SailNet Community banner
  • SailNet is a forum community dedicated to Sailing enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about sailing, modifications, classifieds, troubleshooting, repairs, reviews, maintenance, and more!

Accidental Jibes

8K views 34 replies 24 participants last post by  captainchetco 
#1 ·
Back when I was growing up sailing there was one day that I will never forget. I was sailing downwind in a dinghy when I reached over to assist my crew with the centerboard. With a slight wind shift and a small distraction I turn the rudder just enough to cause the accidental jibe. The next thing I remember was laying in the bottom of the boat with my head covered in blood. It turned out that my injury was not severe, but if my head was half an inch closer to the end of the boom I could have woke up in the ER. So ending the day with a small gash on the top of my head and one lesson to never forget. Take extra pre-caution when sailing downwind, always know the wind direction, and pay attention.
 
#2 ·
In about 45 years of sailing, I only got hit by the boom once.

I still don't remember the ten minutes or so just after, until I regained consciousness, nor why I didn't sense it coming, which I always figured I would.

Life's full of new experiences. This is one I'll try not to repeat.
 
#3 ·
Two Words: Dutchman Boombrake. :)
 
#7 ·
All this fancy gear I see everybody post up about just doesn't go on a classic yacht where everything is either wood or bronze. Not and look worth a damn. Besides, ya have to be standing up for my boom to hit ya, that and be over 6' tall if in the cockpit. If you are standing up, ya best have yer head out yer ass to start with.
 
#11 ·
I capsized a 15' centerboard last year on an dead downwind accidental gybe, good times. Invaluable learning experience. The very next week I found myself in the same situation but I was able to save myself :)

I am still getting comfortable with being dead downwind. It's not my favorite, but you gotta do what you gotta do.
 
#13 ·
#18 ·
Boom!

I've only been BOOMED once years ago, glasses overboard, BLECH.
My excuse: 4 cigar boats aimed right at us and a crew person who couldn't shut up. OK, OK, no excuse!

BTW, it's hard to steer a tiller whilst sitting down without an extension.

My solution: I NEVER sail downwind without a preventor. My hook up now is two lines, one port side, one starboard running from the boom awl up to the bow, then back to the cockpit. That way I can set it up and release instantly.
 
#20 ·
I've never sailed with a preventer but when one has it up, how does the boat react when an accidental gybe SHOULD have happened?

Does the boat heal momentarily to windward and then settle back down?
Does the main get backed out? What about the jib?
Anything one should do with the tiller to react to it?
 
#23 ·
I've never sailed with a preventer but when one has it up, how does the boat react when an accidental gybe SHOULD have happened?
Does the boat heal momentarily to windward and then settle back down?
Does the main get backed out? What about the jib?
Anything one should do with the tiller to react to it?
A hundred and one different answers because - were you Wing and Wing - DDW or with both sails on the same side.... etc... ? Any way since the main is basically fixed in place by the preventer and probably luffing and the jib is doing who knows what depending on how deep down wind you were, I would think in most cases it would be easiest to re-fill the main because if you have any way left at all that would simply mean turning tiller or wheel to get back to your original course. Then you can evaluate what needs to be done about the jib which may have backwinded and came back and filled :) .... OR .... is hopelessly wrapped around your forestay :( .... but now at least you can be making a little way, take a deep breath, and do what ever needs doing.
 
#21 · (Edited)
A few years ago while chartering a Dufour 30 in Greece, a mixture of inattention and a sudden gust caused an accidental Jibe. At the time, my wife was reaching across from the port side to attend to the starboard jib-sheet winch. The main sheet track on that boat is mounted in the front of the cockpit.
The boom was way too high for us to get hit - but the main sheet wrapped itself round her neck and rammed her head-first into the starboard cockpit coaming. She had a big gash, blood everywhere and was a bit stunned but very luckily was not seriously hurt.
We learned several things:
You don't have to be hit by the boom to get hurt in an accidental jibe
The cockpit is a very bad place for the mainsheet
If we are before the wind for any length of time (ie long enough for attention to slip which is about 5 mins in my case) we always use some technology to prevent accidents. We use a Jibe preventer but I've heard good things about boom brakes too.

Since that day we have never chartered or owned a boat that did not have the main sheet track either far back behind the cockpit or across the coach roof.
 
