The Bulletin contributions about capsizing are most interesting, but am I alone in finding them terribly negative and depressing? No constructive suggestions for solving the problem, just gloomy tales about how easy our dinghies are to capsize, how difficult they are to right, and how the best answer is to rely on getting help by VHF or mobile phone!! I am sure most DCA members take a justifiable pride in their ability to solve the technical problems of dinghy cruising by designing and making suitable equipment, but we don't appear to be applying our skills to this important problem of devising a foolproof and reliable system which will right a loaded cruising dinghy from inversion at sea. Why not? It shouldn't really be very difficult. We can easily produce big vertical forces on a capsized boat, downwards from crew weight and/or water-filled bags at or above the surface, and upwards from air-filled bags on or below the surface. We then need only to arrange for these forces to be separated sideways from the boat's centre of buoyancy or centre of gravity respectively to produce a turning moment which must right the boat. My own pet plan follows, and doubtless other members can produce better ones. To your workshops, ladies and gentlemen, and be sure to bring the results to Peter Small's Alton Water Righting Rally on 22 July!

If anyone with a suitable boat would like to collaborate with me before then to develop a righting system, please ring (01276472208). I'd be happy to provide the gear and help with trials anywhere in the south of England, though Calshot might be ideal? And do let's be sensible and avoid disasters like using lead ballast in dinghies - I cannot imagine what persuaded a highly intelligent chap like Alan Glanville to carry 90 lbs of lead in Lowly Worm. As he found out so dramatically, this ballast did nothing to prevent a capsize, made the boat float too low for baling out, and was too expensive to jettison.

A Proposed Righting System For Cruising Dinghies

GEAR NEEDED: 1 Two righting lines, i.e. floating knotted ropes fastened to the shroud plates and long enough to reach across the inverted hull when thrown over it, to let the crew pull themselves from the water onto the hull. 2 One open ended waterproof bag to hold about 50 litres of water. A diver's lift bag (used for lifting cannons etc from wrecks) would be ideal, available for example from Seaflex in Cowes (tel 01983 290525, ask for Mark Board). A cheaper alternative would be a dustbin liner in a sailbag. The closed end of this bag is fitted with a heavy shackle to make it sink when immersed, and a line for emptying and recovery. 3 One closed air lift bag to hold about 100 litres (bigger boats may need a larger bag - lift at 1 kg per litre should probably total about half the boat's loaded weight, but we'll have a better idea of bag size needed after practical testing). Again, Seaflex do a range of closed salvage bags which would be ideal, but alternatives might be inflated boat rollers, fenders, etc. 4 Bellows to inflate the closed air bag. 5 A strong spare halliard, made up into a loop through a masthead block and tied to a shroud plate, like a burgee halliard but much stronger. Perhaps tie one end permanently to the closed air lift bag. Put the closed bag and its bellows into the open bag and stow this package under the side deck near the shroud plate, where it can be reached by a swimmer alongside when capsized. Stow the coiled righting lines near their shroud plates.

TO USE: after 180 degree capsize,

1. Throw at least one righting line across boat. Release main and jib sheets if possible (and arrange your gear beforehand so that it is possible!). Get all crew onto hull using righting line. Try to right boat as usual, i.e. stand on lee gunwale rubbing strake, hold righting line, lean back.

2. If she won't come up, extract the air bags and bellows and the bight of the spare halliard, sit on the bottom of the boat, inflate the closed air lift bag, tie one end of the halliard to this bag and launch it overboard beside the hull (fig 1).

3. Pull hard on the free end of the halliard, and move the crew weight to the side of the boat away from the air bag. The bag should stay on the surface while you pull the masthead up to it. Tie off the halliard to the upper shroud plate (fig 2).

4. Boat is now stable on her side with masthead supported by the bag, not going anywhere; crew can relax, lower sails, block centreboard slot if necessary.

5. When ready, try to complete righting process in normal way, i.e. stand on centreboard near hull or with toes on keelson or in c/b slot, lean back holding righting line, get over gunwale as she rights and move across boat quickly to keep her upright.

6. If she won’t come up, you must get more weight further away from the mast. Try filling the open ended bag with water and slinging it over the shoulder of the biggest crewman while he leans out. If necessary, get more complicated, e.g. use the boom or an oar with one end in the hull/centreboard corner and the other end held up by two ropes from the gunwale; get the heaviest crewman to swing from the pole end, or hang the open ended water bag from a tackle there, lower it into the water to fill it, pull in on the tackle to raise the bag. If the bag is big enough (and if nothing breaks!) the bag will stay at the surface while the boat rights.

7. If before raising the mast from the water in stage (5) you are worried about the boat coming straight over towards you and capsizing again, consider hanging the open ended bag from the upper shroud plate and lowering it across the cockpit into the water so it is just below the lower gunwale. When the boat comes upright the fill water bag will be at the surface, and any further heel towards you would have to lift the weight of water it contains (figs 3 and 4). But even if you don't do this and the boat capsizes again the inflated closed airbag at the masthead will prevent inversion. I’d welcome comments and suggestions. Will it work? Or will it work in smooth water testing, giving a false sense of security, then prove unworkable when used in a rough sea capsize?

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