Saturday's capsize recovery practice for new crew on Flying Scot

[Doug SC]

Each summer for new Flying Scot racing fleet members we do a capsize recovery demo and practice. I always take part as I find it to be just more fun on the water and to brush up on each of the steps involved.

Both the skipper and crew hold on to the side stay and lean out over the water. Once the boat is over, they walk the stay out hand over hand until the mast is in the water or the boat will right itself.
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Then on person goes out to the head of the mast and put a shoulder under the mast head to prevent the boat from going turtle. The other person climbs into the boat to get over onto the centerboard. The first step is the shroud chain plate. The second step up is the back of the seat. The third step up is the side of the seat, and the fourth step up is the base of the mast. They then throw a leg over the gunwale so they can go over on the centerboard.
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They remain next to the boat until the person at the mast head come in and climbs into the boat lying on the side of the seat. This way at least one person will be in the boat when it comes up.
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If the person on the center board gets the timing right once the mast reaches horizonal above the water or slightly before they get right back next to the boat and throw a leg back over the gunwale to reenter the boat when it rights itself. No one managed it this day. so we came around to the boarding ladder at the transom.
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Afterward I sailed with Ryan who is head of the flying Scot fleet to be schooled on improving my crewing expertise. He was good for many valuable pointers Now if I can just remember them while racing. We had a blast as the winds were 10-12mph with some white caps and gusts up to twenty. We haven't had many days when racing this summer like that. I had a great day to say the least and came home a tired happy sailor.

On Sunday I was back out on the lake with my Scamp for another day of sailing, but the forecast winds were off and on. Still, it was good to sail on my boat and though I had to row away from the dock, I sailed back to it at the end of my sailing for a perfect docking.

[Monroe]

Doug,
When I had my Flying Scot I always sailed with a masthead float to prevent any chance of turtleing. There are a couple of designs. One resembled a football, I used one that slipped over the head of the mainsail. A friend of mine turtled his Scot and the water was not very deep and his mast ended up stuck in mud.

Great pictures of the entire event.

[Doug SC]

Yes, the club boat we used has a slip-on masthead float. However, the reason we practice with one person swimming out to the mast head is to be familiar with what should be done if the float isn't in place to prevent a turtle. When the winds are really up and we are racing it is club policy to have the floats in place. Also, we race in deep water. Even so a turtled boat can be a bear to right, mast stuck in the mud isn't a good situation at all!