Aerial Photo of my CS 20

[Terry Dunn]

It isn’t often one gets an aerial photo of ones boat.

My wife and I went sailing last Thursday evening, May 31, 2007, at Cherry Creek Reservoir in Colorado and were drifting around a bit in light winds. The wind came up suddenly and we were having a hard time. I was out the week before and the wind was gusting to the mid 20’s. It was much stronger this time. Waves with white caps formed on the lake. After a while I turned to go to the shore and should have had both sheets released but I didn’t. The wind caught us and turned the boat over very quickly. Four guys out fishing in a motor boat with a cabin picked us up.  It took them quite a few passes to pick up my wife in the strong winds. We had our life jackets on but once we left the shelter of the capsized boat, the waves would go over our heads.

With the wind and waves pushing the hull, the masts went down and buried themselves in the mud.  A park ranger attempted to pull the boat out and that freed the mizzen. Then the main buckled. On their suggestion, I decided to wait until morning to finish recovering the boat.

A fisherman called 911 early in the next morning to report a boat upside down. Due to a lack of communication, there were a bunch of people looking for bodies. Divers, etc. I got the picture of a local TV stations web site. A Park Ranger called our house as we were about to leave home to recover our boat. We explained we had worked with Park Rangers the night before and were coming soon to recover the boat. They had the communication issue figured out by the time we got there. However, the news reports said the capsize had not been reported and some other things that were not totally accurate.

Park Rangers and I recovered our boat in the morning. The Park Rangers were very good. It was a nice still morning. The main mast wore through the sleeve at the top of the main during the night. Two of us were not able to pull the mizzen out of the mud by hand when we were recovering the boat in the morning. I attached lines to cleats and threw them over the hull.  Two ranger boats pulled and she flipped up and the masts pulled out of the mud. From the mud stains on the sails, it looked like the top of the masts were buried about three feet into the mud.

I pretty much did everything wrong that evening. While I looked at the weather forecast at 3: 00 pm, I did not pay attention to the cloud patterns that evening, expecting moderate winds. The absence of wind at 6:00 pm and cloud patterns should have tipped me off.  About 6:20 pm the wind picked up suddenly, which is not unusual for Cherry Creek. The only thing we did right was wear our life jackets.

I had been considering going from sleeved sails to sail tracks so I guess now is a good time to do it, since I need to rebuild my masts and have one sail repaired.

[rlchenry]

WOW!!!

That's a really tough way to get overhead shots of your boat! (and not even the correct side!)

So glad everyone is OK.

A good lesson for me, at least......

[Ken_Potts]

Oh, that's rough.  I'm sorry to have seen that photo - It hurts (but thanks for posting it).
I'm glad that you have a place to post the real story though - Every time I've been involved with local media (good or bad) they've gotten the story wrong.
I hope the damage isn't too extensive.  I guess it shows that you're an optimist choosing this event to switch to sail tracks.

[Steve Day]

It's not easy to look at the bright side after an experience like that. Glad to see that you both are OK and that no serious damage was done to the boat. Those great plains storms can be really bad - really quick. The good part is that you are here to talk about it.

I would agree about the media. The real question is: "Why do we watch them when every story we have personal knowledge of is not reported correctly?"

Steve

[Garry]

Perhaps you should invite the media to do a followup story with an aerial photo of the topside of the boat!  

I'm glad everyone is safe. I've learned many lessons the hard way myself.

[Howard]

I guess it's like flying.....any landing you walk away from is a good one.

To gain something from this for the rest of us, again, with me not having any experience with the cat/ketch rig, in that circumstance, to avoid capsize, the first thing one should do in a blow is.....

Let go the mainsheet?  Along with sheeting in the mizzen so she will round up to the wind (heave to)?  Until you can reef or drop sails on the mizzen and motor in.....or....with plenty of leeway.....just ride it out.

You cat/ketch whiz kids.....is this about right? I'm trying to further my understanding of the rig, as I hope to be sailing one in the near future.

[JeffM]

Quite an experience, Terry!  Glad you're all alright.

As Graham has often said, Howard, ALWAYS keep the mainsheet at hand.  I moved the mainsheet cleats aft from their design position because I found I often had to reach behind a passenger to get access to them.  Then I installed a duplicate set farther forward, so I could sit on the side decks and still reach them.  Then I installed yet another on the center of the coaming forward (which I've never yet used), so at need I could lead one end of the sheet up there and keep it in my control if someone else were at the helm and I was even as far away as the fordeck.  You needn't worry about the mizzen at all: the boat will be depowered and round up as soon as you let the main off.  But it is true that she'll ride the waves like a duck hove-to with the main off and mizzen in tight.  With enough room to lee, you could even take a nap.

[TIM MAUSER]

Hi Terry:  I'm pleased both you and your wife are ok, and apparently the boat little damaged.  A good cautionary tale, I will remember it.  Hope to see you next time I am in Denver.

[Tim]

Terry,  glad your Ok.  I'm sure if I sail enough it could happen to me.

Jeff, sometimes if your on a broad or even beam reach it seems like its best to release both sheets in a strong gust because you don't want to try to make a 90 degree or more turn into the wind when you already riding near the rail.  

Also something  I learned by letting someone more experienced at the helm in wind.  He always held the opposite side sheet.  Then he never had to reach behind another passenger (sitting near the twart) and always had the sheet in hand.

[Terry Dunn]

When I take friends sailing I always tell them about releasing the main sheet, partly to remind myself.

I don't know why I did not have the sheet in my hand that evening. The conditions sure called for it.

My main is cleated on the center seat. I find it to be very convenient. Parhaps too convenient since for some reason I cleated it when I shouldn't have.