Capsize Testing

A Closer Look at Flotation Placement and Actual Recovery

By Doug Kelch

I have really enjoyed messing about in my CLC Northeaster Dory—my first experience sailing and cruising an open boat. I’ve been sailing and cruising small decked boats with auxiliary motors for many years, but this time I wanted a good rowing boat for exercise and something that would sail well and could be beach-cruised. At about 100 pounds, the Northeaster Dory has proven to be well-suited to the tasks I had in mind, but I have not been beach cruising in it yet. I was attracted to the lightweight boat as I felt that I could drag it ashore with beach rollers by myself. If you added decks, permanent buoyancy tanks and the corresponding bulkheads you would be pushing 200 pounds or more. Pulling these decked boats completely out of the water can be problematic. I have watched the Everglades Challenge launches and know it can be done going down the beach, but I doubt I could do it alone going uphill.

My limited experience in open boats has probably made me overcautious. I am rapidly gaining confidence in the sea keeping ability of these designs, but I have a ways to go. So far I have been very impressed with the stability and performance of the Northeaster Dory and the forgiving nature of the balanced lug rig. It does heel and accelerate quickly in the gusts, but the heeling is not nearly as quick as it would be with a tall bermudian rig in a small light boat. The strongest winds I have been in so far have been a steady 10 mph with 20 mph gusts and the boat did very well.

I have rowed the boat as much as I have sailed it and this has become a real pleasure. While rowing on a calm day the only risk on Lake Pleasant are the wakes from powerboats. For curiosity I rowed parallel to a large wake to test the boat’s response. The wake turned into a breaking vertical wall right at the beam of the boat. The breaking part of the wave dumped a gallon or two of water but the boat handled the steep wake quite well. I will have to stay observant while out there. It is this caution that led me to test flotation arrangements to assure myself that I can self rescue the boat in the event of a capsize or swamping. (Also see Doug’s article on preparing this boat in issue #111)

As part of standard capsize recovery you should:

• Make sure the sheets are un-cleated and free to run (my boat does not have cleats).

• If you have non-floating mast(s) they will fill up with water and the boat may turtle so you need to help the mast float (send swimmer to masthead to help or tie on a cushion with a long line and quick release knot), and swim the bow into the wind before righting the boat.