Skipper and I were having a discussin about capsizing the Sailfish and being able to get back on, part of our exercise program objectives. There is some trickery and finesse involved to get back on without using a lot of muscle. So we decided to take ZSA ZSA out and play capsize for a while. We also decided to change ZSA ZSA's name, it never really fit her.
I was doing good getting the boat ready, just need to pick it up a notch.
Skipper went out first on ZSA ZSA to sail her backwards and wash the old name off of the transom.
Video link: https://youtu.be/nhL6vJXutAE
Video link: https://youtu.be/QcYwwgbhKYU
Video link: https://youtu.be/wi7QmI3ctrE
We splashed water on the bow and christened the boat TRACKER, named after Capn Jack's favorite Navy airplane, the Grumman S-2F Tracker.
Found out a few things while messing about off and on boats, Learning Lessons for Sailfish Capsize recovery. I capsized TRACKER in shallow water by grabbing the halyard while I was in the water and slowly pulling the boat over. Made sure the sheet was clear, Skipper suggests throwing the sheet over to the recovery side so you have it in hand as needed. Made sure the daggerboard was in and swam up to the bow to pull her into the wind (See Addendum below about installing a daggerboard retaining line to keep the board nearby). Had limited success with turning her but the wind was light. Once she started righting I could grab the close handrail.
Tried to swim her into the wind again.
Success.
Midships boarding was no go for me, she rolled back over. Someone more fit may be able to hook a foot and scamble back on quick.
Skipper's next suggestion, grab the mast and pull aboard that way. That worked.
Feet and legs make good sea anchors if you need to slow things down a bit.
This is a good sailing spot for me, at 200 pounds of movable ballast, bow up, stern slightly depressed.
Another favorite sailing position. Sailfish are fun to lounge on and ghost around, they need very little wind.
Good time to practice sculling.
Video link: https://youtu.be/UNwhb5tDPk4
I got back onboard twice back by the stern, I was surprised how well she floated.
Video link: https://youtu.be/9a2rE88ws8Y
I rested a few minutes and reboarded from the stern one more time, that time I pushed the tiller out of the way for a better grip on the rubrail.
Here is another option, I could sail back to shore hanging on to the stern. I read an article where a sailor had done that who had a medical event while attempting to reboard his dinghy, held on to the rudder and sheet and got back to shore safely. It works and it is fun.
Video link: https://youtu.be/Lt9zFIGJBrE
ADDENDUM: 14 Jul 20:
The daggerboard on the Sunfish and Sailfish is an important element of capsize recovery, after a capsize the first thing to do is make sure the sheet is clear and then check that the daggerboard is fully inserted. A retaining line was added to the Alcort Fish in the mid 1960s so that folks don't have to go swimming after the daggerboard, it was a small diameter line that tied through a 1/4 inch hole on one of the daggerboard cleats and secured at the other end to an eyestrap on the deck just forward of the daggerboard trunk.
We added a line to PHOENIX, used 1/8th inch diameter Dacron cord from New England Ropes, sold by West Marine in 50 foot packs back near their line wall. Tied with a bowline on each end.
Log of TRACKER.
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