Slightly obscure SC17 Righting Question

[SJBrit]

Hi all,

My first post here, but I'm super-excited to almost own a '94 SC-17 - picking it up in a couple of weeks Since I'm in limbo, I've been doing a lot of sailing in my head and I must admit that I've capsized a few times. Here's a question from someone who grew up sailing an H16:

When we righted the H16 I would always make a grab for the dolphin striker as she came upright. This solved the triple problem of 1) Not getting smacked in the noggin by the dolphin striker 2) Not having the cat sail off without me and (most importantly) 3) Preventing the cat from flipping all the way over to leeward when righting in a stiff wind.

Without the dolphin striker, how do you guys prevent #3 happening? Stopping the cat coming all the way over? I had that happen a couple of times with the Hobie before I learned the dolphin striker trick. In a really stiff breeze the cat would come up so violently that it would just continue right on over till it was capsized he other way unless I could get some weight hanging off it to prevent that. It seems like there's not a whole lot to grab hold of under a Supercat.

Thanks! ~Adrian.

[Mac M]

Congratulations, you'll love the 17 much better than the H16. Keep the Lee bow way down and it'll go. Looks like you got a nice one too, did you get the spinnaker as well? Where are you located?

When I've righted mine I've never had the issue with it going back over, I think extending the shrouds for righting may help with that? I would just try and grab the beam when it comes over, shouldn't be too much harder to grab. You can also keep hold of the righting line to stay with the boat of it takes off.

[T Peterson]

Hi there, and welcome to the club!

I, too, went from a Hobie 16 to a Supercat 17 and have loved it.
One, you will flip or pitch pole the SC 17 far less than the Hobie.
Two, since the SC 17 has a higher volume mast, you will not turtle. (See Bill, someone has been reading your posts!)

Anyway, just last summer, I was out in winds I shouldn't have been, and we flipped. The first righting resulted in the boat going right back over. I had not righted the boat in a couple years and forgot one thing. First you point the mast into the wind to get some help getting it up. But, as the mast starts to lift, you shift your feet on the hull to spin the boat into the wind so that when it comes up and over, it is pretty much in irons. The wind won't blow it back over because the wind will be as much from the bow as the side. This method, for me, works better than trying to grab the front crossbar. I also suspect, that in big winds, grabbing the front crossbar won't keep you upright because your weight is simply not enough.

As for not having the boat sail off, on my tramp, there are laces underneath, up forward, that I always advise my crew to grab.

Enjoy your boat, and if you spend a couple days reading everything in these forums, you will be all set!

[SJBrit]

Yes, I can see that spinning as you come up will help. In a really strong blow I usually try to set up with the mast about 45 degrees off the wind, so that would help bring the boat up into irons.

[Bill Roberts]

SO MUCH SIMPLE TECHNOLOGY LOST, FORGOTTEN, NEVER WAS.
When righting the 15 or 17, you are hanging out on the righting line using your trapeze belt.
As the boat begins to come up, the mast tip is several feet up in the air, the boat is past the turnover point and it is righting itself,pull yourself up to the main beam, facing the main beam, as you unhook from the righting line. Now slide your foot that was forward over the deck and sit down like you are sitting on a horse. One leg is on each side of the hull and you are facing aft. This motion of pulling yourself up and unhooking, garbing the beam, facing aft and pushing yourself vertical is one smooth continuous motion while the boat is rotating on its own to the righted position. Keep moving and just before the high hull hits the water, slide your leg over the hull and sit down just like you jumped onto the back of a horse, rid'em cowboy!
The SCs are a different bread of cat. If you have Hobie sailing background, forget it all. Nothing Hobie works on a SC.

[SJBrit]

The SCs are a different bread of cat. If you have Hobie sailing background, forget it all. Nothing Hobie works on a SC.

That's why I bought it! Now that I've had a chance to sail it a bit it's funny to notice just how many ways the SC17 is different (including the fact that it actually tacks!) I like the cowboy approach - will give it a go if get horizontal.

[Bill Roberts]

Thanks, go cowboy!