Knock Down Drills?

[GaryHLucas]

Good thread!

I've owned and sailed a C22 and I have to agree, down flooding is the major peril. I forgot about the keel lock bolt. On many C22s they don't work anymore because they've been bent by the owner raising the keel with the botl tight. I had to grind out mine and replace it.

This thread also made me realize I missed the whole hazard of a knockdown with my own boat. However, while it would scare the hell of me, the outcome would surely be different. It's an ETAP, with a foam filled double hull. So even with down flooding it won't be sinking. Also every hatch, even the companionway and slide is fully gasketed. So if I'm closed up, as I do if the weather is looking bad, I probably won't need more than the sponge. There isn't any bilge pump, so that is good!

I've often suggested to sail boat owners to sit in the companion way and imagine in your mind what would happen if your boat was very slowly rolled over completely. Picture what the interior will look like when she is completely upside down. Cushions on the ceiling? Floorboards on top of the cushions? Smashed batteries spilling acid? All of your galley, food, clothing etc. added to the pile? Now picture it all happening in a split second! Are we all prepared?

Gary H. Lucas

[Sabreman]

Yeah, I survived....not quite a candidate for the Bonehead Moves thread, but here's what happened. http://www.sailnet.com/forums/seaman...e-sailing.html

We were about two miles from the marina (to our west) when a summer thunder storm line came rolling at us from the west. We thought that we could beat it in, but didn't. We were caught with full main and jib and lots of wind/rain/lightning, etc. My dada and our guests below and my Brother in Law and I stayed on deck. I went forward to get the jib down (no roller furler) and slipped on the radically heeling, wet deck. As I went over the side, I grabbed the sheet and clew of the partially lowered jib and was dragged along until the boat rounded up and stopped. While being dragged, my dad came on deck, took one look around, and started to lower the main. In the commotion, he never realized that his son (me) was in the water (thanks dad!). We laughed about it for years, but that's another lesson - with all the confusion it's easy to forget simple stuff (like your son), so practice, practice, practice.

Fell off our Sabre 28 about 8 years ago. That one made it into the Bonehead Move thread.

casioqv - Learn how to reef. This weekend. It can mean the difference between a busted, broken crew & boat and fun. On the successor to my dad's C27, a C30, we exploded the gooseneck and tore the mainsail luff 4' while running downwind at 12+ kts in 8' off Montauk in 25 kts wind. But that's another story. Learned how to sew that day.