Flipped my TheMightyHobie18 for first time ever. I was sailing solo and a looming tropical storm had the sound kicked up to around 20kts. Stuck the rig in the mud in about 8 ft of water.



I was able to get the rig back to the surface but when I walked out to the bows, the boat never turned into the wind like the book says, so I pulled the main down and hiked out on the righting line, grabbing hold of the dolphin striker as the boat righted. Here is where the real fun begins. The boat starts heading downwind at around 5 knots with me holding on to the dolphin striker, like Indiana Jones under a truck. I finally made my way over the cross bar and found the tillers and hiking stick trailing behind the boat tracking a nice steady course.



What should I have done to make this a more pleasent experience?

You could have...



...popped open a Corona from your hopefully still attached on-board ice chest of course!



...taken along an attractive female crew-member to help out either righting the boat or for company on the deserted island you may have washed up on!



Mark

uncleat the jib after you let down the main, then have your attractive female crew member pop you a corona.



I just had to be reminded that the big stick is supposed to stay pointing up...then found out that my new (to me) s/c17 has no righting line...had to float it in to shore. I got to drink my corona while sitting on the ama & floating:-)

That 'd happen to me a couple of times... What I do is to hook the righting line to my harness; when the boat comes over , and want to sail w/o you, you'll be attached to the boat at the best place ; right next to the rudders so you can point the boat to the wind... then had your Corona...



…That’s just an extra safety precaution that I take when righting the boat … You should avoid what cause that problem in the first place,. which is try rigth the boat with the wind coming from where the mast is pointing or lower (ei, aft )



Jaime

Hummer,

Nothing personal, but how did you right a H-18 by yourself? Had a few corona's under your belt have you? Nice job on the Indiana Jones maneuver!



Davey,

I never had a righting line for years on my boat. Yes, I capsized my share. I always used the jib line for a righting line. Yes it sheets the jib, but it works! Be creative.

At 180 lbs dry it did take a bit of a hike to get the bot verticle again. Without getting the bow pointed into the wind, I could not right the boat without dropping the main.



I was wondering if a drogue set off the bow would help in this situation.



BTW The search and rescue were there and stood by after I told them I was OK and had things under control. I sure they had a nice laugh when I got the boat righted with me hanging under the tramp. Also a side note, the attractive female refused to go out in these conditions and did have a Corona waiting for me dockside. Life is still good!

You don't mention whether the jib was still out, or whether you were sailing with it. Even unsheeted, the jib would tend to sail the boat downwind and keep it sailing downwind without the main to add balance. So, furling the jib would have helped alot IMO.

I tried to roller furl the jib but it was a mess, wet and upsidedown. You are correct that unsheeted it will still sail downwind, even partly furled.



I think the small drogue would have been a big help. I already have one for my keel boat and it weighs almost nothing.

Todd,

I appreciate the words of wisdom....the brutal truth is that i was feeling sorry for myself as i had neglected to secure the top of my small cooler and was only able to rescue 1 corona from the deep six, so i was moping about my sunken suds instead of trying to find a creative way to upright my cat. I'm pretty new to sailing so i'm sure i'll have the chance to try the jib line technique before long.



Hummer...glad everything worked out, my wife wouldn't go w/me that day either. Do you suppose there's a lesson there somewhere? Maybe a stronger sense of self preservation?

Short answer:

Your mast was stuck in the mud preventing the boat from turning into the wind and the boat went down wind after being righted because you had a jib and no main. Next time drink all of the corona before sailing and take a woman to help right the boat. Just the answer you were looking for

Davey,



What a crisis!!





You lost the beer! j/k, glad you were allright.

I assume that prior to dropping the mainsail that you had gotten the boat lying on it's side (mast now floating instead of stuck down in the mud in a 'semi-turtle' position). I've sometimes gone to the end of the mast and swum the end around until the boat is pointing into the wind. After a capsize, I usually get to the end of the mast quickly to try and avoid a turtle if it's not already to late. I then swim the boat around so that the wind is blowing at 45 degrees to the bows (into the V shaped by the bows and the mast). A small direction correction might need to be made once you get on the waterborn hull. I think it's amazing that you were able to right that boat solo and without the sail! A major reason for pointing the bows into the wind is so the sail can catch the wind and fly like an airplane wing. Cool.



The reason the boat took off downwind is because your main sail was down. Even pointed into the wind, sailing with the jib only will turn the nose down and run downwind.