Catter,
<br>
<br>1. thanks to all the tips.
<br>2. what a great forum!
<br>3. I am purchasing a 'righting bag",...at a theoretical weight of 250 pounds (...water is 8 pounds a gallon..)..plus my weight,..there is NO way 450+- pounds will not right her!!!
<br>4. As a solo sailer,..I will use the sea anchor idea from Phill,.. so I just do not have to mess around with getting the the boat perpendicular to the wind,....which is my biggest chore,...,...let a little science work for me,...right? So, while the sea anchor is working,..I will deplot the water bag...cool.
<br>5. All your cautions are right,...in the wind and waves we sail in down here,..one must stay with the boat ALL the time,...I have had the pleasure of being separated from a flipped cat,..I could not swim fast enough to catch up to it either....and when the chase boat got me,...we were DSQ.
<br>6. Flipping is apart of the boats we race,....right!
<br>
<br>Once again,....thanks to all!
<br>
<br>Bruce
<br>
<br>St. Croix
<br>
<br>US Virgin Islands<br><br>

Brobru,
<br>
<br>Well, I spent a lot of time turned over yesterday in Panama City!
<br>
<br>The first capsize was done while going to weather while going over to the leward side to put the centerboard down in about 15 knots of wind or so.
<br>
<br>I was able to right the boat quickly, which was a good thing since a huge concrete base with an electrical tower atop it was straight downwind from me (and coming quickly).
<br>
<br>I through the righting line out of the bag (it goes through the grommet and ties to the post for the dolphin striker), over the boat and only had to get out partially on the dagarboard to righ the boat. The mast was pointed right in to the wind, I didn't try to get it to a 45, and leaned out and she came right over.
<br>
<br>Incident number two happened with the spinnaker flying heading downwind. I drove the boat further down and attempted to dump some chute, but the boat was going over no matter what I did (it was gusting 20 or so at this point).
<br>
<br>Luckily Mark Smith had given me the advice of snuffing the chute before you try to right the boat if I was to capsize with the spinnaker out. It took me quite a while to snuff it, in fact I only got about 2/3rds of it in the bag before I gave up.
<br>
<br>I was tooling along about 10 knots on the side so I was actually quite worried that I would become seperated from the boat. I tossed the righting line over and leaned out...the boat didn't want to come over. I stood up on the forward bow and the boat got closer to a 45 and then you have to QUICKLY get back in position to right the boat. The boat came back over without too much effort once a little wind got under the sail.
<br>
<br>I had made one mistake: I had replaced the righting line supplied by the dealer with one 12' long...BIG MISTAKE! I didn't quite have enough line to really get out with some leverage...and also to be able to tie a loop in the line, hook it to my harness and lean out more...off to West Marine for 15' of line before next weekend!
<br>
<br>So, at least for the Inter17R, one 175-180 lb. person can fairly easily right it from my experience...at least in 15 knot winds, I don't know how much harder it would be with lighter winds (I'll let you know!).
<br>
<br>I don't know if you have the U with the aluminum mast or the R with the carbon mast.
<br>
<br>I am curious as to what other single-handed sailors have to say about attaching some sort of life line to themselves and the boat in case of a capsize in high winds/seas. There was absolutely no way I would have been able to catch the boat if it would have gotten away from me.
<br>
<br>ScaredyCat<br><br>

Sounds like you got it together though.
<br>
<br>I have the I 17 'normal',..which means aluminum mast. But with my weight,..230 pounds wet with gear,....man shw should pop up!
<br>
<br>It was a rarw Caribbean light wind day when it happened.
<br>
<br>Is getting out on the board a
<br>must do'?.,....I feel those things flex on me so I stay away from them,....mistake?
<br>
<br>regards,
<br>
<br>Bruce
<br>
<br>St. Croix<br><br>

I've sailed an I 17 R probably more than most and flipped as much as others until I finally mastered the 17 in heavy air. The only time I couldn't right the boat was a time that the wind was very light, I had the chute up, was standing on the leeward hull and flipped in only about 3 - 5 kts.
<br>I had no wind to he;p me right the boat and had to seek help.
<br>Luckily my son (also on a 17 R) was there grabbed my masthead and threw it in the air. Otherwise the 17 R should be rightable in nearly all conditions.
<br>
<br>I'm 5' 11" and 175 lbs.
<br>
<br>Maui Mark
<br>USA 100
<br>2000 I 17 R Nat. Champ <br><br>

I stood maybe 6 inches out on the daggerboard during the first righting and had to get all the way out on one at the second righting to get it started up. As I mentioned, I think if my righting line would have been a bit longer I would have been able to get enough moment from 6 inches out, but due to the fact I couldn't lay completely back I had to get way out on the board.
<br>
<br>SC<br><br>

Mark,
<br>
<br>thanks for the input, congrats on the championship too!
<br>
<br>
<br>Bruce
<br>
<br>st. Croix
<br>
<br><br><br>

SC,
<br>
<br>Thanks for the sccop,.....it looks like the rest is up to me....
<br>
<br>
<br>Bruce<br><br>

BroBru,
<br>
<br>I think ir would really be best if I came to St. Croix and "crashed" at your place for a couple of weeks so we could work out this righting problem!
<br>
<br>SC<br><br>

For I notice that all the sailors able to right their I 17's have carbon masts. I'm not saying that the Aluminium masted !-17 can't be righted, I haven't sailed the I-17 yet. But I'm quite sure that this aspect is a contributor in this problem which is repeately overlooked.
<br>
<br>Brobu may a righting sack is enough to help you out ?
<br>
<br>Wouter<br><br>