Get trained
This page explains the principles. It is not a substitute for hands-on instruction from a recognized program such as US Sailing, the RYA or ASA, and it does not replace the safety rules that apply where you sail.
Why dinghies capsize
US Sailing says boats usually capsize to leeward, when the wind overwhelms the crew's ability to hike or ease the sails. Keeping the boat flat and depowering in time are covered on dinghy technique and reefing and depowering.
US Sailing's core rules
US Sailing's capsize guidance is part of its Small Boat Certification Series, and Discover Boating (run by the National Marine Manufacturers Association) republishes it. Its guidelines are:
- Stay with the boat.
- Check everyone for injuries.
- Never go under the boat or its sails.
Two further principles about righting the boat:
- Mind the centerboard. Avoid putting pressure on its tip while righting, because it can break.
- Get the sail to leeward first. The mainsail should be lying downwind of the hull before you right the boat. Righting it with the sail to windward will probably capsize it again.
The methods US Sailing teaches
US Sailing teaches two named approaches:
- The Scoop Method (two people)
- One crew member rights the boat by putting weight on the centerboard while the other is "scooped" into the cockpit as the boat comes up.
- The single-handed method
- A separate method for a sailor alone in the boat.
We do not give step-by-step instructions here. These methods are meant to be learned and practised on the water with an instructor. US Sailing says to practise capsize recovery before you need it, and a 2012 report for its Safety-at-Sea Committee adds that technique matters as much as strength.
Turtling and entrapment
The most serious capsize risk, according to that 2012 report by John Rousmaniere for US Sailing, is a sailor trapped in or under a turtled (fully upside-down) hull. Its main findings:
- Turtling can happen in light wind, not only in strong breeze.
- A flooded mast speeds inversion. The report gives a hollow 420 mast at about 25 lb dry and about 75 lb when waterlogged.
- Rig entanglement traps sailors. It names snagging on the rig, such as trapeze hooks catching, as a cause, and encourages tight Lycra "pinnies" worn over life jackets to reduce snags.
- Delay the turtle. It recommends preventing or delaying turtling, including with buoyancy at the top of the mast. In tests, masthead flotation kept a 420 from turning fully upside down. It suggests sailing organizations set equipment policies.
- Right the boat fast if someone may be trapped. The report recommends that a suspected entrapment be dealt with by righting the boat immediately using weight on the centerboard, and suggests US Sailing consider making this doctrine.
- Rescue gear needs trained people. It says parbuckle rescue gear needs training and practice and should be operated by trained personnel on race courses.
Life jackets and buoyancy aids
The RYA says buoyancy aids suit dinghy sailing, where going in the water and rescuing yourself are expected, while lifejackets are the type designed to turn an unconscious person face up. It recommends always wearing a lifejacket, buoyancy aid or impact vest unless you are certain you do not need one. The US Sailing entrapment report found that close-fitting life jackets with thigh or crotch straps worked best when a sailor had to be lifted vertically. Rules on what you must carry or wear vary by country and state, so check the current requirements with your local authority. More on choosing one is on life jackets.
Where to learn it
US Sailing's capsize content is part of its Small Boat Certification Series, and ASA's 110 Basic Small Boat Sailing course includes capsize avoidance and recovery. We could not retrieve an RYA page on capsize recovery; its adult dinghy scheme starts with Level 1 Start Sailing. See learning to sail for how to find a course.