Ocean sailing in safety for catamarans – Catamaran sailing techniques

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The Tale of Rome - El Cuento de Roma - 5 years ago

How do you "reef down" during a passage (assuming it's nighttime and you can't see weather patterns)?

gringo anon - 6 years ago

This isn't a pretentious statement , but Catamarans will always have the Capsize flaw. I think the only way out of this problem is to design a Cat. that has the same profile upside down as the topsides. So in the event of a capsize you wait out the bad weather inverted, and after its passed basically winch the mast up through the deck.

Michael Buck - 6 years ago

I have seen more mon hulls capsize than dual or triple hulls. The issue is a wider beam on the cats as opposed to a more narrow beamon the mono hulls. Yes, mono hulls have a heavy steel keel to keep it balanced, but if that thing goes, cracks or is overcome, a mono will SINK faster than a rock, whereas with a cat it's NEVER going to sink and you will have something to hold on to and live in for a long time until rescued. I don't want to try and swim for weeks on end waiting for rescue or go down with the boat to the bottom of the sea. Also, statistically there have been more mono hulls that have capsized than catamarans, and statistically more capsized monohulls have lost their crew than catamarans.

William Victor - 7 years ago

Know the weather, know the boat. Good advice.

Ocean Lady - 7 years ago

Is there a device that sends out a distress signal and location when a boat is capsized?

John Slater - 6 years ago

Yes. It’s called EPIRB. Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon. It sends a distress signal and position by satellite. The better models will automatically deploy if a vessel sinks or capsizes.

Michael Buck - 6 years ago

Yes there is, usually the captain or helmsman can hit a button on the AIS device to set of the distress beacon. Also, some PFD have an AIS beacon, and most life rafts also have the AIS beacon as well. All are battery powered and sealed units and should last for weeks until your rescued.

William Biggs - 7 years ago

what conditions cause a capsized catamaran?

Josh Watson - 7 years ago

An idiot pushing limits in too big of wind or not watching the weather and having too much sail when a storm gust hits just right. That or a poorly designed catamaran with a narrow beam and too much sail

William Biggs - 7 years ago

compare typical life vests with kapoks. only kapocks are inherently buoyant. a high pressure air flask could inflate air bags which could keep boat afloat or even right an overturned boat.

Con Spire - 8 years ago

Ohl my days, love my own voice, slit my wrist's. So boring

lilbahr - 8 years ago

If the cat is about to capsize, why not have something that would allow you to immediately cut the whole main sail off? Even if the sail was destroyed by the operation surely it is better to lose the sail than lose the cat.

bill4nier - 6 years ago

Some cats, like the Gunboat 55 have a device that releases the lines in an emergency. However, the problem arises when people try to push the cats faster then it was designed to go or for the current weather conditions and before people can react the cat flips.

If you recall, there was a guy with the designer of the cat. They were experienced and they had two reefs in the main (this makes the sail area smaller), but they got hit with a cold front (at night, making difficult to see any weather system approaching) and the winds went from 30 to 60 and almost pitched the boat over. As pointed out folks need to understand the boat's limits AND understand the current and future weather conditions, then plan accordingly. Hope this helps.

John Stromberg - 8 years ago

If you are about to capsize. Be aware of flying loose floorboards and compartment contents before diving into the hulls. Most modern cats do not have locked down floorboards.

Michael Buck - 6 years ago

Note to self: Make sure all floorboards have LOCKS on them, not just the standard flip up latch or through hole.

10. comment for Ocean sailing in safety for catamarans – Catamaran sailing techniques

Cancun771 - 8 years ago

Instead of just talking, you should just simply have demonstrated the man overboard manoeuvre.

Michael Buck - 6 years ago

I understand you can't practice for every condition, but that doesn't mean you should not practice at all. I have practiced MOB in many situations, even in calm seas, as practicing and feeling the maneuvers under sail, from a tack, from a breach and from a run, or under motor are all different and need to be practiced as often as you can to establish some mental memory on how your boat will handle. MOB can happen at anytime and under any condition, a good captain is always aware of this and looks out for his crew.

Rene Eversen - 8 years ago

Well, how you would "drive" a man overboard is different of Cat, Wind, water, and crew.... So there is no reason to show a "how to", unless you show all extremes.... its unlikely that its a "man overboard" in nice sunny, flat water...

S/V Second Chance Sailing - 8 years ago

you see i would want to be out side of the boat. not in the hulls. i would get between the hulls try to take one of the sails down and use it as a tent between them. this would give you shelter and give the coastguard something to see from the air.

Michael Buck - 6 years ago

I would be in the hull on the initial capsize event...then asses my situation, see whats working, whats not, make sure a distress signal is going out, make sure all on board are safe, etc. Also depends on the weather and conditions of the sea, staying in the hull may be the safest place to be for awhile until things calm down. Then If I am drifting and waiting for help, then yes, may pop up, see if the dingy is still around, see if I can get a sail out, use it as a cover, flares, etc and make planes for a longer stay in this situation I am in.

S/V Second Chance Sailing - 8 years ago

+John Stromberg yep it would be hard but I know a guy the did it on a hobie and spent 3 nights at see till he was found. the sailboat gave the costgard something to see and it was a tent in which to stay out of the sun this was Florida so no problem with cold water. if it's in the northern states or colder water might be a better idea to stay in the hull. but it's hard to wave down another boat from there

S/V Second Chance Sailing - 8 years ago

John Stromberg - 8 years ago

I disagree. See http://renegade-cruisers.net/bb//viewtopic.php?t=13094. The captain would probably have survived hypothermia if he would have stayed inside the hulls and protected of the elements. Also taking a "wet sail" down when inverted under dantesque conditions would be probably be impossible. You will have to go beneath the boat and work again gravity...

IronicallyVague - 8 years ago

Could have giant airbags about the size of a large life raft inside the Salon or on the sides, once automatically deployed when capsized they would displace enough water to keep the hull almost completely above water

It would be great advertising to sell Catamarans to families as an extra added safety feature (except for Weight and Cost of course)

Offer a Million Dollar prize to anyone that can capsize and sink one of their boats

# Forget all that - I already can't afford one :P, they'll raise the price another 100k at least

EP_ Kruxor - 6 years ago

Just start your own company retrofitting that safety feature for owners.

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