Sailing without Amas with the Ai

Thanks all who posted on the last thread here: Heeling on the TI.

Ok let's take it a step further (AI concepts only, as this is a sub thread of heeling on the TI, which I have zero experience with: [disclaimer])

Ok what would happen if you are in an AI and loose the ability to use your akas and amas?
Could you handle a basic 16 foot kayak with the daggerboard down, your rudder is functional. You have a disabled drive, one double bladed paddle, a skinny daggerboard and a rudder blade. Oh yah, I forgot, your mast and sail is functional

The seas are 10 to 15 knots pushing you away from home.....

Home is 35 miles the other way....

The rest of this thread is up to you....and yes you have all standard safety gear aboard including a sea drogue, a 3 pound anchor with 60 feet of poly prop, a small plastic sheet, a Very pistol with 6 flares, a portable VHF (with only 2 hours of battery power left, enough water to last you for 2 days and enough energy bars to last you 3 days (based on one per day).

You've had a major problem, somehow you lost your akas amd amas...

Wanna Play?

(Remember to make this interesting, the weather or sea conditions may change as I play God as this thread continues;

The key point of this thread is imagining that your AI is now a highly unstable kayak without lateral support

Better me than Mother Nature, imho

Fred

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Present sea conditions are calm, only small ripples on the surface.

No noticeable current as you are well offshore.
No land reference except a hazy horizon 35 miles behind you.

These conditions will last for the next 12 hours.

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You awake after falling asleep for a few hours.
The sun is sinking into the sea, you get a small waft of air in your face......

As the water cools on sundown, the void left by cool air will be filled by warmer air from futher away (the horizon line is 60 miles away)(Nature hates a vacuum).

Evening breezes offshore and inshore can literally be 180 degrees from the prevailing winds of the day on sundown...

You can now get some time to do a 180 and try to get back home.

The wind is 8 knots and steady.

You are getting thirsty and hungry.....

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You are making good speed with the wind almost right behind you.
Where should your daggerboard be, considering by Midnight you will be becalmed?

You have more energy bars than water. How much should you eat?
How much water should you consume, based upon supply?

So far you have balanced your boat with body weight.

You see faint Thunderclouds in the distance between you and home port....

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Always looking for ways to make good things 'Gooder'

At this point, you are geting closer to home, yet the clouds do not look promising.
Speed constant at 8 knots dead behind you.
You notice the boat is beginning to rock back and forth as the wind hits your sail and then eases off....

Take action please!

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Always looking for ways to make good things 'Gooder'

Your boat flips and turns turtle.....

The moral of the story: No matter where you are, your vessel is only as good as the sum of all the parts working together in unison.

Anything less will not be acceptable for any of us

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Always looking for ways to make good things 'Gooder'

Well I tried, to give an idea what it is like to be offshore disabled.
This actually happened to me (reconfigured to the AI) years ago in a 17' custom daysailer. I survived, yet I thought it might be an interesting story/test based on the idea of a 'what if'.
That scenario almost got me killed.
There are aspects of any sailcraft that could get you smoked, yet I truly believe that Hobie has done an amazing job to keep the AI/TI in the level that can be learned/taught to anyone without a major insurance policy.
...or having to worry about one.
Yet skills on the sea are not a given. These are skills that King Neptune demands as a standard. (learn them always as offered)
The bonus is that as you learn you become a better sailor, a more proficient Kayaker...and if I may say, a much happier, more confident person as a result!

Regards
Fred

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Always looking for ways to make good things 'Gooder'

Trinomite:
You did much better in your story without AMA's than I did in real life. I took my TI (basically the same boat as the AI) out with no AMA's just to see how it would sail without them (big mistake). I only got ten feet before turtling. I also found that even with the sail completely furled it was difficult to keep the boat upright, as soon as it starts to tip the weight of the mast takes the boat over. I am thinking if I somehow lost my AMA's while out, I would probably take the sail down. Thats the beauty of the AI/TI boats, if all else fails you can always pedal home. I actually did some tests last weekend on pedaling after the wind died on me. At a moderate pedaling pace I measured my speed at 3.5mph (GPS), I'm pretty sure I could maintain that pace for 8-10 hours (have done it many times) if I had to. That 3.5mph is with all the sail rigging and AMA's on the boat, without them the boat is probably faster and less affected by the wind. I would pedal until dark, then if I didn't have a sea anchor I would unfurl the sail into the water to keep the boat from moving while I slept, then the next morning finish pedaling the rest of the 35 miles home.
I have broken down 8-10 miles west of Key West (broken rudder) and had to struggle back with no sail (you can't sail without the rudder I found out), you end up using what you have. Of course this was nothing like your real life situation. It wasn't so bad though I just fired up my emergency motor and powered home. Moral of the story always have multiple backups that will get you home, I always carry 30-40 miles of fuel on board, which is the max distance I would ever go.
Interesting excercise, could happen to any of us, it's good to think through and have a plan. Anyone that far out should have a Spot II and shore support who will come rescue you when your AMA's float away 35 miles out, because your screwed.
Bob

T-mate,

Very interesting exercise. I for one need to learn a lot more before I venture out in the open sea. I'm sticking to lakes and flat water rivers until I get a handle on all this. I want to practice boarding from the water, etc. I've already tested my ability to come about quickly in a "man overboard" drill when my grandson dropped a candy bar wrapper overboard.

