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Turning Turtle in a WWPotter 15
By
Don Person
Owner of P-15 #2472 "Sarah Anne"
All photographs courtesy of Dave Lawson, owner of P-15 #2538.
My boat has a bright yellow hull. She was ordered that way so she would be easy to find if upside
down. Planning pays.
A friend and I had been sailing several hours, pottering around the Oakland Estuary. The last hour and
a half he had been handling the tiller. In retrospect whenever there was a gust I assisted him and
helped him head up a little. We were about 75 yards from the dock and had just tacked because there
was a boat ahead of us.
As we came through the tack several things happened. He was at the tiller and now on the lee side. I
was on the windward side but leaning toward the mast reaching to uncleat the jib halyard prior to
sailing to the dock. The gust heeled the boat and he froze on the tiller, which increased the heel. This
through him over onto the lee rail. I fell forward and leaned on the boom and over she went.
I did not have the hatch door on so lots of water rapidly flowed into the cabin. Earlier in the day a bottle
top had jammed the centerboard in its trunk so it was down only a third of the way and not tied down.
Now we were both in the water, which fortunately was relatively warm, and we were both wearing
PFD's.
The boat was upside down. There was air trapped in the cabin and the hull bottom was well out of the
water. The centerboard was out about six inches but when I grabbed it fell back into the trunk. We tried
holding the gunwale and leaning back but she wouldn't budge.
Dave Lawson was pottering near us so we tied on a bridal but his 2 horsepower Honda couldn't right
her either.
Here is a photo showing Don in the white hat and yellow PFD on the upside down Sarah Anne while
Dave Larson in his P-15 #2538 tries to assists Don.
After twenty minutes or so a small Coast Guard boat followed by a large Oakland fireboat arrived.
Photo shows the Oakland Fireboat "Sea Wolf" coming to Don's assistance.
Our capsize had been reported. They said finding the bright yellow boat was easy. After the C.G. made
sure we were O.K. they left. The fireboat crew, including a diver, put some more lines on her and very
carefully pulled her up.
She just floated with her gunwales at water level and was very unstable. The top foot of the mast was
covered with mud. The mast was not bent. The fireboat gently moved her to a nearby dock where they
rigged their pump and started sucking the seawater out of SA.
Below are several photos showing the fireboat crew pumping water out of Sarah Anne.
Look at that stream of water spray as the fireboat crew pull on Sarah Anne's mast to get the seawater
out! You also get a good view of Don's new white poly rudder blade.
Another view showing Don assisting the crew pull on Sarah Anne's mast!
Don at the rail of the Oakland Fireboat, watching the seawater being pumped from Sarah Anne. Don is
wearing a yellow blanket draped around his shoulders courtesy of the Sea Wolf's crew.
They quickly sucked Sarah Anne dry enough to tow to the launch ramp.
Photo of Don and Sarah Anne being towed to the launch ramp.
Winching her onto my tilt trailer she was still very heavy so we unscrewed the bilge plug and water
poured out for several minutes. The rest of the derigging went well.
After getting her home it took about four hours to empty the boat and get every thing washed off with
fresh water. The only things I know were lost were my gas can and a set of screwdrivers.
Lessons:
1. Do not let a new sailor control the boat unless you are ready to assist instantly.
2. Do not get careless just because you are near the dock.
3. Remember if your centerboard is not fully down you are losing a lot of stability.
4. There is a good reason for securing the centerboard down. If it is sticking out of the hull it is a good
handhold. It also provides good leverage when trying to right the boat.
5. If the hatch door had been in place and water kept out of the cabin we might have recovered.
Finally three cheers for the Oakland fireboat crew!
Don Person
By
Don Person
Owner of P-15 #2472 "Sarah Anne"
All photographs courtesy of Dave Lawson, owner of P-15 #2538.
My boat has a bright yellow hull. She was ordered that way so she would be easy to find if upside
down. Planning pays.
A friend and I had been sailing several hours, pottering around the Oakland Estuary. The last hour and
a half he had been handling the tiller. In retrospect whenever there was a gust I assisted him and
helped him head up a little. We were about 75 yards from the dock and had just tacked because there
was a boat ahead of us.
As we came through the tack several things happened. He was at the tiller and now on the lee side. I
was on the windward side but leaning toward the mast reaching to uncleat the jib halyard prior to
sailing to the dock. The gust heeled the boat and he froze on the tiller, which increased the heel. This
through him over onto the lee rail. I fell forward and leaned on the boom and over she went.
I did not have the hatch door on so lots of water rapidly flowed into the cabin. Earlier in the day a bottle
top had jammed the centerboard in its trunk so it was down only a third of the way and not tied down.
Now we were both in the water, which fortunately was relatively warm, and we were both wearing
PFD's.
The boat was upside down. There was air trapped in the cabin and the hull bottom was well out of the
water. The centerboard was out about six inches but when I grabbed it fell back into the trunk. We tried
holding the gunwale and leaning back but she wouldn't budge.
Dave Lawson was pottering near us so we tied on a bridal but his 2 horsepower Honda couldn't right
her either.
Here is a photo showing Don in the white hat and yellow PFD on the upside down Sarah Anne while
Dave Larson in his P-15 #2538 tries to assists Don.
After twenty minutes or so a small Coast Guard boat followed by a large Oakland fireboat arrived.
Photo shows the Oakland Fireboat "Sea Wolf" coming to Don's assistance.
Our capsize had been reported. They said finding the bright yellow boat was easy. After the C.G. made
sure we were O.K. they left. The fireboat crew, including a diver, put some more lines on her and very
carefully pulled her up.
She just floated with her gunwales at water level and was very unstable. The top foot of the mast was
covered with mud. The mast was not bent. The fireboat gently moved her to a nearby dock where they
rigged their pump and started sucking the seawater out of SA.
Below are several photos showing the fireboat crew pumping water out of Sarah Anne.
Look at that stream of water spray as the fireboat crew pull on Sarah Anne's mast to get the seawater
out! You also get a good view of Don's new white poly rudder blade.
Another view showing Don assisting the crew pull on Sarah Anne's mast!
Don at the rail of the Oakland Fireboat, watching the seawater being pumped from Sarah Anne. Don is
wearing a yellow blanket draped around his shoulders courtesy of the Sea Wolf's crew.
They quickly sucked Sarah Anne dry enough to tow to the launch ramp.
Photo of Don and Sarah Anne being towed to the launch ramp.
Winching her onto my tilt trailer she was still very heavy so we unscrewed the bilge plug and water
poured out for several minutes. The rest of the derigging went well.
After getting her home it took about four hours to empty the boat and get every thing washed off with
fresh water. The only things I know were lost were my gas can and a set of screwdrivers.
Lessons:
1. Do not let a new sailor control the boat unless you are ready to assist instantly.
2. Do not get careless just because you are near the dock.
3. Remember if your centerboard is not fully down you are losing a lot of stability.
4. There is a good reason for securing the centerboard down. If it is sticking out of the hull it is a good
handhold. It also provides good leverage when trying to right the boat.
5. If the hatch door had been in place and water kept out of the cabin we might have recovered.
Finally three cheers for the Oakland fireboat crew!
Don Person
