sailboat mast turtle

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Multi-hull capsize anti turtling device (mast float)

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I am seeking information on catamaran / multi-hull masthead floats. Have found limited info via internet searches. Specifically foam shapes that go on the top of the mast. I was looking for more clever products to keep small multihulls / beach cats from turning turtle once they capsize. Can anybody provide some links or info. Thanks a bunch, Talbot  

This company makes a self-inflating device for the top of the mast : SECUMAR - Accessories - Anti-Inversion Cushion KSK, blue On my Wayfarer I bought an inflatable bag designed for the top of a sail (ordered it from England), and had a pocket made in the sail. This way it could be deflated if the sail was put away.  

Beach cats with seal masts don't turtle if handled properly, and I've pitchpoled more than a few times. * The mast must be sealed. Check for own-installed hardware. If seale, it floats. * Once the boat flips, get off. Most turtles are caused by folks hanging on the rigging. Get around to the botto side. A float just increases capsize risk (windage and mass). Don't do it.  

pdqaltair said: A float just increases capsize risk (windage and mass). Don't do it. Click to expand...

What happened to the empty Clorox bottle tied to the top of the mast? Too low tech?  

I've been on a Hobie 16 that turtled before, and righting it was really not a big deal. Personally, I wouldn't worry about it.  

I had a Prindle so the "sealed mast" never turtled. I had it one it's side 15-20 minutes before. However my friends in a H16 definitely turtled, in the ocean, and had to get a tow to right them. I I think a durable and inflated "something" at the top would be efficient, however the weight (windage) could hurt your balance as you fly a hull, and it would look ugly (Never something I cared about, if you only saw my P16) So my un-applied idea was this: A 2nd halyard parallel with the main halyard, rigged to a large float that could stay at the bottom of the mast on the trampoline while you sail. Maybe a round buoy / dock fender, so it still looks like it belongs on a boat. Anyways, once you flip, if you can get on the hulls before it's fully turtled, and begin yanking on the halyard to get the float going up the mast to prevent it from sinking turtle.. Or just buy a hobie mast bob and find a way to install it on your mast. They're $$$ though. Or. Slap on a auto-inflating life jacket that pops to inflate (to the top of the mast) when it is submerged in water, maybe that could provide enough lift. Then you'll just have to replace the can every time you capsize. (Semi joking)  

Philzy3985 said: However my friends in a H16 definitely turtled, in the ocean, and had to get a tow to right them. Click to expand...

Thanks for all the good input. I had been sent info on the Secumar and was wondering if there was an alternative available in the states. Already saw the mast Bob from Hobie...simple solution but makes your cat look like an old Aquacat.  

Some spray in foam insulation, at top of mast, if no internal halyards etc., but beware stuff does expand quite a bit. Cheap, easy and no windage/weight. Also can adhere thin foam pad to small upper section of mainsail, much the same as is added to the luff of roller furled jibs. Again cheap, easy and no weight/windage.  

denverdOn : yeah it was in the pacific in rolling seas. The owner had experience but his crew did not, and orchestrating the routine was impossible, the crew started to get agitated and cold, so they flagged down a nearby boat to radio for help. I think that it takes patience and timing the swells to help you because of the slow motion between the sail and water that gets the boat righted. Glad you guys performed the routine so well! Cats are so much fun, I sold mine to a guy who shipped it to his beach-front home in Hawaii - I just might consider his offer and fly out there to get back on the thing for a couple days. (I wish)  

Philzy3985 said: denverdOn : yeah it was in the pacific in rolling seas. The owner had experience but his crew did not, and orchestrating the routine was impossible, the crew started to get agitated and cold, so they flagged down a nearby boat to radio for help. I think that it takes patience and timing the swells to help you because of the slow motion between the sail and water that gets the boat righted. Glad you guys performed the routine so well! Cats are so much fun, I sold mine to a guy who shipped it to his beach-front home in Hawaii - I just might consider his offer and fly out there to get back on the thing for a couple days. (I wish) Click to expand...

