Pitchpole injuries?

Well, after a slightly violent pitchpole this week, my crew has two scraped arms and a bruise the size of a softball on his hip. (I came out fine since I landed on him--that's what crew is for, right? <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />) Anyway, it got me to wondering what the worst injury anyone here has sustained (or seen sustained by crew) when pitchpoling. Anyone care to share?

I girl broke her toe on my boat once. I got caught in the return shockcord. Other than that just some bruises.

My crew once broke his rib on the shroud. He was a newbie out for his first sail on a multi (with little to no sailing experience at all)and wasn't out on the wire. I f'ed up by not realizing how windy it was out of the lee of the beach we launched from. Anyway, we pitchpoled, he flew into the shroud with his flank and cracked a rib. It wasmy all time worst day on the water as this was/is one of my best friends in the world.

I once slammed my hip into the trailing edge of the daggerboard whilst pitchpoling and could barely walk due to the softball sized welt raised on my hip. That hurt for weeks.

Other than that, just your typical bumps and bruises.

I was sailing as crew for a friend on a Prindle 19. Heavy air, rounded the weather mark so fast that he flew away from the boat only holding onto the tiller. This caused the boat to pitchpole. He was on the wire and was swung around and hit the mast, which broke his neck. Foretunely it did not sever his spinal cord. He spent 6 months in a halo, he had to give up sailing (cats anyway). However he was very lucky and is not paralyzed.

Last summer I was filming people fly the hull over my head and thought it was so cool I had to do it. I knew in the back of my mind this was the PERFECT opportunity for something to go wrong.

I gave the camera to someone else and jumped on my cat. I sailed past the camera with barley enough wind to get the hull up. As I turned around for another pass... I hooked up to the trap wire hoping for a puff. I did not go out on the wire, but was ready.

I passed the camera without wind to fly and then a puff hit me and lifted the hull. As I pushed the tiller away from me to head up.... the extended tiller simply collapsed. Then as a desperate move to avoid capsizing, I pushed off with my feet to go out on the hull, my foot slipped down the trampoline and whoosh, over I went.

Well I was still hooked to the wire, hanging momentary until it unclipped. Somehow I fell onto the lower shroud wire…yup you guessed it… between the legs! SOMEHOW…. It only hurt a little. It is true I had a few drinks in me but it was really only my pride that was hurt. I had just capsized in front of a few dozen people on the island, and worst of all it was caught on film!!!

And now for your viewing pleasure… (I have no shame) - YouTube Video

Holy crap.....

Broken rib

Back in 1975 I used to take tourists out for rides on a Hobie 14. US$10/hour. Had just convinced a potential customer that you only flip if you're careless, or don't know what you're doing. He said he'd try it after lunch. That was about 90 mins away, so I figure I could get-in another trip before then. I pushed off the beach to go prospecting and was just slumming sitting comfortable on the trampoline looking down when a strong hit me. The 14 took off. It went up quickly on one side and then before I could react to release the the mainsheet, it dove-in deep. You know how those 14s and 16s don't like to come out of the hole. Before I knew it, both rudders came up and over we (hobie and I) went, nose first. I got long gash on my right thigh from hitting one of the stays, but I'm not sure which. It was violent and bloody. Needless the say, my potential customer saw the whole thing. I wonder why he didn't show up for the 12:30 appointment. I could have explained the whole thing favorably. Honest.

All it takes is killing 1 person accidentally without insurance or a premit and I bet you would rethink the value of your $10/hour rate.

Sailing at Rio Vista 2 heavy weights on a h-18 pitched and took the ride arround the bow. My harness stayed connected and as the boat turtled in the current and wind began dragging me under. I had to undo my life jacket to relieve the force on the trap handle. Then I sprang free from about 2 feet under. I almosy became a statistic that day and got new traps right away.

During the Annapolis to Oxford race last year a N-20 drove into the back of wave at high speed. The crew flew into the trailing edge of the daggerboard and suffered a major injury to his lower leg (initially reported as a compound fracture, in fact a cut and peel of tissue down to the bone along the front of his shin. That apparently happened through his drysuit and under clothing.

Ouch!

$10/hr

1975 was a very different time.

I have been waiting to hear this story. I knew it had to be out there. I am never raising my boards again!

Boat nearly pitch poled, crew flew across the trampolin and hit something with her cheekbone. It was not broken, but she got a huge black eye and a scar as souvenir, still better than a lost eye. She sailed again with me... tough girl. Maybe I was more shocked than her.

