Originally Posted by Redtwin
Turtle and hang on for dear life???


I've been running this scenario through in my head since this happened.

Turtling the boat is probably the best option, but the tricky part is going to be to predict that this is what you need to do. Once that wind hits, I doubt you are going to be able to get the boat turtle because the wind will be so strong that the boat will just keep flipping and/or right itself. Even if you did predict it and get it turtled, I'm not convinced that the boat would stay inverted once the sea state gets rolling. You would also risk filling the mast with water if you did manage to keep it submerged for the duration of that weather and then righting it could be an issue if you made it through (but you would still be a little better off on a more visible boat and somewhat out of the water). So, maybe try it but be prepared to quickly abandon the boat if it rights itself. If the wind is already cranking, I would give up on the thought of turtling the boat.

You can't really drop the jib on a lot of our boats and even if you could, the mast and hull windage alone is probably enough to toss the boat. Reducing sail by dropping the main would be an option up to about 40 knots windspeed (jib only), maybe 45 knots if you cut the jib loose and let it flog to pieces... but dropping all the sails wouldn't help you in that kind of severe storm on a small light catamaran. The tricky thing here, again, is predicting how bad that storm front was going to get. Your options are more limited on the catamaran (vs. monohull) to change things when the wind starts to build to the point where it is a problem.

Having the correct gear is going to be essential because I think you would just end up abandoning the boat (intentionally or not). VHF, EPIRB, flotation....finding a quick way to carry some hydration might be a good idea too. Some line so you and your crew can secure yourselves together (which you should already pack in your pfd for various purposes). You could be afloat for a while - focus early on retaining as much body heat as possible. If you got caught in the severe part of that storm, you would probably just need to abandon the boat in a controlled manner so you and your crew can stay together and minimize the risk of injury as the boat becomes less boat and more projectile.


Jake Kohl