Knockdown

Recovering from a 'Knockdown'

During the National Championship at Glenelg I paid the price of ignoring my own advice on how to successfully negotiate the sandbar at Glenelg and after 16 years with no problems I capsized.

After the initial embarrassment of making a spectacle of myself had worn off, I reflected on what had happened and except for the mistake which caused the capsize, I was pleased that the technique we used to right the boat verified the method that I had described previously in newsletter articles.

The error that I made in negotiating the sandbar was that I came in too square to the waves and possibly had the crew weight too far forward. We picked up a wave which allowed us to surf across the bar but the shallow water caused the rudder to partially kick up. The amount of rudder remaining in the water is normally enough to maintain steerage but when the next wave caught us, the crew weight forward caused the bow to dig in and the stern to lift, causing the rudder to clear the water. Because we were square to the wave, with no steerage, the boat had the opportunity go either way. If, as per my advice to others, we had been on a slight angle to starboard (the boat was on starboard tack) the boat would have automatically rounded up to starboard which would have allowed us to use our weight to flatten the boat and regain control when the rudder was back in the water. Unfortunately the boat turned to leeward and with no rudder to compensate and our weight on the wrong side, the boat flipped on to its side. The mast tip hit the sandbar transforming the wind indicator into a decidedly second hand piece of aluminium and plastic. But the boat remained on its side. At this point we were over the sandbar and in the deepwater channel i.e. we could not touch bottom.

The ability of a crew to recover from a capsize is dependent upon how fast the TS. 16.takes to go from a 90^o knock down to a full inversion and how fast the crew can react. From the time the sails hit the water a TS.16 will normally take some time to fully invert. This will naturally depend on the severity of the conditions at the time but given a bit of luck and quick reactions, one of the crew can usually make it out to the end of the mast. I mention luck because normally the crew can’t select where they are going to be ‘dumped’ and it can take time to extract yourself from between the cockpit and the sails.

The actual sequence of events and method we used to right the boat is as follows.

The first priority was to get clear of the cockpit in case a following wave forced the hull over on to us. Once clear of the boat my crew, Andrew and I grabbed the leach of the mainsail and worked our way out to the mast top, trying to lift the sail at the same time as we used it to pull ourselves out. The action of us supporting the mainsail helped slow down the capsizing motion- Once at the mast top I supported it while Andrew pulled himself down the forestay to the bow. Even though 1 was only wearing a buoyancy vest I was able to easily support the mast and stop it sinking. As soon as I took hold of the mast top the boat started to swing and had nearly reached head to wind by the time Andrew had reached the bow. At this point even though I was unable to touch bottom, I was able to lift the mast top clear of the water. This action allowed the wind to get under the main which then proceeded to try and lift me from the water. While Andrew was maintaining his hold on the bow, keeping the boat head to wind I worked my way down the mast until I reached the side stay. At this point I am glad that I had sailing gloves on because my predictions (previous article) of the speed with which a TS.16 would right itself proved correct. As soon as I transferred my grip from the mast to the side stay the mast shot skyward, pulling me down the stay toward the boat and into the side of the cabin with considerable force. The use of a trailing jib sheet then helped me over the side into the cockpit.

From this point it was a case of releasing the tiller extension, quickly clearing all the sheets, making sure the jib was free and the plate, rudder, traveller and mainsheet controls were free. I sheeted the jib loosely to ensure the sheets did not tangle, lowered the plate as much as 1 could and used the main to sail the boat back to shore. Because of the shallow water I could only lower the plate slightly therefore l could not tack and had to jibe to come about. Even though the wind was strong, with the jib sheeted loosely the boat was fairly easy to manage under main alone.

In case you are wondering about Andrew, he was only a few strokes from the shore and is still sailing with me, after some false promises and the lure of big dollars in the future.

A word of warning. If you are ever in this situation and you are trying to right your boat, 1 would suggest that you do not attempt to hang on to the side stay unless you are wearing gloves, once the boat starts to come up, let go. If you do hold on, if possible slow your movement towards the boat by maintaining the maximum amount of your body in the water, releasing the grip on the side stay just short of reaching the boat will avoid injury. In both instances of letting go of the side stay you must be aware of the danger of being washed away from the boat. You will NOT be able to slow the boat by trying to hold the wire and your hands may be severely cut if you aren't wearing gloves. If you take hold of the mast, which you can maintain a grip on, you will find yourself suddenly suspended above the cabin. In the resulting fall (which you will not avoid) you may injure yourself and what's worse you could damage the boat.