#22 ·
A boom is not an absolute necessity. I have a boomless Marconi rig and a self tacking jib. This is a lazy man's pilot house cruiser. Getting hit with a boom is not a concern. However if I were stupid enough to be on the cabin roof and an accidental Gybe happened I would find myself in the water. LOL A lot of power in that big sail. Even the jib would toss a person in the water. All my controls come back to one electric winch insude the pilot house. And six clutches.
 
#24 ·
Dutchman may not be enough

Here's our accidental gybe story (the most recent one, that is): The first year we got our new 44' blue water boat we sailed around Vancouver Island. Rounding the Brooks Penninsula we were flying downwind in 30-35 knots - I saw 14knots briefly on the knotmeter. Boom! - accidental gybe, broke one of the mainsheet blocks and damn near ripped the track off the cabin top.

We had a Dutchman, but I would have to say it wasn't set up tight enough to do its job. Only a few other contributing factors, though: sailing overcanvassed (one reef in the main, should have been 2 or 3), nearly out of control, etc.

Since then we have sailed across the South Pacific, logging 13,000 mostly downwind miles. We still use the Dutchman, but now have and use preventers run from stout padeyes at the end of the boom, forward to the peak and then back to Lewmar linestoppers. The Dutchman is used to control intended gybes. It may be belt and suspenders, but we think they are both needed when making long passages downwind under wind vane steering.
 
#28 ·
Regarding Post 20 and some of the responses: I have to agree that a boombrake is of little use in a high wind accidental jibe. IMHO Preventers should be single-part, and stretchy line (nylon) run from the end of the boom to the bow and then back to the cockpit. The purpose of the stretchy line is to absorb shock and should be rigged to be quickly and easily eased from the cockpit to allow the boom to swing over comparatively gently.

Jeff
 
#32 ·
Jeff-

Just curious as to why you think a boom brake is useless in a high-wind accidental jibe.

Regarding Post 20 and some of the responses: I have to agree that a boombrake is of little use in a high wind accidental jibe. IMHO Preventers should be single-part, and stretchy line (nylon) run from the end of the boom to the bow and then back to the cockpit. The purpose of the stretchy line is to absorb shock and should be rigged to be quickly and easily eased from the cockpit to allow the boom to swing over comparatively gently.

Jeff
 
#31 ·
Whenever, we are sailing wing and wing down wind, I ALWAYS use a preventer. It is a four part bock and tackle rigged from the end of my boom to a pad eye just aft of the aft lower shrouds. Actually, I have two preventers rigged, on for each side so that when I want to jybe, I mearly jybe the sail then ease off on the then windward preventer as I take up on the new leward one. Thus the boom eases over from one side to the other. However; when I am sailing down wind in the trades etc for a longer period of time, say over 12 hrs, I will pole out two jibs, one on either side and then the windvane will steer the boat without me having to worrry at all about a jybe.
 
#33 ·
1. When sailing at night, my standing orders are that a preventer will be rigged when the wind is abaft the beam.

2. A couple of months of ago while sailing around the Spanish Virgin Islands in 20 kts of wind, the helmsman performed a less that perfect jibe - i.e. the sail had been pull in half way when the boom went over. The resulting force was enough to rip the mainsail nearly in two. Granted that the sail was junk, but it brought home how hard an accidental jibe is on the equipment.
 
#34 ·
Don't forget accidental tack!

My near miss came when I asked my wife to hold the boat into the wind so I could take the mainsail down on my 26 footer. Since she is sail challenged, I simply told her to point the boat at a certain landmark. Unfortunately, the wind changed direction and the boom swung sharply--luckily only grazed my cheek. I shudder to think what would have happened if the boom had been one inch closer. :eek:
 
#35 ·
jkliegman has a right Idea! Her's another one.
On my Gulfstar 41', I run a continous line with a snap shackle at each end from the end boom area to a cleat foreward and back to the end boom area on the other side. It merely runs through the base of the bow cleat, and is not made fast.
The snap shackle on the lee is attached to the end of the boom, and the upwind end of the line is made fast to a cleat at the cockpit. The line holds the end of the boom, not the middle and runs clear to the bow. To make a controlled gybe, unsnap the starting leward, pass the boom across under control, and snap on the new leward side; make fast the now upwind side. Its fast and done without leaving the helm. Keeps the boom from booming on your head.

By the way, used to have a chandlery in Brookings OR. Every year, at least one boat would come in with a buckled boom from using the vang as a preventer. Out on the real ocean, where winds are strong and seas kicking the stern around, you need to have an end boom preventer, or a big checkbook for boom replacement.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top