Multihull bloopers & mishaps

This thread is to capture multihull bloopers & mishaps. Intent is to both laugh & learn from mistakes.



Tip for embedding YouTube video: Use advanced edit mode, press YouTube button & insert the video ID in between (everything after the v=).

 

Flippin' Machete

(Note: I originally posted this on the "Historical Multihulls" thread, but I figured it also belongs here.)

Here’s a great story – two years ago my friend Bruce from here in Nevada invited me to go sailing on a catamaran when we were all going to be in So Cal. His friend Jerry Wetzler has a 40 ft. Lock Crowther design called “Freestyle” in Dana Point (nice boat, Jerry built it over 40 years ago).

So, when he found out my dad was Jack Swart, we really hit it off. He told me an amazing story about 40’ Machete (my avatar photo boat, CSK designed for my dad).

Sometime around 1980 he and his regular Freestyle crew were in the Tri-Island race, which is usually an over-nighter. Freestyle was in second place, chasing Machete of course. It was night time in late winter or early spring. The wind was blowing hard, and they could see Machete’s running lights out in the distance. But then, all of a sudden they couldn’t see the lights – did their electric system fail?

A short time passed, and the crew of Freestyle could hear people hollering in the darkness. Then they could see flashlights – Machete had flipped over!
Jerry said that to this day he can still hear Machete’s crew
screaming “Freestyle – Freestyle” in the night. They were clipping along the back side of Catalina and got hung up on a thick kelp bed that they couldn’t see, and over they went, into the pitch-black, ice-cold Pacific. Jack dove under and into the dog-house where a little light was still working, and he grabbed 2 flashlights.

Freestyle got Machete’s crew on board and thawed them out. Then a unanimous decision was made to finish the race, which they did – first place. Machete’s crew was skipper Jack Swart, Warren Seaman and Vince Bartolone.

Jerry was pretty sure it was only those 3 guys. And when he told me that story, it all came flooding back – I hadn’t thought about it in 30 years! Then I remembered my dad telling me, “don’t tell your mother!” I also recall that the next day, Dad (an airline pilot by profession) rented a little plane and he and Vince went looking for Machete. It wasn’t locked into a kelp bed, so they calculated which way the wind and current might move the upside-down boat . They figured South. They looked for a couple hours and couldn’t find her. So, before giving up, they flew North and found her off the West end of Catalina.

The Coast Guard helped tow her in upside-down, but I don’t remember anything about getting her righted, or where she was berthed, probably Long Beach Marina.

Rudy Choy flew over from Honolulu for a full military style inquisition and de-briefing. His 3 closest friends, 2 of them business partners, and 2 of them the best catamaran sailors in the world, (Warren Seaman being both) had just succeeded in doing the absolute unthinkable.

 

Sorry for the late reply Dave...traveling on biz (and praying boatdesign.net comes up with a mobile app for forum chats!). Great story about Machette & Freestyle. Racing cats at night does sound a bit over the edge. Very glad to hear they were rescued & the heroes also won the race. Double victory!

If you have any pics of these boats do post.

Cheers - Joe

 

Hi Joe-

I don't have any good shots of Freestyle, but I heard she won the huge Ensenada Race in 2012. Machete is my avatar photo - just go to my profile for a bigger format. Machete is now owned by Mark Kuhlman of Southern California and he is starting to restore her.

Thanks for commenting on my post,

Aloha,
-Dave

 

Excellent boat. Machete is one hell of a CAT. No question about that. Big enough to dance on some crazy Pacific waves. Good luck with the restoration! I do visit Laguna (just up the PCH from Dana Point) quite often. My old stomping grounds. If you get it ready & need crew give me a shout. I would invent an excuse for the wife so I could fly out & carve some waves. Cheers - Joe

 

a interesting video clip of a nose dive and recovery http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2vaJGsyRvM

 

I think the single biggest problem identified so far is operator headspace and timing problems.

You should not have too much sail for your boat. You should not let yourself get too distracted for the conditions.

 

Boy, eased the jib just in time. Split second later it would have pitched over.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-FlN97Y3ok

1:20 on ....

 

Even ORCL

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLX1XPCQodk

 

Not much room for error at all with these big, light & fast boats. Not much time to de-power sails. One wrong move or gear malfunction and it's over.