Turtle?

[TimLM]

I wonder if this qualifies me for the turtle club?
The mast is stuck in some very black mud in Cardiff Bay

[Graham W]

Whoa! What happened?  Did it go all the way over or did mud in shallow water stop it?  Full gory details needed!

[johnguy]

It was the OGA Annual Race in Cardiff Bay, a mixed fleet of local and other small gaffers. Wind 12 knots gusting 20 knots, strengthening sharply as race went on. Tim traying hard to catch me as I led fleet over the start and stayed ahead throughout, but only just ahead of him. I had ballast in and standard Bre rig, Tim ballast out, washboards out and sailing like a banshee with four sails of his special rig going wild. It gets very gusty around the windward mark near the Penarth end of the bay, and that caught Tim out. Worst of it is that because of Tim's tip, the race was abandoned after the leaders had finished, thus writing off my win. I think I have forgiven him, but I am getting tired of telling other concerned people in Cardiff that not all Bay Raiders tip over.

[johnguy]

There was a good party after the race though and Tim was made to feel at home. A good way to introduce yourself to a new group of sailors.

[Graham W]

Did it go all the way over or did something (extra buoyancy from the cabin, shallow water mud impeding the mast) prevent this?  Tim looks suspiciously dry for someone who has turtled!

Whatever the degree of capsize, is this a first for a BRe? 

[johnguy]

I was too far away to see the detail and he had been towed to pontoon by club boat by the time I got back. I'll let Tim tell you what happened.

[TimLM]

OK the "Gory Details" ......
John is mostly right the guys in the boat park were surprised by the intensity of 2 gusts in quick succession. First one stood me on my ear - not to much trouble spun out of the same before. But this put the main-sheet out of reach so the second did for me! Yes surprisingly dry in the picture - to many dinghy capsizes - sadly though I fell in and under banging my left leg on the way shortly after, the bruises took more than a week to purple out.
Lessons learnt, ballast in in new waters, washboards same and reef main early.
So my errors were the above and no flotation device! Cardinal that one.
The mast dug into the mud and held Papagena at 30deg down so allowing starboard locker and cabin to fill, making it impossible for me to right on my own. Fortunately the club has an excellent safety crew who righted me after a huge effort on their part.
So my new mantra is to address safety issues early, fill with ballast and never to turn a boat over in front of my wife!

[Graham W]

That’s pretty gory, especially for a BRe.

[Sea Simon]

Tim, I think mast stuck in mud could probably qualifiy as "turtle equivalent"?

You were lucky in some ways, I bent an alloy dinghy mast under similar circumstances. Biggest issue turned out to be getting a new mast delivered!
In another incident (see big heavy yellow mooring buoy in photo ) I shredded a mainsail as the capsized boat drifted down onto the moorings chain and chafed the sail against it.
Harbour racing.....

[TimLM]

Thank you Simon, being only half a turtle has been of pressing concern!
Indeed lucky but that mast is seriously strong, carbon sleeved inner and carbon/glass/epoxy wrapped joints and reinforced at all load points in similar fashion.
What of course Matts masts have and I don't is being sealed so they are buoyant. I heard the hiss and knew what was coming, heart dropped and all to do was wait, hey ho.

[Wolfgang]

Tim, I am sorry to hear about your troubles, but parts of the reports and comments were very funny, sometimes the best stories are rooted in misadventure.

[TimLM]

Thank you Wolfgang, yep after the danger the funny side came to the fore some prat falls are a tad extreme!