Ed, awesome spinnaker story, especially based on a C&C 39, one of my favorite C&C designs. As someone famous said: what don't kill you makes great sea stories.
I have a scar (8 stiches) over my right eye from a similar "blow the guy" take down when a less experienced non-English speaking crew snubbed the guy during a spinnaker take down. That's the short story. Long story: The boat was a Frers 46. It was April 1989 and we were hosting 9 Japanese sailors in town for the SYC Suma Cup. The plan was to sail/tour the Seattle waterfront then head for the yacht club. The owner and I were the only non-Japanese on board. We were sailing in a 5-10 southerly, ½ mile off Alki Point, with just a spinnaker up (no main) in flat water. Being tour guides we (the owner and I) did not see a line squall coming at us from the north. When the strong northerly squall wind hit, the boat was spun towards the now way too close lee shore. As the boat's owner and I had sailed many miles together (big IOR boats and J-24s) we had little need to communicate between us the urgent nature of the spinnaker take down and how to go about it. I communicated to the Japanese J-24 sailors with English sailing terms and hand signals the concept of a lazy sheet leeward drop. The plan was to blow the guy and the spinnaker halyard simultaneously and completely while several of us gather the sail at the leeward rail. The owner had the engine started and in reverse to help slow our progress towards the way, way too close beach. The engine was losing the battle. So, all is well as I gather large armfuls of spinnaker until one of our guests snubs the guy. The spinny filled rapidly / explosively and launched me off the deck. I (am told) went up until my boots caught the lifelines, flipped until my head hit the aluminum toe rail, then landed in the water slightly dazed but still hold fast to the spinny sheet. I recall it being weird that a bunch of Japanese guys were pulling me back onboard and blotting up blood with paper towels. (Fortunately one of the Japanese sailors was a Dr. Later after things settled a bit he did some origami with a few Band-Aids to close the wound.) Once I was back upright and on board, the spinnaker was unloaded enough to handle and the boat was kept off the beach. With the mess on deck straightened up we powered north to the Lake Washington Ship Canal, went through the Ballard Locks, and tied up at Seattle Yacht Club docks where the SYC members who had offered to house the Japanese sailors expected to meet their guests. By 10pm, most of the guest sailors were taken care of and some boat drinks had been consumed. My wife had showed up to drive the left over guests and me back to our home. She was underwhelmed with another head wound caused by a boat related adventure. Once our guests were settled I drove myself to the local ER for proper stitches. The black, blue, and yellow/greenish hue around one side of my face made for good conversation at the regatta socials. SYC successfully defended the Suma Cup. Martin Calypso 1971 C&C 43 Seattle [cid:D1BF9853-22F7-47FB-86F2-4115CE0BAF2F] From: CnC-List [mailto:cnc-list-boun...@cnc-list.com] On Behalf Of Ed Levert Sent: Friday, April 11, 2014 1:28 PM To: cnc-list@cnc-list.com Subject: Re: Stus-List Spinnaker Stops This is not about spinnaker stops but it is about a spinnaker douse. It is an example of the forces large boats can generate. It was my first sail/race on any C&C, the 1st race for brand new C&C 39 Corrie, Hull # 3 just commissioned for my sister's in laws. (They swapped delivery positions so that Hull #2, Windquest, could compete in the SORC) Competent skipper and competent (with 1 exception) and sufficient crew. Chute was set without stops on a course that was on the beam or just ahead in too much wind. After several rig/boat shaking broaches, the order was given to drop the chute. It was too dangerous for the foredeck crew to trip the shackle on the guy. The option was to let the guy run. I uncleated the guy not realizing that someone else had put a knot in the end. Stopped by the knot at the block, the chute was still violently filling and collapsing but now with the tack nowhere near the pole and the pole doing a good job of making the headstay look like a pulled bow string. With the skipper/owner's approval, I cut the guy at the block thinking I was only losing a knot's length of line. The guy then ran through the end of the pole with enough drag that combined with the pole's stressing of the headstay, when the sail pressure was released, the original equipment pole sprung aft into the shrouds bending it 90 degrees. Thankfully no one's head was up. And that is my Friday afternoon story. Have a good weekend all ! Ed C&C 34 Briar Patch New Orleans
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