I don't remember ever capsizing while on a catamaran. It's ALWAYS been a pitchpole and flop over on one hull - look to see what happened to the crew on the trapeze, usually not good - and then get to the righting lines before it's too late. How do you right a cat that's gone all the way by yourself? Every time I've watched there has been a power boat involved.  

talbot said: How do you right a cat that's gone all the way by yourself? Click to expand...

I've raced in fleets where MANY pitched, and never saw a raced boat turtle. Recreational sailors, yes; they hang on the rigging and don't get to the righting lines quickly. Make certain the mast is sealed. That is your float. Adding internal foam will actually reduce flotation.  

Reading this post years later...if anyone is still on...why on earth would adding internal foam to a catamaran mast reduce flotation? This seems counterintuitive. I ask because I just bought a prindle 16 I intend to sail with my kids and I am considering putting a pool noodle inside the top of the mast, or using spray foam. I will also seal the mast. Anyone?  

I had a Prindle 16 so I know this for certain. The mast is SEALED (external halyards) and will fload. Anything you put in the mast only makes it heavier and it will float less. Make certain it is sealed!  

I turtled my old Hobie 16 a few times when I owned her.  

Prindle 16 mast is sealed so it will float. no need to ad any flotation to the inside, all it will do is make it heavier and not float a well. if you do turtle get all the weight on the back cross bar and sink the stern of one hull and wait for the mast head to float to the surface at which point the boat will turn on to one hull and then you right the boat with the righting line.  

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Mast turtling

• Thread starter sneakypete
• Start date Apr 13, 2014
• Oday Owner Forums
• Day Sailers

I'm new to sailing, took a course last fall on Hunter 146's and did fine. I will sailor my Widgeon this year solo in freshwater and I'm a little uptight about turtling. I have given thought to either installing a small mast float or sealing the mast. Sealing means sealing the top of the mast , but with what? Expandable insulating foam or what? What about other fixtures along the length of the mast that would leak? The float isn't all that much money.  

you can fill it with foam. or get a dedicated masthead float... or tie a clorox bottle or fender to the top of the mast until you get over your anxiety... it may not look pretty, but it will do the job... start off sailing conservatively and be ready to let the mainsheet out. once you learn its not much of a fear, then you can leave the bottle at home.... I wouldnt rely on sealing the mast, as if water DID find its way in, you will never lift the mast with it full of water to upright it... a float is the best its a small boat and even if it turtles you should be able to upright it...  

Some people have considered stuffing pool noodles inside the mast. I don't think it would work all that well, what with rivets protruding inside from spreaders and tangs and such… Plus, any weight aloft is heeling weight. I think Centerline has it right, just tie a jug to the top of the mast. Ugly, but effective. A guy at the club did that with his Flying Scot last summer for our capsize clinic. As long as the Flying Scot mast doesn't go under, a Scot will float on its side, and not take on any water until you right it. The Scot does have a class legal masthead float, which is a pita-like pocket of foam that fits over the head of the sail. The racers call it "the diaper," as in "It's really windy today, I think I put on the diaper." It's a great idea to get your boat out with a support boat standing by, perhaps in chest deep water, and deliberately capsize it a few times, to see how it will behave. You can practice climbing over the high side right out onto the centerboard. Or see how long she might lay on her side before turtling. I find my 15 footer will lay on her side if there's no wind, but if there's any wind pushing on the hull, she'll turtle. She has a foam filled mast (from the manufacturer) and was supposed to have a mast head float sewn into the head of the main, but I had a new main made without the float. From my years of learning on a Sunfish, when the boat goes over (I haven't had her go over on me yet, just on purpose when I intended) it's almost instinctive for me to climb over the high side onto the centerboard. Last time that happened with my 14 footer, I went onto the board, got her upright and climbed back into the boat as she righted, and didn't even get my bathing suit wet. Of course, that boat has side decks, and she ships a lot of water, so I got to bail for 45 minutes. A 1 gallon jug used as a bailer can't hold a candle to a bucket when we're dealing with 10" or 12" of water in the bottom!!!  

