...

I'm afraid I wasn't watching for any gusts before it hit at I would guess 15-20 kn. I had the big UPS up and I'd taken a half rap around a horn cleat. I had instructed Ellen not to cleat the mainsheet, fortunately. Kia was not really getting the hang of helm as it was her first time out. Even with previous instructions about letting go of the main and the tiller, when the gust hit they froze and did not let go. With the half rap of the UPS sheet there was just enough tension that the auto ratchets were holding firm. I briefly thought about reaching in to unwrap the sheet and then realized… No way!

I did have everyone sitting on the rail with their feet in the straps and I think that's what saved us. Even though the mast may have hit the water briefly we were able to right the boat by all leaning WAY back, after Ellen let go of the main sheet. Of course, the boat came up totally awash. With the pressure off the UPS the auto ratchet had also released. I was able to furl the UPS in a couple of seconds, it took not much longer to get the main down. It's amazing what a little adrenaline will do to get you moving.

I got everybody to the middle of the boat as the gust turned out to be a sudden sustained 20 kn + breeze. The whitecaps and chop were building quickly as it was about a 4 mile fetch. My bin of extra line floated out of the cuddy. Great! I dumped that bin and handed it to Ellen for bailing and then grabbed the anchor bin for bailing and handed the standard bailing bucket to Kia. Fortunately, with the three of us bailing like mad we were able to get enough water out of the cockpit to stay ahead of the chop slopping over the rail fairly quickly. About two thirds of the way through bailing, a powerboat stopped by to ask if we needed help. However, by that time I was confident that we could carry on without them. It's amazing how fast three adrenaline pumped people can bail out a DaySailer!

It was a cold wet ride home because we had to fight the 1-2 chop with lots of windblown spray. Of course the wind direction had changed and we had to beat our way back.

So visualizing the replay…. I was trying to figure out why we were able to right the boat without having to stand on the centerboard. Yes, there were three of us with I'm guessing a total crew weight of 400+ pounds and we all probably had our heads leaned back to at least the water line stripe. The other thing that probably helped was that the previous owner had installed extra flotation foam from the seat tank's all the way up under the side decks, behind the coaming. I figured this might change the center of flotation when the boat is on its side enough to help right the boat.

So, quite the adventure.… I'm hoping I haven't ruined sailing for the twentysomething's. They were smiling after we got back and sharing the adventure with others, so we will see.

[jeadstx]

With a DS1 you probably had a lot more water in the cockpit (and cuddy cabin) than I did in my DS2. I've put a rail under a couple times and filled the cockpit full of water without going all the way over.

John