About a week ago I was sailing in my usual place on the Pamlico River
and nearly capsized from a "hove to" position. I am not sure what went
wrong, as I have used the "heave to" move many times to reef the main. I
have described below what I remember of what was going on during this
event, things were a bit hectic. My hope is someone on the Potter
network can deduce what I did wrong and I will be able to avoid
repeating this scary event. Am still somewhat a novice sailor, so some
of my terms may not be correct, sorry. My P15 is named "Stressless". If
this event repeats again I may have to rename her!
I was heading up the river on a port tack(I believe this is correct
terminology for wind coming over port side). The wind was picking up
from avg. of about 8-10kts avg.(my guess) to 10-15kts, and was getting
gusty. Wind direction may also have been moving from southwest to more
southerly, or maybe moving back and forth between these two directions.
Was hard to tell due the gusts. I'd guess I was heading roughly West.
I tacked through the wind with the intent of heaving to and reefing the
main. A gust reached the boat about the time I came through the wind and
pulled the tiller tight to port side. May have been a bit tentative/slow
in pulling the tiller over-as was not clear what the wind was doing. I
continued to sit on the port side while holding the tiller over as far
as it would go on the port side-as I waited for the boat to stabilize in
the "hove to" condition.( After it stabilizes, I lock the tiller down
with the tiller tamer and proceed to reef.) I have done this many times
and was used to the boat falling off the wind(ie; the bow swinging
downwind) before it would stop and oscillate back. It has always come
back before; even though it sometimes seems like it never will.
Well this time it did not come back! The bow continued to turn downwind,
and the boat heeled way over to port. Next thing I knew I was standing
on the starboard cockpit seat, apparently and instinctive move. I think
I had let go of the tiller or may have pulled it toward starboard as I
stood. Things were getting a bit hairy at this point, and I thought we
were going in the drink. But the bow continued to swing around downwind
and before I knew it we were heading downwind in a hurry. Even going
downwind the boat was hard to handle and I nearly lost control of her a
few more times as gusts and shifts hit. Finally there was a break in the
wind and I pulled the main down and caught my breath. I sailed for
another 30min with just the jib.
What did I do wrong?
Was I too tentative on getting the tiller to port? Should I have moved
to the starboard seat as the bow came through the wind?(I stay on the
port seat to hold the tiller over tight until I can use the tiller
tamer-but could do from starboard side).
Any thoughts on what went wrong and how to avoid in the future would be
very much appreciated! Sorry this is so long winded.
Regards,
Carl Huber, P15 #1313, "Stressless", Greenville,NC
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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