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As I sit here and contemplate successively more intrepid voyages in my PM, I think about the ability to self rescue in case of capsize. In my old Laser sailing days, we'd just pop the mainsheet, hop onto the daggerboard and ride her back up. Somehow, I doubt it'll be that "easy" with my PM. In fact, I was wondering if the daggerboard, built as just two laminated pieces of ply to the specs in the manual, would even be able to handle my 200 pounds. Possibly being guilty of at least a little foresight, my daggerboard case is just a bit wider than necessary for my current daggerboard. Would it be worth considering wrapping my daggerboard with some glass in case I have to use it as an impromptu swim ladder?
3 replies:
RE: Self Rescuing a Passagemaker
Thanks, Michael! That's kinda what I was hoping. However, here in the PNW, we really don't have much water warm enough for righting practice.
RE: Self Rescuing a Passagemaker
consider putting foldable cedar foot rests on each side of the rudder above waterline, and have a haulaboard line on the back stern you can reach from the water, and a manual bildge pump for pumping h 2 0 out once it's righted.
to right our big sail boat's boat hard dinghy, we'd get it right side up with us in the h 2 0. we carried a rope 'ladder' made of wood slats that hung below water line and attached to the stern transom. deploy the rope ladder, get as high up as you can climb while holding onto the transom, launch yourself into the dinghy, pump h 2 0 out.
RE: Self Rescuing a Passagemaker
» Submitted by Gramps - Fri, 7/12/19 » 7:33 AM
My one experience with a PMD capsize suggests that it isn't even necessary to "climb up" on the daggerboard. I was sailing with the shallow water "shorty" board in when it happened, she floated very high on her side, and all I had to do to get her up was to reach up and bear down on the board a bit with my elbow. I don't recall that it took much effort, which surprised me some--pleasantly. Healthy rocker and lots of floatation high in the ends, I guess. Getting her back up was the easy part. Rounding up all the loose gear (lesson learned) and getting myself back aboard (turned out the best thing to do was "swim" in over the side) was a bit more work.
.....Michael