If you have been in the water for some time you will be quite tired and may have difficulty getting back in the boat after righting it.' Try to get hold of the tail of the mainsheet or jib sheet, double over the end and pass the loop through the handle on the cabin or around a projection. Hold on to the rope (four pieces) below the handle and then use the loop as a stirrup to board the boat. Even when you are exhausted the rope will not pull out of your hands.

Knowing what you will have to do prior to any event and being prepared, will in most cases help you successfully recover from any incident. Check your equipment, make sure your crew knows where everything is, know your procedures and consider that nothing ever occurs exactly as per the book therefore remember to think before you act. Make sure your actions don’t place you and your crew into a worse situation.

Trevor Hoskins

First Printed 1981

RIGHTING A CAPSIZED HARTLEY TS. 16 WITH POWER BOAT ASSISTANCE

The following suggestions are designed to assist Sailing Club rescue boat crews in righting a capsized Hartley TS. 16. It should be realised that some suggestions may not be possible due to the prevailing conditions and therefore the common sense of rescue boat crew and TS. 16 crew must be relied on.

Righting:-

Instruct the TS. 16 crew to release, if possible, all halyards and sheets. Righting a boat which has been dismasted or one which has had the sails removed will be easier.

Secure a strong rope to a point on or near the gunwale half way between the bow and stem (approximately aft end of cabin). preferably a handle on the cabin side if it is suitably reinforced or to the chain plate if they are one of the more robust variety. Secure the rope in such a way that it can be quickly released, so that if something goes wrong the load can be relieved before the handle, chainplate or other fixture can be tom out of the boat.

Pass the rope across the upturned hull. If the centre plate has been locked down and is therefore exposed pass the rope astern of the centre plate. Secure the other end to the tow boat.

The skipper and/or crew should climb onto the hull on the side closest to the towing boat. This will submerge this gunwale and force the boat to roll rather than slip sideways in the water.

CAUTION: IF THE CENTRE PLATE HAS FALLEN BACK INSIDE THE CENTRE CASE, POINT 4 SHOUID BE OMITTED OR THE CREW SHOULD BE POSITIONED SO THAT THEY CAN'T BE INJURED BY THE CENTRE PLATE IF IT PIVOTS OUT WHEN THE BOAT IS:RIGHTED.

The power boat should start the tow using minimal power. The bow of the T. S. 16 may have a tendency to swing towards the towing vessel i.e. spinning the T. S. 16 around until the securing point of the rope is on the same side as the towing vessel. If the rope has been passed aft of the centre plate, this should not happen. If the- plate is right up inside the hull, the towing vessel will have to endeavour to keep the direction of pull at 90^o to the centre line of the hull.

As the hull rolls into the righted condition, release the tow line as quickly as possible. Although it is reasonably easy to swim clear of the boat. as it comes over, the TS.16 crew should take care to avoid being hit by the centre plate or hull.

TS.16 crew at this point should board the boat.

Preparing to tow:-

If possible and time permits, bail the boat. The lighter the boat the easier the tow will be for the rescue boat and the minimum amount of damage will be done.

Retrieve and stow damaged rigging.

Check that the centre plate, can be raised*

Check that rudder can be lowered and raised and can be used without jamming on damaged rigging etc.

Stow any other gear inside cabin.

Secure the tow line to the towing eye, making sure it can be quickly released. Do not secure the tow to anchor cleats on the foredeck or to the stem unless absolutely necessary, as these areas will not take the strain of towing a swamped boat.

Towing:-

The tow vessel should proceed at a speed that will not cause undue strain on the towed vessel. From experience around 2 knots is the best, any higher may cause a swamped boat to nose dive.
NOTE:- A swamped TS.16 will have a tendency to float slightly nose down therefore the crew should remain well aft.

A slightly lowered centre plate will improve the towing characteristics and if the rudder is operable it should be used to keep the T. S. 16 on the same course as the power boat.

