68 BASIC POWERBOATING. SAFETY & RESCUE FOR SAILING INSTRUCTORS Rollover Rescue


Safety boat operators have reported varying results with this method. It works for some types of sailboats, but you must be patient to allow time for the forces to start rotating the boat once you’ve applied a steady load on the righting line. It could take several minutes before you notice any movement. The sails in the water resist the rotation, but this resistance will decrease as the sails rotate out of their vertical position. Whether the righting line crosses forward or aft of the centerboard will vary with the type of boat.


Righting line


1 Attach a righting line and lead it over the boat to the safety boat.


Rollover Tips E Some safety boat


operators prefer to pull on the righting line in forward gear for increased towing power. Also, with the bow moving forward into the waves, it avoids the problem of water coming over the transom when backing in reverse.


E The righting line may be attached to the chainplate fitting (connects the shroud to the hull) or to the end of the jib sheet. A large carabiner at the end of the righting line will speed up the attachment.


E Tying the righting line to a towing bitt located near the safety boat’s point of rotation increases its maneuverability.


3 When the boat rotates onto its side, keep tension on the line to prevent the boat re-turtling if the mast has filled with water. Proceed with the centerboard push or mast tip lift method.


Note: If the mast is full of water and the mast tip method is used, the safety boat will need to maintain tension on the righting line as a second boat maneuvers into position at the mast tip.


Rollover Rescue with a Stabilizing Line


At times it may be difficult to maintain the perpendicular angle of the righting line to the sailboat if the bow aligns with the tow. A stabilizing line attached to the transom will overcome this problem.


2 Shift into reverse and increase the throttle. If the sailboat does not roll over, rotate the safety boat in the opposite direction and shift into forward gear with enough throttle to roll over the turtled boat.


Righting line


Stabilizing line


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