Possibly brilliant righting plan

Hi

I always struggle to right my 14, I have devised a possible righting system, but I need some advice before trying it.

I have discovered that the gooseneck bearing that slots into the mast track also fits into the forward trampoline track. I was wondering if I slide the gooseneck into the centre of the forward track, just behind the mast step, and attached the boom to it, could I use it as a righting pole with the right lines rigged? Mostly I need to know if the tramp track would be strong enought to take the loaded that A righting pole would impose.

Cheers

Pierre

I presume you are saying that the difficulty is getting the sail and mast out of the water? While that I find comes up slowly, the problem I generally have is keeping the boat upright, because in a 20 kt wind, it generally goes straight over again. The righting pole would be no help at all in strong winds. In light winds the issue is simply body weight, but I very very rarely lose the boat in light winds, so it does not seem like an issue to me. I am 75kg, or about 165 pounds. I guess at 140 pounds it would be a real issue. The easiest solution folks have used is to have a water bag to add some 30 or so pounds. If the mast fills with water, that certainly adds to ones woes. But fitting a float solves that.

I find that now matter what the wind I am not heavy enough to lift the rig, i weigh 78kg, even with the mast pointing into the wind, the rig does not lift, I have a masst float, so the boat doesn't turn turle.

The crossbar track should be strong enough (I believe it's the same extrusion as the mast). But are you going to completly disassemble the boom from the sail to do this?

That's a ton of work, especially with the boat on it's side or turtled. You'll have to disconnect the downhaul, outhaul, and main blocks. Then slide the boom off the sail, get it inserted into the front crossbar, rig up a support line to the hold it up. Then right the boat. Then undo everything and reinstall the boom which will be quite difficult to re-attach to the foot of the sail while on the water (I would think getting the boom slid back on while on the water would be next to impossible, especially without flipping the boat over backwards).

Why not just install a permanent, dedicated righting pole. Make one out of an aluminum pole or old windsurfing mast.

sm

Way too complicated. Just get a righting bag.

No, I don't plan on removing the boom in the water, I have a spare Hobie 14 boom, that I will use as a permanent righting pole. I have tried a righting bag, but found that I was still a struggle.

Grab a seperate piece of heavier rope about 7-8 feet long, tie a couple loops on either end and when you crash, get the boat on her side, the toss that around the side stay and lean all the way back. You can even hook one end to your butt bucket and grab the other end. It will go, the higher up on the side stay you are the better it will work.

Well I am 75kgs, and it comes up, with me leaning back, sometimes I hook up to the harness, and I have a rope tied to the front pylon so I can lean back. Try jumping up and down, it encourages the sail to lift.

That may be your problem, if the mast is truly into the wind. With the mast into the wind, the wind is forcing the sail down until you've raised the mast past horizontal. The wind should be forward - generally at 45 degrees between the hull and mast - so that it can get between the sails and the water, thus helping you immediately.

See page 13 of the US catalog.