If the TS.16 is to be towed to an exposed location with large waves breaking on the beach, it should be cast off on the breaker line WITH THE BOW TO SEA. A sea anchor should be attached to the bow so that the TS.16 will drift into the beach with the bow into the waves. A bailing bucket, sail or crew hanging onto the bow will normally be enough to act as a sea anchor.
CAUTION:- DO NOT REMOVE THE BOAT FROM THE WATER UNTIL BAILING IS COMLETED OTHERWISE STRUCTURAL DAMAGE MAY RESULT.

(Added 1997 - during a recent rescue operation of a TS 16 it was found that while towing the righted boat a poorly fitted hatch on the foredeck allowed water to flood the hull causing the boat to 'dive to the bottom’. The only method of safe tow was stern first which raised the problem of where to attach a line and not cause hull or transom damage. The stem is not strong enough when a TS is flooded. The best method found was to pass the towline around the front of the centrecase and then run it over the stern through the tiller cut out (to maintain a straight pull ie not allow the tow line to pull across the boat).

The following article was written in 1981. Additional information or updates have been added at various points in 1997.

I have written the following article drawing from my experiences and the experiences of the other unfortunates of December 13^th, 1980. It does not contain all of the answers but it is written with the hope that some of our newer members may gain from our experience.

December 13^th, 1980, thirteen Hartley TS.16's set off from Glenelg in a 'long race'. The forecast for the metropolitan waters was 15 knots. Half an hour after the start all were batting to survive in over 40 knot winds.

Of the thirteen boats, three made it back to Glenelg under their own power, four ran onto the beach with only the jib up or just bare poles. The remaining six capsized breaking their masts and damaging their rigging and sails.

Two of these were severely damaged, one beyond repair the other requiring a new cabin and deck work. Of the other four, three were righted with the assistance of many willing hands in the surf, the other was righted off shore, with the assistance of a rescue boat, and towed in.

Numerous lessons were learnt by the people involved in these capsizes lessons learnt before by other people but ignored or forgotten by many of our members. December the 13th was a lucky day in one respect in that no one lost their life or was seriously injured.

Quick Release Halyards:

The advantage of being able to drop the sails quickly was obvious. Those that saw what was coming and lowered their main (and in a few cases their jib as well) were able to remain upright and run ashore. In a heavy blow the prospect of sending the crew out onto the foredeck to lower the main or jib is worse than riding it out with all sail up.

Try to rig your boat so that the sails can be lowered quickly without having to go further forward than the cabin hatchway. Rope halyards which are removed after the sail is up and locked will be a real hazard in an emergency situation. It takes time to locate and tie on this elusive halyard which has jumped from its regular storage place, tied itself into 100 knots and has come to rest in the most inaccessible part of the boat, naturally on the leeward side.

Leave the halyards on, neatly stored within easy reach and most importantly make sure the release mechanisms work easily and first time.

Secure Your Gear:

Every loose item in a boat is a hazard. The bailing bucket that slides under your foot as you are stepping into the cabin, the stray spray jacket that fouls your centre plate tackle so that you can't lower or raise it and the loose anchor which aggressively attacks the hull every time you drop off a wave.

These items, plus many more never seem to bother you on average sailing days because you have time to remedy them. On a heavy day they can be the last straw that causes you to ditch.

Every item should be held securely inside the boat. Anchors should be lashed down, small items stored inside compartments which should be locked or inside a bag secured to the boat. If you have a hatch in the foredeck, always sail with it locked. It’s surprising what wave action will do to hinged hatches and doors or to anything inside a boat.

Prior to December 13th I prided myself in all my hatch covers were securely lashed inside the cabin and all loose items were stored inside a small compartment with a spring lock. This lid required considerable effort to open and impossible to open accidentally. I discovered what wave action could do inside a boat (while it was inverted) after we righted it.

The hatch covers had torn loose and were floating inside the cabin, the fire extinguisher had been torn from its bracket and was hanging from a flimsy strap. The compartment lid was open. Half the contents of this compartment now decorate the seabed along with the anchors, compasses, flares, purses, wallets and keys from my unfortunate companion.

Buoyancy:-

Each boat should have enough buoyancy to enable it to be bailed out after swamping. There is a minimum requirement.

