fun little sailboat video

[peckus]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VGMhrRqub8

 

[TerryMSU]

Re: fun little sailboat video

This was a pitchpole. Fairly common. Relatively easy to avoid IF you are experienced enough to know what is up. What causes it is when the tip of the hull ducks under the surface of the water. The drag on the hull goes way up and the hull stops. The mast and sail does not do so. To avoid
it shift the weight backward on the boat to lift the front end of the hull. I once flipped it the same way right in front of the yacht club when I was planning on racing in my first race the next day. I also turtled it (mast straight down) but my mast got stuck in the mud. We had to dis-mast the boat under water and then pull it (the mast) out of the muck. By the way, the Hobie can flip in ANY direction given the right circumstances. I know that by experience. The pitch pole is by far the most dangerous way to flip due to the fact that it happens so fast. All the other directions are relatively slow.

TerryMSU

 

[peckus]

Re: fun little sailboat video

This was a pitchpole. Fairly common. Relatively easy to avoid IF you are experienced enough to know what is up. What causes it is when the tip of the hull ducks under the surface of the water. The drag on the hull goes way up and the hull stops. The mast and sail does not do so. To avoid
it shift the weight backward on the boat to lift the front end of the hull. I once flipped it the same way right in front of the yacht club when I was planning on racing in my first race the next day. I also turtled it (mast straight down) but my mast got stuck in the mud. We had to dis-mast the boat under water and then pull it (the mast) out of the muck. By the way, the Hobie can flip in ANY direction given the right circumstances. I know that by experience. The pitch pole is by far the most dangerous way to flip due to the fact that it happens so fast. All the other directions are relatively slow.

TerryMSU

i actually was filming this go down, my friend was the captain with 2 people that had never been on a sailboat of any kind before. The wind was up pretty good that day. I also know you can flip that boat in any direction LOL, this is the first time I saw it turtle though.

 

[ziggy]

Re: fun little sailboat video

i don't know if i'd call it pitchpoleing. http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/pitchpole
the second definition is the way i understand it. being chased down by a following wave, stuffing the bow into the trough of the waves, resulting in end over end....
i think it's just a person learning to sail and a case of learning how to not stuff the bow for a fast stop, and the results of such shenanigans...... not that i sail..... so feel free to correct me...

 

[12vMan]

Re: fun little sailboat video

That was a Hobie 16 pitchpole, alright. I've had a little experience with this racing them for over 10 years.

I was always in deep enough water to avoid the mast-in-the-mud when we turtled, though.

Notice how the person was pitched into the water? That's because H16's are only set up for 2 people, and the other 2 were probably hooked up to the trap harness.. 3 adults are a heavy load for a 16, which makes the boat more prone to a pitchpole in a good wind because the down hull is already deep in the water because of the weight.

 

[dodgeramsst2003]

Re: fun little sailboat video

Funny thing is I was out on Lake Erie about 7 years ago and saw something strange floating in the water. It was a boat just like that on its side. The guy was by himself and couldn't get it back upright. I threw him a line and flipped him back. He said he wasn't to worried as the wind was pushing him towards shore. I'm not sure how long it takes to float 3 miles back but I don't want to find out.