Cheers,

Klaus

I used to not sail with sunglasses because it always irritated me whenever any water got on them. Now I alwasy wear them for protection reasons. A lot of high tension stuff flying around and eyeballs are difficult to repair. Trey also helped me with this decision.

I think this is an important aspect, as somebody in our fleet suffered a pretty severe injury to the eye from a flying trap dogbone. I was surprised to see how few eye wear models have any kind of impact resistance. The sunglasses themselves could be the thing that causes the injury.

I think most "name brand" (whatever that means <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> ) glasses have some level of impact protection. I guess I can't back that up with any data though.

I've started to look at the packaging specifically for this. It's interesting to note that, for instance, a lot of goggles designed for PWC use have no impact resistance. In looking into to this I figured that given a PWC's performance that impact resistance would be a good thing in goggle. Apparently not. I notice my Barz state impact resistance, but the Dirty Dogs I've been wearing for awhile would most likely push the lens into my eye if it took a hit. In fact I lost one of the lens in a minor whack during a capsize. Just something to look at and consider. (and yes I do own a PWC...)

I've almost thought that buying a pack of shaded polarized work shade from Home Depot might be a good solution - impact resistance, and cheap (don't worry about losing them, just grab another out of the pack).

Lacerations on my left thigh after being thrown against the mast when pitchpoling downwind.

Ruptured eardrum after hitting water at an awkward angle during A mark rounding.

That was 1975 on a tiny Caribbean island. Back then nobody got sued for anything. Even now, I'd bet all those wave runner operators don't have liability insurance.

Starboard bow buried and I went for a slide down the tramp. My right arm went under the starboard hiking strap up to my armpit. Fortunately, the plastic washer holding the knot under the tramp broke and the hiking strap let go. Otherwise I think my arm would have stayed with the boat. As it was, I just got a really dandy bruise all around that armpit.

I know someone who had to have stitches in his butt when he came down very heavily on the corner casting of a Hobie 16 <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />

Gareth

My daughter has the bruise on her inner leg after a nose dive didn't capsize just dead stop.and she went into side stay
But the other story is that when going wild thing,the crew sitting low with the hand on the deck if the hand slides forward it has been known to slice the hand open (the webbing between the fingers )on the side stays in a volient nosedive pitchpole
Regards Richard

Took a dogbone on the cheek this weekend at GYC, luckily was wearing my sunglasses which protected my eyes, but had to explain the bruise on my cheek quite a few times this week (especially to my students!).

my crew at MW was crawling under the boom on a tack and I kicked him forward a little (not a lot of room and I hate being crowded at the back) and he hit his forehead on the rotator!

That will learn him!

nah, didn't work out too well because we had to actually chill for a few minutes so I could convince him he wasn't bleeding <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

<img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> So, what did you tell them!

Domestic incident! <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" /> just kidding...But there is nothing like a few war stories to keep students engaged!

rogue breeze catches boat under big bridge...launched 97lb Girlfriend onto the main... prevented the dump by rounding up fast, but boat fell hard, nearly launching GF into the drink screaming.

Apart from the emotional wounds, just the usual shroud rashes...

She married me anyway, but wont allow me to sail fast with her anymore...

Hobie 20, Miami Key Largo, beam reach doing 20 and we stuff it. I was crew and went bare foot skiing whie still attaced to the hook, Tom, skipper, slid forward on his bare feet until he hit the shroud at the deck level. I continued skiing and pulled the boat over as I flew around to the leeward side.
His foot has never been the same and he now wears shoes.

crew had his knee impaled on the mast ration spanner. The spanner lodged under his kneecap and he had to be assisted to pull the leg free

I remember Olympian Mitch Booth had to undergo surgery for a lacerated kidney/severe back injury after slamming into a raised centreboard.

h-18 went over, i put my hand out to brace against hitting the shroud. hand and body ended up out board of the shroud. sliding down the shroud. the friction "burned" a slice across my the palm of my hand. not a lot of blood. had treat it as if was a burn "welts" pain for weeks.

Ok, these stories aren't encouraging for me to get back into cat sailing.

Catsailors are NOT pansies <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" /> We get banged up. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" /> I broke my wrist this summer and thought I was just bruised <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> BUT flying on a screaming reach or chute in a blow makes it worth it (GRIN)!!!!!

Doug

Seems to me that there were/are a lot of catsailors who take serious risks by NOT using chicken lines. BAD on yer! Cost? Next to nothing but prevents most pitchpoles.

some boats don't lend themselves to chicken lines though.
hard to rig one on my boat because if you run even a line to the transom it isn't far enough back. If I am at the transom and am hooked to a chicken line tied there then when the bow dives I just get ground into the hull and I go over.