Added 1997 - Refer to Association safety documents as to the quantity and placement of buoyancy . Too much buoyancy can hinder boat recovery as will badly placed buoyancy. The fact that the air tank in the stern of this boat was greater in capacity than the foam in the bow caused the severe bow down attitude. My current boat with four evenly distributed air tanks under the bunks and cockpit floors maintains a more even level when flooded.

In my boat I have between 8 to 10 cubic feet of foam secured under the floor bearers which have been screwed and glued to the framework. Half of the boat is in the forward section and the other half is under the cockpit floor. The whole of the aft section is sealed and therefore an air tank with an approximate volume of 20 cubic feet. If the air tank was flooded there would still be 5 cubic feet of foam buoyancy.

When the boat was righted at sea, the air tank caused the stem to float well clear of the water with the bow section down. The foredeck was still above the waterline but the front six inches of the centre case slot was below the waterline. To bail the boat out would be impossible with the centre case letting in water. Two alternative methods of balling the boat were, -

1. Open the plug between the forward section and the air tank flooding the tank until the boat levels out enough for the centre case to be above the waterline. In my opinion this should be used as a last resort. Try to keep as much buoyancy in the boat as possible once you have sacrificed it, it may be impossible to recover.

2. A short length of soft foam tube (1 " diam. tube similar to that used on surf board racks) carried in the boat can be used to wedge into the centre case slot after the plate has been lowered. This enables the boat to be bailed without sacrificing the air tank.

The total buoyancy in my boat enabled me to stand in the cockpit, retrieving the sails and broken rigging without any more water entering the boat. The waves at that time were 4' to 6' with the occasional larger one breaking. Unfortunately one of the other wooden boats which capsized, one had no extra buoyancy and the other remained inverted all the way to the beach therefore no comparison can be made. The boat with no extra buoyancy floated with the gunwales below the waterline.

All of the fibreglass boats were righted with the aid. of many willing hands in the surf.

The fibreglass boats when swamped floated level, the only problem being that the earlier model glass boat (with air tank in the stern and bow) was found to have taken on water in the air tank. The inclusion of a percentage of foam buoyancy inside single compartment air tanks is a must.

In the late model glass boats the inclusion of a forward air tank divided into two sections and a stern tank divided into three, supplemented with a solid foam block in the bow section proved to be adequate buoyancy, even though water was found in nearly every tank. The theory of split air tanks is if one tank should spring a leak the other should still be sound. It is for this reason that the effective buoyancy of split air tanks is calculated at 50%. of total buoyancy. (Added 1997 - Refer to measurement form for current formula for calculating effective buoyancy for air tanks).

Righting and Towing:-

Again it is unfortunate that only one boat was righted out to sea because no comparison of righting and towing methods can be made.

Righting.

To right a fully capsized Hartley the outside assistance of a power boat may be required and the

Following method should be followed.

1 . Secure a strong rope to the cabin side as close to frame 4 as possible. A handle on the cabin side if it is suitably reinforced or to the chainplate if they are one of the more robust variety. Secure the rope in such a way that it can be quickly released, so that if something goes wrong, the load can be relieved before the handle, chainplate or other fixture can be torn out of the boat.

2. Pass the rope across the upturned hull. If the centre plate has been locked down and is therefore exposed, pass the rope astern of the centre plate. Secure the other end to the tow boat.

3. The skipper and/or crew should climb onto the hull on the side closest to the towing boat. This will submerge this gunwale and force the boat to roll rather than slip sideways in the water.

4. The power boat should start the tow using minimal power. The bow of theTS.16 may have a tendency to swing towards the towing vessel i.e. spinning the TS.16 around until the securing point of the rope is on the same side as the towing vessel. If the rope has been passed aft of the centre plate this should not happen. If the plate is right up inside the hull, the towing vessel will have to endeavour to keep the direction of pull at 90 degrees to the centre line of the hull.

5. As the hull rolls over into the righted condition release the tow 1ine as quickly as possible.

6. Although it is reasonably easy to swim clear of the boat as it comes over, care should be taken to avoid being hit by the centre plate or hull.

NOTE: Righting a boat which has been dismasted or one which has the sails removed will be easier than one with the sails up. If possible the halyards and sheets should be released to relieve the resistance of the sails in the water.

