How to Rescue a Capsized Dyer
MFA has developed practical procedures for retrieving capsized dinghies over the past 40+ years. If these procedures are followed it should take no more than FIVE MINUTES for a crash boat operator plus the skipper of the capsized boat to get everything ready to tow back to the committee boat. Taking more time than this to rescue a capsized skipper and boat is unnecessary, and exposes the entire fleet to risk since the crash boat is not available during that time to help any other skippers in distress.
Every MFA skipper and crash boat operator should learn the following step-by-step procedure! Additional copies of it, as part of the Standing Instructions for Crash Boat Crews, are normally available on the Committee Boat.
GENERAL: Ordinarily a capsized boat will lie in the water with hull on its side and mast and sail upwind. (See footnote below if boat turns upside down). SAFETY COMES FIRST! Get the skipper out of the water, and over to the Committee Boat immediately if he/she is in danger of hypothermia. Normally however (assuming the skipper was properly dressed) he will be OK, and will prefer to help retrieve his own boat. It saves time this way, since it takes two people to do the job quickly.
1. Approach the capsized boat from downwind, pick up any loose and drifting gear. Watch out for the rudder -- it often floats loose after a capsize. When the skipper or a person in the bow of the crash boat has a good grip, preferably on the painter (bow line) of the capsized dinghy, the crash boat operator lets the engine idle and the crash boat will tail downwind from the capsized boat. The crash boat operator then goes forward to work on the capsized boat, making sure no lines or sails get near the outboard propeller -- the skipper usually only has to help balance the crash boat.
2. Drop the mast by pulling a pin to release a side stay or releasing the forestay, so the dinghy can come upright in the water. Also release the vang, BUT DO NOT TRY TO TAKE THE SAIL OFF THE MAST. This is absolutely unnecessary. It is difficult to do in the water. Efforts to try to take off the sail have been a major cause for long delays in retrieving a capsized dinghy.
3. Tie the bottom end of the mast loosely to the mast thwart or bow line with any available line.
4. Empty most of the water from the boat. This is most easily done by ONE person. Just grab the bow gunwale of the dinghy and pull slowly up. The water in the dinghy will run aft and out over the stern transom. As the water runs out, keep lifting the bow up and over the gunwale of the crash boat. When most of the water has drained out of the dinghy, at least two-thirds, push the bow of the dinghy QUICKLY SIDEWAYS off the crash boat gunwale. The dinghy will now be empty enough to tow.
5. Before towing the boat the mast should be lifted on top of the dinghy so that it rests on the stern transom. Don’t bother with the boom and sail, they’ll not be harmed or slow down the boat while it is being towed to the Committee Boat -- unless you have forgotton to release the vang.
Pull the centerboard handle of the dinghy forward to bring the centerboard all the way up - you cannot tow a dinghy with the centerboard down.
6. Tie the painter of the dinghy to the motor bracket or around the engine for easy towing. Our crash boats will not steer properly if the painter is tied to a cleat on a corner of the stern transom. The dinghy can now be towed quickly to the Committee Boat. The skipper or others on the Committee Boat can then take charge of the dinghy.
An experienced crew member or skipper following this procedure can get a capsized dinghy ready to tow to the Committee Boat in three to five minutes. Again, DO NOT TRY TO TAKE SAILS OR RIGGING OFF THE BOAT. This can easily waste twenty or more minutes -- while everyone around gets cold and impatient.
FOOTNOTE: If the capsized dinghy is completely upside down, someone will have to get their arm wet. After approaching the dinghy from downwind, reach down and grab the bow gunwale or the painter and pull hard upwards until the gunwale comes above the water. Then loosen a stay and the dinghy can be turned right side up. Then proceed as above.
Roger Willcox
MFA Safety officer
January 1, 2002
P.S. A note on dinghy seamanship. Most capsizes in windy weather happen while going downwind. A major factor is that Dyer dinghies tend to get harder to steer when the wind blows, especially if the centerboard is up. Keep your centerboard DOWN if your boat seems unstable!
Every MFA skipper and crash boat operator should learn the following step-by-step procedure! Additional copies of it, as part of the Standing Instructions for Crash Boat Crews, are normally available on the Committee Boat.
GENERAL: Ordinarily a capsized boat will lie in the water with hull on its side and mast and sail upwind. (See footnote below if boat turns upside down). SAFETY COMES FIRST! Get the skipper out of the water, and over to the Committee Boat immediately if he/she is in danger of hypothermia. Normally however (assuming the skipper was properly dressed) he will be OK, and will prefer to help retrieve his own boat. It saves time this way, since it takes two people to do the job quickly.
1. Approach the capsized boat from downwind, pick up any loose and drifting gear. Watch out for the rudder -- it often floats loose after a capsize. When the skipper or a person in the bow of the crash boat has a good grip, preferably on the painter (bow line) of the capsized dinghy, the crash boat operator lets the engine idle and the crash boat will tail downwind from the capsized boat. The crash boat operator then goes forward to work on the capsized boat, making sure no lines or sails get near the outboard propeller -- the skipper usually only has to help balance the crash boat.
2. Drop the mast by pulling a pin to release a side stay or releasing the forestay, so the dinghy can come upright in the water. Also release the vang, BUT DO NOT TRY TO TAKE THE SAIL OFF THE MAST. This is absolutely unnecessary. It is difficult to do in the water. Efforts to try to take off the sail have been a major cause for long delays in retrieving a capsized dinghy.
3. Tie the bottom end of the mast loosely to the mast thwart or bow line with any available line.
4. Empty most of the water from the boat. This is most easily done by ONE person. Just grab the bow gunwale of the dinghy and pull slowly up. The water in the dinghy will run aft and out over the stern transom. As the water runs out, keep lifting the bow up and over the gunwale of the crash boat. When most of the water has drained out of the dinghy, at least two-thirds, push the bow of the dinghy QUICKLY SIDEWAYS off the crash boat gunwale. The dinghy will now be empty enough to tow.
5. Before towing the boat the mast should be lifted on top of the dinghy so that it rests on the stern transom. Don’t bother with the boom and sail, they’ll not be harmed or slow down the boat while it is being towed to the Committee Boat -- unless you have forgotton to release the vang.
Pull the centerboard handle of the dinghy forward to bring the centerboard all the way up - you cannot tow a dinghy with the centerboard down.
6. Tie the painter of the dinghy to the motor bracket or around the engine for easy towing. Our crash boats will not steer properly if the painter is tied to a cleat on a corner of the stern transom. The dinghy can now be towed quickly to the Committee Boat. The skipper or others on the Committee Boat can then take charge of the dinghy.
An experienced crew member or skipper following this procedure can get a capsized dinghy ready to tow to the Committee Boat in three to five minutes. Again, DO NOT TRY TO TAKE SAILS OR RIGGING OFF THE BOAT. This can easily waste twenty or more minutes -- while everyone around gets cold and impatient.
FOOTNOTE: If the capsized dinghy is completely upside down, someone will have to get their arm wet. After approaching the dinghy from downwind, reach down and grab the bow gunwale or the painter and pull hard upwards until the gunwale comes above the water. Then loosen a stay and the dinghy can be turned right side up. Then proceed as above.
Roger Willcox
MFA Safety officer
January 1, 2002
P.S. A note on dinghy seamanship. Most capsizes in windy weather happen while going downwind. A major factor is that Dyer dinghies tend to get harder to steer when the wind blows, especially if the centerboard is up. Keep your centerboard DOWN if your boat seems unstable!