Capsize Prevention Devices

[teamvmg]

Other brands are available!

[brian eiland]

For those not believing how quickly the wind can come up at times, check this video out, (and watch the wind reverse direction after the initial burst):

http://www.mylefkada.gr/eidhseis/nea/6435-vlyxo.html

"It was more than 60knots, more like 100 (with 35 years north sea experience I know the difference between 60 and 100 knots). We had about 30seconds warning and managed to start the engine unlike most people. We were knocked flat at least three times and feel lucky to have survived with minor damage to the boat and only bruises to ourselves.
A truly terrifying experience."
http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread...10#post3144510


...and then check out the damage photos:
https://picasaweb.google.com/yachtleisha/VlikhoBay#

[cavalier mk2]

Another safety idea is to have a quick release on the outhaul of a loose footed main to avoid the slowdown of the mainsheet tackle. You couldn't have lazyjacks set and would have to rethink the reefing but it would be fast. With a long outhaul line you could pull it back in.

[brian eiland]

Here is some real interesting material:
http://www.ganovelli-concept.fr/inde...page&Itemid=33

Then have a look here at some articles,...and in particular the one from the Daily Sail
http://www.ganovelli-concept.fr/inde...d=30&Itemid=83


Then have a look at some of the installations
http://www.ganovelli-concept.fr/inde...id=7&Itemid=48

[cavalier mk2]

I'm old fashioned enough to worry about the dependency of electrically powered systems. These things are great for a racer but cruisers shouldn't be pushing that hard. I heard about the Hepplewhite system but read it was taken off the market because authorities were worried about it being used as a bomb trigger. It might not have been that one but the unit I recall used a mercury switch and authorities worried about them being used on vehicles.

[Spiv]

Originally Posted by brian eiland

For those not believing how quickly the wind can come up at times, check this video out, (and watch the wind reverse direction after the initial burst):

Brian, I was only a few miles away in Preveza when that happened, I was on the hardstand waiting to be launched.
We heard of the storm and damage, apparently a cat capsized.
Lefkada has a long narrow inlet, much like a river, with a revolving bridge to get in from the North.
It is normally like a bath tub, to see those waves whipped out in such a narrow body of water is amazing.

I tend to agree with other comments made on the thread, that us cruisers should be a lot more conservatives and reef/ roll way before anything dangerous can come by.

Why stress the boat and the crew AND risk damage when a little forethought and preventative action can make it all so easy.

I seldom sail with the main up at night and if I do it is with two reefs, regardless of wind forecast.
I would not sleep thinking that my safety relies on an electrical device.

[ThomD]

The Upside Up system is conceptually more complicated in that is consists of two parts (as do the others), One a system that analyses risk factors and triggers responses, two a variety of controls that can be initiated as a result of the trigger. Being electronic there are a wide range of system that could be tapped into, weather, speed, angle, and shock loads, and responses from alarms to the captain, sheet release, steering. Some of these new sailboats have strain gauges built into structures. There could be a man overboard function. Eperb It is like the early days of computing, there are lots of potential applications.

I think capsize recovery is still a valid objective. The Gougeons who experimented with fuseable cleats, also built some of the few boats, I suspect that have ever won races while experiencing serial capsizes. They certainly saw the point in both systems, where possible. I don't however believe we have ever seen a system that worked when the cause of capsize was the ocean state. In that "10% situation", if you can't keep the boat from going over, good luck getting it back up. That is even an issue in Kayak capsize where self-rescue after an ocean state induced capsize can be tough.

[teamvmg]

This works best for me