Sunbird22358

The widgeon mast is already filled with foam. The best way to avoid turtling is to avoid capsizing in the first place. A float on hte mashead big enough to do any good will be more likely to INCREASE the likelyhood of capsizing (a lot of weight up high where you do NOT want it). Those floats are fine on a catamaran with high intial stability, but will not help on a small boat like the widgeon. I sailed my Widgeon for 7 seasons on windy Buzzards Bay (near Cape Cod) and the only time I ever capsized was the time that I stood up on the seat to adjust one of the spreaders at the mooring (my boat unceremoniously dumped me in hte water and then rolled back upright half-full of water!) I even had a spinnaker and figured out how to use it solo! (crash landed on a beach one time when I didn't take it down in time........oops!) When sailing a small, centerboard boat like a Widgeon, ALWAYS and I mean ALWAYS, keep the mainsheet in hand! That way if you gat hit by a puff off wind, yo ucan instantly realease the sheet and spill the wind out of the sail preventing a capsize. Use the supplied camcleat to hold hte tension, but keep the mainsheet in hand. Doing that I avoided going over any time I was hit by a gust. Yes, I had a few close calls, but never came close to going over, and I don't sail conservatively all the time..... I was usually trying to get the most out of the boat. Some other tips: get a tiller extension so you can steer while sitting on the side deck, amazing how much more stable the boat is when one sits there versus the cockpit seat. If it is windy, sail without the jib, just raise the CB a bit to help balance the change in the center of the sail area. If a Widgeon does go over, even the ones with the foredeck and molded-in cockpit are going to fill with water and that float on the masthead will make it even harder to right due to the added weight. Again, the best way to recover from a capsize is to never go over in the first place. It can be done! The Widgeon is a lot more stable than you might think as long as you sail her like the small centerboard boat that she is. I employ the same technique on my present DS II and have now sailed 18 seasons without a capsize (half-filled the cockpit once or twice.... but never went over!) Of course on that boat..... the 4hp outboard, VHF radio, my camera, and a lot of other stuff that I would lose if I went over...does provide a strong incentive to NOT capsize.  

Interesting, and I appreciate the heads up stuff. Yeah, I'm well aware of how important loosening the mainsheet is. I already made a tiller extension out for 3/4 oak dowel from Home Despot. I'll send some pics of some of the stuff I've done. Boat is handsome. Well with the mast sealed does the boat still turtle? All my previous experience has been with airplanes, motorcycles , and cars...sailboats are amazing little machines.  

sneakypete said: Well with the mast sealed does the boat still turtle? Click to expand

Brian S said: I respectfully disagree that a plastic jug tied at the masthead is all that heavy such as to promote excessive heeling. quote] I never said that a plastic jug was that heavy, I was refering to those big, "blimp=shaped" floats that yo usee on some HOBIE Cats. I stil lsay, from WIDGEON expereince that a masthead float is not needed. The boat will not go over if sailed like the CB boat that she is. If one were unlucky (or careless?) enough to capsize, the Widgeon will fill with water and be hard to right without help. A flota on hte mast will probably slow down any tendency to turtle, but is not going to really make righting any easier. I still say that the best way to recover from a capsize is to never go over in the first place. That was what my Dad always taught me and after 40 years of sailing it has proven correct so far. Click to expand

Sunbird22358 said: I never said that a plastic jug was that heavy, I was refering to those big, "blimp=shaped" floats that yo usee on some HOBIE Cats. I stil lsay, from WIDGEON expereince that a masthead float is not needed. The boat will not go over if sailed like the CB boat that she is. If one were unlucky (or careless?) enough to capsize, the Widgeon will fill with water and be hard to right without help. A flota on hte mast will probably slow down any tendency to turtle, but is not going to really make righting any easier. I still say that the best way to recover from a capsize is to never go over in the first place. That was what my Dad always taught me and after 40 years of sailing it has proven correct so far. Click to expand

Gee, no jib furler!  

