I sail a Nacra 5.2 solo quite a bit and I haven't even come close to stuffing a bow. However, I sail on the bay with minimal chop and in medium air, I sail it unirigged while solo. Without the jib, the problem for me is keeping the bows down. They are very bouyant.

-Rob V.
Panama City

-Rob V.
Panama City

As I was learning to sail my first boat-a P16 I discovered that having the jib in a few clicks too tight would do the trick. After this epiphany I found I could pitchpole at will to send my crew around the forestay just to see the look on their face as they spun around the jib. No one ever got a scratch.

Did not pitchpole here... The pic looks like we are stuffing a bow but we are actualy surfing down a wave. See attached next pic of the series. We did go over sideways later on down the track after a bullet got us from over the breakwater.

She was blowing (typical Sail Melbourne) 25 to 30 + with waves beween 2 an 3 meters. I am sitting on the tramp steering te wobbly ship

Attached is a pic of us going upwind in at Sail Melbourne the previous year with a full Club Marine colours flying.

Pic courtesy of Australian Sailing.

Thats not stuffing it in, this is stuffing it in! www.catsailor.com/forums/showflat.p...ew=&sb=5&o=&fpart=1&vc=1 And before you all ask, no it didn't tip over, it was actualy quite happy to continue along like this until I backed off. But if I had been on trapeze it would have been all over.

How often do I pitchpole, I could say never as we don't use that description, we call it a cartwheel. I believe I have only ever done a couple of proper ones. But if you count being thrown forward from trapeze in a capsize.

When practicing I probably do it every time it's over 15 kts. you don't know where the limit is until you reach it.

But racing is a different matter, maybe once a season.

Regards Gary.

The Dart 18 a couple of times (many moons ago)
The Dart 15 once
The Hurricanes never without the kite up, twice with kite up; one mega wipeout with both out on the wire; big gust, bearoff and survive, but it had a mate with bigger fists !

The 17 3 times, always becasue of too much plate down...

I have a 1987 Supercat 19. Still getting used to it as my first catamaran. Any anvise on how to right it? My wife and I have tip over twice in three years and could not get it up without help from a boat. Pat

I've pitchpoled my G-Cat 5.7M once. We were cruising south on the Gulf side of Egmont Key on a broad reach. I looked back and saw a gust coming and warned my crew. When it hit I turned straight downwind but the crew couldn't get the jib to uncleat. It was a hell of a gust- biggest of the day. The boat went VERTICLE! Completely stopped in half it's length and submerged to the mast beam. Catapulted my crew (who never puts his feet under the hiking straps) a good distance ahead of the boat. I had my feet under the straps and grabbed ahold of a foot loop behind me and stayed put. Once up in the air, I pulled my feet out and slid feet-first down the tramp into the mast, and rolled into the sail. The boat settled over on it's side as my crew came swimming back. We righted it quickly and had a good trip back.

Nothing puts the brakes on faster than a front trampoline!

There are lots of techniques to right a cat. The most important part is to stop the mast from filling with water. Be absolutely sure that your mast is waterproof (dump it in water and look for air bubbles escaping).
Second, before you try to right it, release both the mainsheet cleat and traveller.
If you are to light to right your boat now, with a common righting line, you need to use the wind to help you. If you have windsurfed, it's a lot like doing a water-start. Send your wife to the bow, so the boat positions itself with the bow 45 degrees to the wind. Lean far out on the righting line, and the wind will come under the sail and help you right the boat (I am able to right our Tornado myself if assisted by the wind this way and the boat is positioned right).
If you still are unable to right your boat, even with help of the wind, you need a solo~right or perhaps a power-pole. You can get a power-pole trought the store on this site. The Solo~right is a mythical product not made anymore, but it would have been perfect for you. Google for "Gary Friesen" and Solo~right, and you can probably find some information about how the Solo~right works.

Please be careful, sailing a catamaran without being able to right it can be quite dangerous!

Pitchpoling or cartwheeling, if you do it on the wire you are what we call Peter Pan. If your a girl then Tinker Bell.

Reguarding the Super Cat 19- I have a 84 model and the previous owner opted for the shroud lengthening option. It allows much easer righting by lengthening the top shroud quickly by pulling a pin. The shroud is easily shortened once righted- I hear not having capsized yet- anyone with experience- I wonder why more boats don't have this option?

Do you have a picture of the shroud extender? I think its a great safety feature.

One reason these are not more common...many cats do not have a captive mast base. There is a chance the foot will slip off the beam when the shroud in lengthened. Another issue with extenders...how do you reach the high side shroud to pull the pin out? I'ts real problem with the 10 ft beam boats (Tornado etc.).

Mike.

The beam is only about 8 and I have an 8' reach so I assume I can get it. The previous owner was much shorter than me and he liked it a lot. Unfortunately my boat is not nearby so I can't take a picture- but maybe Matt from the Aquaruis boat forum will read this and suppy one. John R.

I believe the shroud extender kit included a tie down that went on the base of the mast to keep the mast from coming out of the socket. I sail an H-16 and that could otherwise be a problem.

Do you sail on Jordan or Kerr? I am in W-S and use both.

Howard

I added one of these gizmos to my P19(#106) and it does work; makes righting a little easier, though I still can't right it solo. That was my aim, just did'nt work out that way.

Jimbo