Sails and Rigging

am extremely concerned that when I capized my fibre glass mirror(the first time in 20 years) the mast stuck in the mud (depth 6 to 9 feet) rendering it impossible to bring the dinghy up.Thank God a rescue boat was out but it had great difficulty in raising it and eventually had to tow the boat in.Is their any answer to this problem.

I had the same problem once and also had the rescue boat help me to raise the Mirror. Fortunately such things usually happen not so far from shore.

I wonder if turning the Mirror around a few times might loosen the gaff in the mud so that the boat can be brought right side up?

Pete

A rescue boat is always a good idea.
Whether you have a gaff or burmundan rig I think does not make any difference if you turtle into mud. If you see yourself capsizing try your best to remember to let your mainsail, jib and spinnaker (if you are flying one) to let go. (i.e. uncleat the sheets) Then you probably will not turtle your Mirror..

I don't understand.
Boats with a wooden gaff and the hollow aluminium mast shouldn't turtle.
I have had two capsizes in the past 25 years or so and on both occasions, the boat floated on her side until I was able to right her.
It helpps to try turning the bow into the wind. The moment the mast starts lifting and air gets under the sail, it lifts the mast out and you are luffed up anyway. As Pete wrote, make sure the jibsheets and mainsheet are free to avoid being blown over again as you board the boat.
A Mirror should float so high on her side that there is very little water in the boat when she has been righted. Perhaps the fibreglass boats are a bit heavier?
Try practising capsizes when the water is warm enough.
If you are on facebook, see Woollahra Mirrors photos : and the other pictures in that series. As you can see, the weight of the child pulling on the centreboard is enough to keep the front of the sail out of the water.

e.g.

Gernot H.

I turtled about 20 years ago. My jib sheet was cleated and the capsize occurred with quite a force. Then when I finally got the gaff out of the mud and got the Mirror upright it went right over again. This happened 3 times. It was dubbed the Kaiser roll.

I have seen other Mirrors turtle, fortunately they were not near shore and the mast did not get stuck.

Pete

I used to sail 470-dinghy and sometimes use spinnacker when it was blowing too hard to make the gip... What we did was swimming and pulling the hull so the mast got free Before we climbed up on the hull. Are you only aware of the problem you can do this nicely and rather safe.

Leif

I take it you'd have the same problem with any sailing dinghy not just the Mirror? (Or am I missing something?)

I'd have thought if you didn't have a rescue boat, worse case scenario you'd just have to undo your shrouds etc and abandon the mast, then row back. (If you don't have a rescue boat, then securely stowed oars and oarlocks are mandatory!)

Maybe tie a float to the upturned mast and come back to retrieve it another time if you're lucky.

You can buy a mast head float to prevent inversion. I have the version made by Secumar, which has auto inflation and so it is very small.