On Apr 16, 6:44 pm, Vic Smith wrote:
On Mon, 16 Apr 2007 19:22:00 -0400, "Wilbur Hubbard"

wrote:

It got hit by a squall. That's what a couple different reports have
said. Just google "catamaran rescue".

Yeah, but just this week numerous news reports reported that the 40'
fiberglass sailboat Aqua Mist flew apart in rough water off the coast
of Florida. Turns out the Aqua Mist is (was) a 42' customized
Uniflite sportfisher.





The bottom line is the wind in the sails flipped the boat over. The same
nor'easter that's wreaking havoc on the NE trailed a cold front through
the Gulf and the squall line with winds gusting to 50knots passed right
through the area where the catamaran turned turtle at the very time it
flipped over. The crew probably was not even aware of the frontal
passage squall line as NOAA weather radio does not have the range
necessary. BTW the wind was from the SW prior to the squall line passing
and quickly veered to the NW. This means they probably were running
maybe with a spinnaker or a large genny. If they didn't note the squall
line approaching, they could have got taken unawares. BAM! Fifty knots
on the beam with a 150% spinnaker = instant knockdown for a mono or
instant capsize for a cat. This is the big problem with catamarans.
Their initial stability is great - better than a monohull. But hit them
with a blast of wind on the beam and they tend to lift a hull. Once that
happens, the stability curve gets logarithmically less until, at 90
degrees, it is zero, zilch, nada. Another thing that tends to compound
the problem is when hit with a strong blast of wind from the beam a
catamaran doesn't have much tendency to turn up into the wind like a
monohull does. The hull form and ballast of a monohull tends to head the
boat up where the wind can't knock it down whereas a catamaran doesn't
head up at all. Face it, a catamaran is a poor design for ocean
voyaging.

Sounds right, though I've read a strong beam wind also pushes the cat
sideways. I guess that depends on the hulls resistance to the water
due to load and draft and how strong a wind overcomes that.
Has anybody considered an automatic sheet releasing mechanism
for catamarans? Any heel that would lift a hull would release the
sheets. Wouldn't have to be complicated.

--Vic- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I was wondering the same exact thing, a weak link on the sheets.

Joe