I would argue that you could always right an acat not matter what the condition.

I had to help one one time and I don't recall that his mast was filled up with water. "What happend?" "Why couldn't you right that LALB?" "don't know"

Bill, that might be true, if you are anywhere near your A cat after you crash and maybe not if the mast tip is stuck in the muck.

You've outed me. I just make this stuff up to put people in harms way. C'mon man, do you really think I'm lying on this one? I'm 5'11" and about 250lbs. I right this thing solo ALL THE TIME!! With crew, I've righted it in barely over a minute from splashdown to back on the boat. It's called athleticisim! If you can't handle it, go buy a Playstation III. I was simply reffering to hauling it up the beach on my last post. If you're too big of a wuss to get yours up the beach, get in a little better shape! Hit the gym before calling me a liar. Maybe boats are just a little harder to right and move around in Thialand I guess. Next meal, instead of rice and fish, try some meat and potatos.

Good then it should be very simple to take a couple of pictures I think we could all benefit to see your awesome technique.

Yes the Thais have a fairly healthy diet. Never know but perhaps even a great big guy like you could loose some weight and improve your quality of life by eating just such a diet.

Hell mate !

In the F16 class we already qualify that amount of total weight belonging to a 2-up crew !

Lets face it your build is not to be considered normal by demographic data. You are in the top 5% of weights for US males and therefor more like the exception then the rule. You have an obessity factor of no less then 35% ! (Look up BMI index)

So what are you arguing here ? That YOU and some 4% of the others can singlehandedly right the I-20 consistantly. That still leaves 95% of the people struggling for dear life if they are not careful.

That I do call bad advice form your side.

Sorry,

Wouter

I too have handled I-20's (of friends) on the (soft sand) beaches and trailers. I sure as hell do not rate that as pleasant. We have a small incline to the beach as well and I'm fit. Still all F18 and I-20 sailors at my club use an electric winch to get the boats into the parking spaces. The F16's and A owners and one or two H16 and P16 owners are the only ones still doing it by muscle power.

I don't know what kind of level concrete slabs you guys are using at the waterfront but I too would like to envite your 250 lbs body to do the "walk of manhood" at my club !

Ask Tim Bohan for details if you don't believe me.

Wouter

Pulling the Tornado up a concrete dinghy launch ramp alone was hard enough to make me wary of taking it out alone, and I consider myself athletic. Also was ridicilously overpowered in all but the gentlest winds. I expect the I20 to be the same or even worse in both aspects. Two-up boats are just that, two up..

I can't beleive that you left your name on the bottom of that post

LEE WICKLUND everybody......... LEE WICKLUND>>>>> [Read it again and weep].....

Yep,
It's a horrible thing to post your thoughts and actually stand behind them with your name signed at the bottom...gasp.
Todd

FWIW, I'm 6'6" 240lbs, and I've righted the N20 solo.

Trey has righted his solo at 210 lbs.

Its not impossible. It is however, not pleasant to sail the boat by yourself.

Before you judge by mere weight, keep in mind that I played Pro-Football for 7 years and at that weight I ran a 4.78 second 40 yard dash. Endurance? Playing Arena Football, we had to play Offense and Defense. Being a first stringer, it wasn't uncommon for me to play EVERY snap of the football in a game. I'm sure your little walk of manhood wont be too tough for my fat butt to traverse.
BTW, we don't have any concrete slabs where I sail from, just beach or grass. Some pretty steep.
I see your point on the advice part. But I never said I expected everyone to do the same as me. When someone asks for opinions on this subject, should I just keep my experiences a secret? Enjoy your little 16 and I'll keep sailing my air craft carrier.

Okay !

That would do it, I think.

I regulary try to get it up the hill solo for kicks and it sure feels like pushing a defense made up of big boys aside for a 30+ yard stretch. Completely anaerobic and when your muscles are out of oxygen you drop to the ground without a hope to recover. In the soft sand you move ahead by 10 inches and push you feet backward through the sand another 10 inches. That in itself is mentally wrecking.

I do alot of (fast) cycling and tend to have a little more oxygen reserve in my leg muscles then most, but often enough I need help of a friend for the last few meters. But it is just up the ally of an American football defense player or rugby scrum specialist.

Best of luck overthere!

Wouter

I've righted mine solo, and I'm 5'9 and 190.

You MUST use the technique Rick White has taught in his book, Catsailing for the 90's. You sit on the low bow, wait for the boat to turn so the bows are pointing 45 off upwind and the mast and mainsail are 45 off the other side of upwind. The jib and mainsheet must be uncleted of course and the spinnaker snuffed, of course. Now, the wind will help right the boat by going under the mainsail, while you get out on the board and lean back.

Do we remember the tale from last year's Tradewinds where an Inter 20 righted ALL BY ITSELF?! With NOBODY on the boat, the wind got under the main and righted it. Proof it can be done, with NOBODY even on the boat!

As I said way back at the beginning of this way overdone thread, if the wind is right and you know what you are doing, it can be done. In light air, no way, I would need more weight. But chances of me flipping the boat in light air are slim, I would hope.

As far as moving the boat around in soft beach sand, that sucks no matter what the boat is, but obviously the heavier the boat, the harder the job. Wouter's beach is HUGE, and it's a very long drag from the water all the way up hill to the parking area. I would want help even with a light boat there. They were smart enough to install a great rope-winch system for the heavier boats.

I do like the idea of the rope winch system. Kind of like the old ski pull lifts? That's what I'm envisioning. When I had my H16 and no beach wheels, it was a bitch pulling it up the sand to high water.

putting an electric winch that powers a set of cat-trax wouldn't be that big of an engineering nightmare

They have a big drum-spool and a very long rope, run by an electric motor up at the club end. You need one person at each end, one to turn on the motor, one to lead the boat.

They just drag the rope down to the boat on the beach, the drum on freewheel, and tie it to the cat track ropes, or main beam, whatever, then turn on the winch and up she comes, at about a walking pace. The only drawback being they can only drag up one boat at a time and then take the rope back for the next boat.

It is not a closed loop system (like a ski rope tow) with another wheel on the beach, because of the huge tidal range, but that would be nice to install at a lake location where the tide won't cover it up.

How about a single handed regatta, have to bring a double handed boat, rig, right and sail yourself?

None of this sissy Tybee double handed stuff.

I think that political thread is turning him too.