(Added 1997 - If the water is deep ie the mast can’t touch the bottom, and if the TS.16 capsized with the jib luff wire tensioned, the boat may be righted by towing. If the jib was cleated or can be cleated for a beat and the power boat tows the inverted TS.16 slowly in a forward direction, the water pressure on the jib (similar to backwinding) will raise the mast to the horizontal. Both crew should be in the water at the bow (this is why the tow must be very slow) and as the mast rises, the crew should slide out along the forestay to the mast to support it. Refer to the article recovering from a knockdown for the correct method of righting from this point i.e. avoiding the loss of limbs and other extremities.

Towing.

Due to the proximity of the shore line plus the urgent need of the rescue boats elsewhere, no effort was made to bail my boat and the tow was therefore made with the stem clear of the water and the cabin swamped, but the foredeck being above the waterline. The only towing problem was a tendency for the TS.16 to surf past the tow boat. The subsequent strain on the tow line and bow fitting caused by the nose down condition required a low towing speed. The towing characteristics of a boat swamped on an even keel would be a lot better.

Preparing to tow:-

If possible and time permits, bail the boat. The lighter the boat the easier the tow will be for the rescue boat and the minimum amount of damage will be done.
Retrieve and stow damaged rigging.
Check that centre plate can be raised.
Check that rudder can be lowered and raised and can be used without jamming on damaged rigging etc.
Stow any other gear inside cabin.
Prepare bucket on a lanyard (one that the handle won’t pull out), anchor or as a last resort the jib to use as a sea anchor.
Secure the tow line to the towing eye making sure it can be quickly released. Do not secure the tow to anchor cleats in the foredeck or you may fin you will very soon have an extra hatch opening.

Towing,.-

The tow vessel should proceed at a speed that will not cause undue strain on the towed vessel. From experience around 2 knots is the best any higher may cause a swamped boat to nose dive.
A slightly lowered centreplate will improve the towing characteristics.
When towing through large waves the TS.16 may "pick up a wave" and start to surf. The result being the power boat and TS.16 travelling at 90 degrees to each other. Again from experience, it was found that in this situation the towing U bolt was bent at right angles and stem capping split. If possible slacken the tow line until the TS.16 drops off the wave and slows down.
If the boat is being towed to an exposed beach-the rescue boat will cast you adrift on the breaker line. (It is essential that the tow line can be quickly and easily cast off.) A decision has to be made as to whether you will try to surf in and steer the boat onto the beach bow first or bring it around bow into the waves and drift stern first onto the beach.
I believe the former should never be attempted in a swamped or semi-swamped boat. The movement of water inside the boat makes it unmanageable. Another capsize in the surf with resultant hull damage as it rolled up the beach would be likely. If it is attempted in a fully bailed-boat, a small amount of plate will increase directional stability. Never use full plate unless you are 100% sure you can raise it before it touches bottom.
In the latter case the preparation mentioned earlier in 'preparing to tow" regarding anchors or sea anchor, is essential. Some means must be used to retard the boat’s progress and keep the bow into the waves. An anchor may be used in the tripped condition i.e. so that it will drag along the sea bed. If used as normal, it is likely to snag on the bottom and you will find yourself securely anchored in the surf. In my particular situation I threw the still secured jib overboard and lowered myself into the water while holding on to the bow. The combined resistance of my body and the jib kept the boat bow into the waves all the way to the beach.

(Added 1997 - during a recent rescue operation of a TS.16 it was found that while towing the righted boat a poorly fitted hatch on the foredeck allowed water to flood the hull causing the boat to 'dive to the bottom' The only method of safe tow was stern first which raised the problem of where to attach a line and not cause hull or transom damage. The stern is not strong enough when a TS is flooded The best method found was to pass the tow line around the front of the centre case and then run it over the stern through the tiller cut out (to maintain a straight pull ie not allow the tow line to pull across the boat).

5· The only problem remaining once you reach the beach is trying to stop the helpers dragging your boat up onto the beach A boat’s hull is not designed to take the pressure of water from inside and considerable damage has been done to wood and fibreglass hulls in the past by beaching full of water.

If possible anchor or hold the boat so that it is just clear of the bottom and bail it out moving it closer to the beach as it floats higher.