The writer of the article on capsizing in the current issue of the bulletin presents a most powerful account and I think that there could usefully be some discussion on his experience. I am thinking now about the adventure in open water rather than the clottishness with the anchor in the river.

He lists what he thinks are the lessons to be drawn, but there is another one that I would like to raise. If you look at Dixon Kemp's book on sailing, in the chapter on open boat handling he is emphatic that open boats should never be sat-out in rough water, if only because of the danger of capsizing to windward. In other words, sail must be shortened as much as is necessary to keep the boat upright while the crew is inboard and as low down as possible. As far as I can find, this was the accepted view in the days before the dinghy racing explosion which led to the notion that dinghies must always be sat out. This is fine if there is a race to win and rescue boats are handy to rush you to the club changing room, but for dinghy cruising the old view should prevail.

In an interesting article in the bulletin a couple of years back, someone made the point that a dinghy cannot be progressed to windward in open waters in winds above Force 4 because of the stopping(?) of the waves. It would be even more difficult to go to windward under shortened sail. From what the writer stated, he must have been driving the boat as hard as he could to make enough progress to double Orme Head, whereas, given the above factors, he would have had to accept that the doubling of Orme Head was simply not on if the wind got above 4 (unless he could have dilled(?) past with a fair tide under him and under bare pole). That might have decided him more readily to turn back, down wind to some other point of refuge.

Against the eventuality of capsizing in open water, I have a rolled up rope ladder arranged so it will drop into the water as a tight roll that can be thrown over the upper gunwale to dangle down over the hull. The line anchoring it to the centre thwart is long enough for this. The rungs are of wood except those which are intended to sink into the water deep enough for a swimmer to get his foot into. One purpose of this ladder is to avoid having to put a load on the plywood plate, because busting that could be an obvious nuisance. I have never had to use this ladder in anger and hope I never shall, but it proved a boon on summer days when swimming from an anchored boat, and on more serious occasions it gives moral support. Gerald Levenson

Reply by Brian Haskins

Although certainly ashamed of my stupidity in capsizing twice, I didn't intend my article to be anonymous. I agree entirely about not sitting out in cruising dinghies, but I suppose as long as we recruit members who have first of all been racing enthusiasts, the temptation will always be there - at least until the first capsize with no rescue boat checking round like a mother hen. Mr. Levenson is right; we were driving the boat very hard indeed and shouldn't have been out where we were at that time. We should have put into Llandudno or Colwyn Bay much earlier, but that would have complicated our return home arrangements - a reminder that plans should be flexible, with many contingency arrangements. The rope ladder idea is OK in fine weather, but after a capsize it might be on the wrong side, and only add to the confusion of ropes and sails etc., when one is already in a state of shock anyway, and needs things kept simple.