Way back in the early 1970's......... O'DAY offered an interesting option on their small boats (Widgeon, Javelin, O'Day 15, Day Sailer, R19) It was a rubber "balloon" that was housed just below the masthead, it was designed to automatically inflate if the boat ever capsized (kind of like a modern inflatable PFD) This was an "anti-turtling" device and apparently worked OK. Well, "ok" if you didn't mind having an inflated balloon stuck to your masthead after righting the boat, and I don't remember what options there were for re-arming it....... never mind deflating it (pop it??). I remember seeing it in the brochures, don't know how many O'DAY sold, but they did sell at least one, because my Godfather had one on his JAVELIN and he had great fun telling me about it working (I was around 10 years old at the time). Not sure if he ever did find a way to re-arm it...... and as I recall he was only able to deflate it by popping the balloon! Anone looking for an idea for a "new" product to make and sell?? <GRIN!>:dance: Quoted from the 1973 brochure: Masthead Flotation Device. Here's a light weight, positive-acting flotation bubble that's actuated by immersion. Even the best-designed boat can "turn turtle" under extreme conditions. In the event of a capsize, a rubber balloon fills with CO2 to help keep mast at water level  

Attachments

They do still sell all sorts of inflatable mast floats, based on Sunbird's recommendation I'll concentrate on my sailing skills. I made and installed a bracket on the masthead to mount a Windex 10 wind vane.  

Hey Sunbird, where do I find matching white hull paint for my Widgeon. I have a few spots I have to touch up.  

sneakypete said: Hey Sunbird, where do I find matching white hull paint for my Widgeon. I have a few spots I have to touch up. Click to expand

Sorry, I asked Rudy about gelcoat, and he doesn't carry it anymore. Said it was too expensive and the environmental regs were too onerous.  

Thanks guys.  

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  Small boats capsize. Sooner or later you will too!

Thanks to Keith at Towndock.net for catching Alan at the Oriental Boat show with the Mast head Floats!

Usually a small boat capsize is not a big deal and if you've been sailing small boats very long you have probably experienced a capsize or two. You should know (and practice) how to swim around to the centerboard and lever the boat back upright BUT Albert Einstein may have said it best...

“In theory, theory and practice are the same. In practice, they are not.”  

Conditions may be much more than you bargained for, your favorite hat may be floating away. Whatever the case if you don't get to the centerboard quickly enough it is quite likely your boat can go "turtle" meaning the mast drops below the waters surface and the boat completely inverts usually making recovery much more difficult in the best case and impossible in the worst. Our boats are perfectly suited to sailing in the shallow and often mucky waters of the Outer Banks but sticking the tops of the masts of any boat in the mud often means a tow is required to get un-stuck if the boat turtles especially when the wind is up.  Below, a Core Sound 17 during capsize camp 2019 with mast stuck in the mud required a tow forward to get un-stuck. 

Some small boats have enough volume in the mast itself to prevent turtling or at least delay it but few masts are perfectly sealed and water starts to get in making the mast heavy. If the mast fills with water if can be impossible to right a small boat by leveraging the centerboard. What if the centerboard is up? Then what do you do? If you're reading this thinking..."I have no idea". Then we highly recommend you practice a capsize in your small boat at the next available opportunity close to shore in calm water and get some experience before you are caught off guard! 

Enter the mast head float! A mast head float is the simplest and best way to make a small boat un-turtle-able and most importantly, make you more self sufficient on the water. W ith a mast head float, you have plenty of time to right the boat without worrying about turtling. Below, the crew holds onto the mizzen mast and the heavier skipper prepares to right the boat. The crew is scooped aboard automatically and can then assist their partner and keep the boat under control. Check out the video here . 

When designing a mast head float we apply the same design principles we always do. It must be simple, reliable and light weight. But that isn't quite enough, we also do not want to sacrifice performance. Our design is simple to assemble, very light weight and always points into the wind with a aerodynamic shape to minimize drag as much as possible. It is quickly removed from the top of the mast with a cotter pin. 

We were partly inspired by Russel Brown's rebuilt mast float for his G32 catamaran which he sailed in the Race to Alaska. The G32 of course was designed by Jan and Meade Gougeon who have always been a strong advocate of self sufficient sailboat designs that could be recovered from a capsize in any conditions. You can see pictures of that float here . While his float is immaculately built, it requires molds to construct. We wanted a simple to build version suitable for small boats.   