I have a couple of Stearns cushions for comfort and thinking I need to fasten a line to each to allow me to use for tossing for rescuing an errant 10 year old.

By the way, I was updating my car insurance today with my agent and found out that my TI needs to have it's own policy to get liability and damage coverage. Turns out it just cost about $9/month.

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It's a good Life, Let's sail!

iHop

Dune TI - 6/4/2011
Camas, WA

Thanks for the replies
Wasn't sure if it was 'over drama'. Yet, there is always the probability factor based on sound risk management that we negotiate with ourselves everytime we set out for the day.
An odd story: Yet kind of funny in hindsight:
When I first met my wife 11 years ago, I invited her out for a long weekend on my Catalina 27 'Thumper' from the Marina in North Vancouver via Gibsons to Silva Bay, Gabriola Island.
First day was wonderful. As we set off on the second day for the 25 mile beam reach to Silva Bay, it looked great for a swift crossing at 8 knots.
Half way across, I noticed a serious squall appear out of nowhere. I dove below and grabbed the rough weather gear and offered her my second set.
She freaked! I asked what was wrong as I struggled to get into my offshore suit. She stared at me and said:
"I do NOT wear ORANGE!!"
Confused I led her down below and closed the hatch.
I rode out the squall learning something entirely new:
You can have all the 'right gear' aboard but you can't make someone use it. (especially a Graduate of the LA Institute of Fashion Design ):)

Anyway, back to the subject: Fusion, yah yanking the mast seems almost a must considering the potential water scoop if the sail wasn't reefed to the cam cleat, will most certainly turn the boat turtle.
In this 'story' I disabled the drive to make it harder to get back. The double bladed paddle can work also as a temp aka. Remember you had a plastic sheet aboard which if tied off could work as a stabalizer by bagging both paddles. Would I ever want to try that out in RL. I doubt it, unless sheit has really hit the fan...

The food and water factors were a red herring.

Ihop, A trip to the San Juans has got to be a must on your hit list, Man. It is relatively well protected between the Islands, the scenery is gorgeous as well as not having to camp. (Orca and San Juan Islands have got amazing turn of the century resorts on them)
But watch your butt if you go out into the Haro Straights (US/Canadian water border) near Victoria. The current there is truly evil unless you time out the Tide slack down to the minute.

Thanks for playing guys

Best Regards, m8s
Fred

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Always looking for ways to make good things 'Gooder'

ihop
You can launch from Anacordes, WA, from a State Park or actually take the ferry from there and get dropped off on their route throught the San Juans or continue on thru to Victoria, BC (end ferry destination) and explore the well protected area that is the 'inside' of the Canadian version of the San Juans - The Gulf Islands.
(caution, in the summer time, the insides of the Canadian Gulf Islands are so well protected that you could be becalmed for days)
Both Island systems are well travelled and supported by Ferry Systems.
If you ever do it, please let me know, I'd be thrilled to show you 'my neck of the woods'

Just in case you google Sucia Island State Park, this horseshoe shaped island in the middle of nowhere is surrounded by shallows and strong tidal currents (due to the need for the Straights of Georgia to refill every tide change from the Juan de Fuca Straights).
It is also the chief destination for the Seattle Yacht Club and many others who reserve space 6 months in advance. A natural experience it is not. Yet the Island is an amazing place if you are an avid bird watcher..

Be well
Fred

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Always looking for ways to make good things 'Gooder'

Ok I reread the scenario I posted again to make sure I got the 'Physics' right.

1) In each post the wind was dead behind you, that without stabilization is death in a handbasket. The course needed to have been changed to ensure 'pressure' on the sail to keep the boat from swinging 'n tipping.

2) Changing your course 10 to 15 degrees with the wind almost on the stern will keep this top heavy boat from swaying as the wind no longer hits the sail from directly astern. The sea anchor could also have been used to take the load off your Rudder.

3) I've had a lot of passengers on board my boats over the years. Some of them have asked me what causes motion sickness. The answer will always be the same:
A) you are hung over
B) you haven't eaten anything
c) you have ear problems
D) you are just naturaly prone to sea sickness
E) You are on a Powerboat! I can't stabilize this boat like I can on a sailboat. The boat rolls are there is nothing above deck to keep this boat steady.

And that my friends is the answer to the riddle. Look at an Old School Trawler. Most of them have a teeny sail on a short mast.
No it's not a Jib, a Main, it is a Steadying sail and on a fat displacement hull. On a trawler it is also the difference between getting a net aboard or flying off the stern deck.
Yet the cross angle course by a Pro Helmsman will always be insisted on because having the wind on your ass is a bad idea as it will make the boat hard to control, cause a sickening roll or worse cause a pattern that may not be recoverable from if a wave breaks over your stern and floods your butt.
If the pattern when the wave breaks is the opposite, your stern may lift enough to nosedive the craft and cause a potential pitch pole.

But of course, this is just a story. We have no need to worry. Simular experiences happened years ago (before the lessons of the sea got pounded into my head).

Regards
Fred

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Always looking for ways to make good things 'Gooder'