* Vic Smith wrote, On 4/16/2007 6:07 PM:
On Mon, 16 Apr 2007 16:21:28 -0400, Jeff wrote:
* Vic Smith wrote, On 4/16/2007 3:14 PM:
The facts of this incident aren't in yet. It's possible the boat
didn't get hit by a gust, but plowed into a wave and flipped.
I took a guess based on the conditions - it takes a huge wave to
pitchpole a cruising cat, but it could be capsized by a squall if
proper care was not taken.
Pitchpoling doesn't require a huge wave according to:
http://www.bayacht.com/goodbad.htm
" In the ocean with storm conditions you must slow the boat down. If
you don’t, the boat will surf faster than the wave system and
literally plunge into a wave front, tripping the boat and causing it
to flip over-not capsize. In storm waves, a prudent skipper, on
cruising cat where safety rather than speed is the priority, will
reduce sail and, if necessary, employ a drogue."
I can say from experience that 10 foot waves are generally not enough
to create these situations. They are talking about large ocean
swells, of the type generated by large storms, with a long fetch.
They may have the cause of the capsize in the Pacific NW a few months
ago, but likely not the primary cause of this incident. Though I
could be wrong.
If so, that puts a different light on it.
Does it? Maybe if they pitchpoled while under bare poles. BTW,
"plowing into a wave" is not sufficient to pitchpole a cruising cat.
I've hit 10 foot square waves head on and simply gone straight
through. To pitch pole you have to surf down a wave face, such that
you're bow is well depressed when you hit bottom with a lot of momentum.
I was thinking the boat could have been under too much sail.
Indeed, that would be my guess. However, unless they had gear
failure, it should have been possible to reduce sail. This is why I
suspect a more sudden event, perhaps being hit by a squall while no
one is at the helm.
The boat was a 1996 FOUNTAINE PAJOT, 35'
I don't know the designed stability of the boat or the load and
weather circumstance of the incident.
Until the capt'n reveals what happened, it's a bit early to say the
boat capsized.
Certainly - we have almost no information about the incident. I
presumed that the weather was not too severe - certainly the video did
not look that harsh and a quick check of the buoys didn't reveal any
serious weather. If we rule out hurricanes and the like, then its
hard imagine a pitchpole situation. The news did imply they were hit
by a squall, and in that case being overpowered is possible.
Yes. Just don't know. BTW, the cat is a 1995. Mistyped it.
http://www.boatinfoworld.com/boat/re...o-colorado.asp
The bayacht guy seems to know catamarans well and looks very dimly
on fiberglass foredecks, and that may (or may not) have been a factor
in this case.
I always thought they increased hobby-horsing or pitching. However,
there are a number of factors involved, so its not as simple as saying
solid deck cats pitch too much.
BTW, although he never mentions it, the boat he keeps referring to as
the "bad cat" is a Prout - solid deck, narrow, center pod, etc. Prout
essentially created the modern cruising cat. They built 5000 hulls,
which are sailing all over the world with a near perfect safety
record. Dozens have circumnavigated - perhaps more than any other
brand of sailboat. I've never heard of any capsizing - they have a
very heavy hull and undersized rig, and the central pod provides
enormous forward buoyancy in pitchpole situations. However, they were
not sold by Bay Yacht. Bay Yacht did, however, sell the FP Tobago
35'. Everyone has an agenda.