Boating and Sailing.pdf - Moja ladja

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Part 7: Sailing, Sailing …
3. The skipper should get on the centerboard as quickly as possible to keep the boat
floating sideways. This frees up the crew to search for the jib sheet from the “low
side,” or the side in the water. If the centerboard is high enough to stand or sit on,
climb on up! If the centerboard floats well above the water, hanging on and working
your upper body up should be enough.
Make sure the main sheet is off. Chances are this may be why you capsized to begin
with, so make sure the mainsail is free.
4. Once the crew has located the jib sheet, they should throw it over the hull to the
skipper standing, sitting, or hanging from the centerboard. This provides the extra
leverage to get the boat all the way upright. It takes a major pull to make the sail
come clear of the water—don’t be delicate.
5. The crew can now move into the middle of the boat hanging on lightly to the centerboard
case, being careful not to put their full weight on it. This is called the
“scoop position” because as the skipper rights the boat, the crew is “scooped” up
into the interior. As the boat is mostly upright, the crew can help by kicking their
legs and shifting their weight.
It’s important that the skipper not right the boat until the crew is in the scoop position.
If your crew is in the boat when it comes up, they can get the boat under control
and keep it from capsizing again. Skippers should keep communicating with
their crew.
If the boat comes up with no one in the scoop position, or if the crew doesn’t make
it in, don’t panic. Just hoist one person into the boat as soon as possible to get it
under control.
Boat Bytes
Small sailboats often get
very wet, even if they don’t
capsize. If you carry equipment
abroad that can be
damaged by water or that
could sink if the boat turns
over—cameras, portable GPS or
VHF, and so on—protect it in
sealed, watertight bags tied to
the boat or secured in latched
compartments.
6. The crew in the boat can now assist the skipper in
getting back on the boat. The best way is to bring
them in is over the stern (if possible). If you have
difficulty getting them in, reverse the mainsheet
through it’s cleat, tie a bowline as a foot strap,
and hang it over the back of the boat. But keep in
mind that some boats will turn downwind if someone
in the water is holding on to the stern, and
that will cause the mainsail to fill even if the sheet
is uncleated. Therefore in some conditions it
might be better to pull crew back aboard up by
the windward shrouds.
7. If it is very windy and the boat blows right over
again as soon as you right it, do not keep trying