We have two sizes available. A 20lb buoyancy float and a 30lb buoyancy float. The 20lb version is suitable for the Core Sound 15 or 17. The 30lb float is suitable for the Core Sound 20.    Check out how we make our float kits in  this video .  

Our glassed and painted 20lb float weighs just over 1lb with a couple ounces of balance weight in the nose.

Pictured above, Graham's 20lb float for Carlita. 

  Click here for  photos of our 20lb Float KIT ,  See the  data sheet here .  

  Click here for  photos of our 30lb Float KIT ,  See the  data sheet here . 

Note: All mast head floats are now installed using the new "Side mount Brackets" ( click here for pictures ). The brackets are included in the float kit. They are 3d printed from strong ABS plastic. The mast and float can be removed using the included button pins in the kit. If you need a different mounting solution just contact us and we'd be glad to help. 

   Jump in the latest mast head float discussion in  this thread .

  Check out our  Capsize Camp  where we gather and practice capsize recovery together. 

20lb Mast Head Float KIT

30lb Mast Head Float KIT

Capsize and Turtle Recovery for Sailors and Chase Boats

Capsize and turtle recovery in a sailboat is easier if you know the tricks. In many small boats, you can quickly recover from a capsize without assistance and keep sailing. If you turtle, or if conditions are less than ideal, you may need help from a chase boat.

We enlisted John Porter to demonstrate capsize and turtle recovery techniques in an MC Scow. He took advantage of a no-wind day to allow for clear audio. We supplemented the audio with on-screen comments.

This post has been updated from the original, with additional tips and links.

Video – Capsize and Turtle Recovery

Unassisted capsize recovery

• In heavier dinghies, it’s best to have a permanent righting line to assist.
• After capsizing, throw the righting line over the high side.
• While you’re still near the cockpit, release the mainsheet and the boom vang. This will help prevent the boat from rolling over and capsizing on the other side after you right it.
• If the wind is strong, consider swimming the bow around so it’s head to wind.
• Pull or stand on the centerboard and/or the righting line to right the boat. In a scow, stand on the lower board and use the righting line. The lower board gives more leverage. Standing on the upper board may bend it.

Assisted Capsize Recovery

• Ensure the chase boat driver is experienced and is using a kill cord. Prop guards are highly recommended.
• Chase boat’s first job is to make sure the sailor is OK. If not, get the sailor in the chase boat and worry about the sailboat later.
• Sailor releases mainsheet and vang and stays near the cockpit. Hold on to something in the cockpit to get scooped in when the boat is righted.
• Chase boat approaches the mast tip slowly. Chase boat assistant grabs top of mast and lifts it out of the water.
• Chase boat driver uses slow forward or reverse to turn the bow of the sailboat head to wind.
• Chase boat assistant walks mast up, using hand-over-hand technique.

Assisted Turtle Recovery

• In light boats you can recover from turtling using the same techniques as for capsizing.
• Caution: make sure the chase boat driver is experienced and is using a kill cord. Prop guards are highly recommended.
• Approach the sailboat from the side.
• Rig a long line from the bow of the chase boat to the opposite side of the sailboat. Attach the line to the opposite side shroud chainplate.
• Chase boat backs away from the sailboat at a 30-45 degree angle. Best to have the chase boat back straight into the wind.
• Find the correct angle to back away. You want to avoid just turning the boat.
• The sailor in the water can assist by preventing the bow from turning too much.
• Chase boat uses 30-50% throttle to slowly pull boat up.
• Release the vang and mainsheet
• Use more throttle to right the boat
• When boat is upright, may need to remover water by towing with bailers open and transom patches removed.

Related Content

Sailing Capsize Recovery | Scoop & Single-Handed Methods SailZing Posts on Capsizing

2 thoughts on “Capsize and Turtle Recovery for Sailors and Chase Boats”

Nice video, might be a step up in safety consideration if the sailor in the water would wear a life vest.

Any videos or instructions for C Scow capsize recovery?

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