Two months ago my son & I pitchpoled my H16. He was traped out & got the bungy sling around the forestay. I went forward striking my left knee on the base of the mast,thought I broke my kneecap. He was laughing so hard it got me laughing even though I could bearly move my left leg. We pitched so fast I had no time to respond. In retrospect it was funny, inspite of the pain we both laughed
about it & still think it was one of the funniest sailing experinces we've had.

They do make it sound as though sailing has gotten more extreme in recent years. Some people seem to think the "danger" aspect will draw more converts to catamarans --especially young people. I guess time will tell. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

I know it sure doesn't turn on most women.

Anyway, I think injuries are the exception rather than the norm -- sort of like car accidents. It's just that accidents make more interesting reading. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

How do you rig this?

Regarding the chicken line, maybe this thread will help:
http://www.catsailor.com/forums/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=56820&an=0&page=7

I don't understand what they are doing now as far as chicken lines, and we never used one, but back when we were sailing Hobies, I thought it was just a sort of slack rope from the front beam to the aft beam, and when you were out on the trapeze, you held onto that rope so you wouldn't go flying forward if the boat nosedived. I don't know if it was kept more taut somehow (when you weren't using it) with bungee cord somewhere or what. Like I said, we never used one. But the basic idea is to have a rope attached to the front and back of the boat that you can hold onto to keep from flying forward, or to help hold you to the boat while you are trapezing.

Anyway, that is the general idea and purpose, no matter how it is set up.

Mary:

We only tried in once in the 29 years I have been sailing. After that we just kept the back leg a little flexed and the front stiff. You are ready for a sudden stuff that way. No problem for me and crew when i had one.

Doug

A gal in my sailing club tells about the time, after several weekends of racing where she got some typical scrapes and bruises, she returned to her locker at her health club to find a brochure stuck in the door for a spouse-abuse shelter, with a hand-written note "Please call these people. They CAN help you!"

Has any one tried wearing raquetball eye protectors? Or is there risk of the eye protection causing injury here?

I know someone who sailed wearing a bike helmet. They're light weight and will give you some head protection.

D Ho
TheMightyHobie18 1067

Awhile back when I first took the wings of my 18 I left the pin-down brackets (that are attached to the beam to hull bolts) on so I could put the wings back on quickly. My wife and are were out for sail, she's on the wire, the boat takes a wave and she loses her footing, rotating forward and slamming her upper thigh/hip into the end of the forward beam where the wing bracket was. Left the nastiest multi-colored bruise all up and down her hip and thigh that took a long time to go away. After that I was always worried that she'd have a doctor appointment or something and somebody would notify the authorities for a spouse abuse case... I could just hear the conversation - "it happened sailing", "sure, that's ok, we can still help..."

A little off topic so sorry for the hijak. After a freak accident involving my elbow and my wifes nose...yes it was broken....and no it was on accident, we went to the hospitol where she was repeatedly asked if she needed to talk to someone. Those silly nurses...if anyone in our house is likely to be phisically abused its me, cuz my wife can kick my butt.

no one believes me when i tell them my sweet little 5'1" girlfriend did 2 tours in Iraq as a marine... she has never "unleashed the beast" om me (YET) but i have learned not to take her out on the cat when i am trying new things (like a spinnaker)....

" I could just hear the conversation - "it happened sailing", "sure, that's ok, we can still help..."

<img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />
very similar conversation had my wife when our kid fall on lego cube .doctor isisted and ask her twice what happend, when was asked third time she say to dr. you dont have to make judgeds on others if this is what is happening in your family.he shut up imediatly-the dr.
i hope you understand <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

As kids by brother had fallen off of a cyclone fence and gave himself a good scrape on his back. Two days later while my parents were out of town I broke his arm for him while we were wrestling on their bed. The hospital promptly called the police after his examination. It took a call to our regular pediatrician who said "One of the Casey boys broke his arm? I always wondered how long before one of them broke a limb as much as they rough house." The matter went no further.

Thanks for the reference to F18s, Mary. That system is great for attachment to the rear beam. We always used bungeed Hawaiian style righting lines on H16 and H18s: this is a W arrangement (with knots) on each side of the boat, with the center of the V restrained to the back of the boat with a blocked-bungee return to the front crossbar.
There has to be a reference to this somewhere in the archives.
This Hawaiian Style chicken line saved a lot of unhappy crews, by limiting pitchpoles back in the day of big, superb racing fleets in Florida, and nasty bruises too, trust me. When your crew trusts you (note for Doug Snell in TX), they continue to crew.