[Rhodes22-list] R22 capsize in Force 10

[Chris Geankoplis]

Nice explanation and food for thought. Alas, you couldn’t heave to on a lee
shore. The Rhodes heaves to quite well, I’ve done it several times over the
years but it needs sea room.

Chris Geankoplis
ENOSIS

On Sat, 7 Mar 2020 at 15:06, S/V Lark <Colealexander at hotmail.com> wrote:

> My issue just arrived.  (They're $6 on Ebay right now).   Wow.
>
> A few thoughts from my lessor experiences, particularly an unexpected
> squall
> where I was caught in a long gust over 50 MPH (not knots) per NOAA.   I
> quickly reefed the jib, but the main was still about half at the time.   I
> tend to be conservative with the main, since its harder to reef quickly.
> It was only half out as I watched the clouds and headed to the marina.   Of
> course I was on the lee shore in seconds.   Maybe because it was April and
> the water was cold, or maybe because of my dinghy roots, I wasn't willing
> to
> crawl off the windward rail to hang over the cold water and try to furl the
> main.   Nor did I dare release the tiller long enough to try.  I luffed
> like
> crazy while maintaining just enough windward angle to avoid leeway putting
> me in the trees, I slowly crawled along a quarter mile of shore, trying to
> get to a wider part of the lake.    I'm not sure how many minutes of peak
> terror I enjoyed before the wind dropped down to 30-40 mph, allowing me to
> gain enough seaway to drop the sail, start the outboard and get over the
> shakes.   I used the outboard just to hold stationary for several minutes,
> until I gradually began to build distance.   Half an hour later I was back
> to sailing, trying to find my hat.
>
> My mistake wasn't respecting the storm clouds enough.  The direction of
> wind
> on water made me think they would clear me, plus they weren't from the
> usual
> direction.  Since it wasn't even 60 degrees I didn't think a squall would
> pack the energy of a summertime pop up storm.   I always  keep a life
> jacket
> hooked to the black tabs that hold the seat cushions (which were still in
> the V berth).  I was able to put it on quickly without releasing the
> tiller.
> I didn't have a wetsuit or proper gear, just a hoodie.   Since I was
> reservoir sailing there was no reason to set lifelines.   I did have dry
> clothes in the cabin, but not in a waterproof bag. If swamped, they would
> have been useless.  The Sailmaster had a hanked on jib which was dropped as
> I understand the story.   He wouldn't have been able to drop it if single
> handing.   The lost Rhodes had problem with its reefed jib lifting up?   In
> my case I was able to reef the jib but could not make it to the foredeck
> alone to add a gasket.   I've had a furled jib on another boat partially
> unwind above the sheets from a gale.   That makes the boat impossible to
> control.   (That's another story, but a Buccaneer 18 can in fact foil).   I
> don't recall if I put the companionway door in, I often do if in doubt,
> just
> to keep rain out.  I don't trust the poptop to remain in place if rolled.
>
> Regarding the outboard:   I think James Papa of Small Craft Advisor is
> mostly right    Another squall of lessor wind but rain demonstrated that.
> I
> was again just reservoir sailing so the waves were insignificant.   The
> blinding spray of wind driven rain plus foam nearly choked the carb several
> times.    This weakness is not unique to the Rhodes.   Many larger cruisers
> have replaced broken inboards with transom hung outboards for cost,
> seriously diminishing  their seaworthiness.   The author doesn't seem aware
> of the fuel efficiency of the modern 4 cycle.   It may cavitate, it may
> push
> air, it may choke on foam.  It may die just because of ethanol.   It won't
> run out of gas anytime soon.
>
> I'm unsure what affect the flaired sides have in a heavy wind, I think
> there
> is some drawback.  I forget the term, but there is a circumstance in large
> ship design where overhang can catch a wave and decrease stability.  This
> is
> a problem for giant waves hitting the corners of large container ships,
> since they are designed to maximize the cargo capacity while still
> maintaining some prismatic coefficient for fuel efficiency.   In conditions
> I've been out in the Rhodes nicely floats up the side of a wave.  I'm sure
> there are some circumstances where it won't.  The flair does stiffen the
> hull and provide a dry ride in normal conditions.
>
> The Rhodes is a trailer sailor.   Its nicely appointed, but I don't know
> the
> EU would give it a class C rating.      I often sail alone.   Exceptions
> are
> usually passengers rather then experienced crew.  Early and late season I'm
> often the only boat visible, so I try to be conservative and self reliant.
> I think a lot about these kinds of stories.   Thanks for the thread.
>
> Alex
>
>
>
> -----
> Alex Cole
> S/V Lark
> --
> Sent from: http://rhodes-22.1065344.n5.nabble.com/
>