Preventing a Capsize.

I sail single handed and as I do not have a crew to inflict discomfort and inconvenience upon, I have been practising righting from a Capsize. I am now confident on righting, and very proficient on inducing a voluntary capsize. However I have just found out that just before reaching the point of no return and I make the decision not to let a capsize take place, I cannot stop the capsize. My question is, what is the first immediate step to try and stop a capsize taking place when sailing with jib and main sheeted in and the dagger board fully down. I have already found out that if I move my weight inboard to un-cleat the jib sheet to let it fly the excessive heeling happens all that much quicker.
Tom.

Assumming you are talking about a capsize whilst beating/sailing close to the wind; try:

- hiking harder
- let the mainsheet out as gust hits you (you should see these coming either as they hit other nearby dinghies or a change in water surface texture/colour in a 1 or 2 oclock direction from the bow)
- head up to windward a little before you heel too much
- accept its windy and depower the sail with plenty of downhaul & kicker.

a combination of all of the above should fix your problem.


Hope this helps

Mark

Dear Mark,
A trouble shared is a trouble halved.
Thanks, I appreciate the advice the conditions are exactly as you suggest. I must admit to have been looking to the jib to save the day rather than the main.
I am interested to hear if anyone else has a comment and I have no wish to put anyone off, however. Will you please remember my enquiry was how to try and prevent the capsize at the point of almost no return as by this time I am fully stretched hanging out over the gunwale with both feet under the toe straps and both hands occupied with tiller and mainsheet. Rather than how not to get into the situation in the first place.
Thanks
Tom

Hi,
When I'm single handing I run into this problem pretty frequently. My method, although I do not condone breaking rule 42(pumping) in anyway, is as the gust hits I continue to hike fully, let the mainsheet out and then push down on the side of the boat to bring it flat again. So I bring myself in a few inches and then thrust my weight down again, the quicker the more effective. As the boat comes level, you can pull the sheet in again without being overpowered. Of course, this method is only resulted to when I am fully hiking and all my controls are slammed on. I don't even touch the jib when trying to depower, as you said, trying to get inside the boat to reach is well ... counter productive to trying to stay upright

If the jib sheets are of sufficient length when tied together to drape over the gunnel by your forward leg it is possible to keep control of both main and jib without having to put weight back in the boat.

Bob.T

After submitting this query and having got the answer I wish to expand on the subject.
My reasoning to de-power the jib to try and prevent a capsize is as follows; Letting the jib fly means sailing on main alone, this normally encourages the the bow into wind, in addition, the act of moving inboard to release the jib makes the boat heel away from the wind which again would bring the bow into wind. As I have found out none of it works, perhaps cause and effect cannot catch up to each other before the capsize takes place.

In the event of sailing in very windy conditions I will take steps to reduce the risk of a capsize by a combination of de-powering the sail, reduce sail, and point into wind a little more. All of which are welcome points from contibutors.
Tom

I agree with Bob T about the possibility releasing the jib if you have to. I have sometimes capsised when hiking hard and after letting the main out,(no doubt a bit too late), because I had the jib cleated in hard on the thwart, and the boat didn't want to luff. If the jib sheet had been over the windward gunwale, I could have uncleated it, possibly with an upward kick. I am now trying to keep the jib sheet within reach when sailing on very gusty days. At my age, (73), I need to take these precautions.

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