Death Roll

Well....I experienced my first, second, and third capsize yesterday. I had read about the dreaded Force 5 death roll while running. Sailed out of Davis Island in Tampa with decent winds 10 - 15 knots and a little choppy. This was a humbling day for an old sailor.

On my first day I had the experience that I had watched on this video many times, trying to avoid the Death Roll.

Then I started hearing about this "Sailing by the lee" thing and started wrapping my head around that.
It was funny - as it was happening I said to myself, "this is it!" but before I could finish the thought I was in the water! So fast it was over and done.
I should also say I went over to windward - felt two pressure variations on the tiller and, it was over - left hanging onto the hiking stick, immersed.

Sailing by the Lee is the answer here. It takes time to get this right. Takes time and practice. First get used to the practice of bearing off when the boat starts to rock. This goes against what you tend to want to do.
The difficult part is learning the angle of sail and the trim of the boom. You will find yourself sailing much lower than you would expect.
I find that when I am sailing by the lee, I have my boom out at 90 degrees and my wind indicator pointing back towards the boom and stern with it a bit closer to the boom.
When you get it really good you will find at least one telltale pointing back at the mast.

With all of that said, go out and try these techniques. Start off in 5 knots and get used to the way this feels and soon you will be enjoying this so much.

I will research "sailing by the lee" as this kicked my butt. I need to spend more time on open water in Tampa Bay.

Another way to do it it to:
1) make sure you have your vang pretty darn tight
2) trim your boom in to about halfway.
Both of these actions help to keep the top of the sail from twisting off too much and pulling the boat over on top of you. Its the twisted off top 1/3rd of the sail that's causing the death roll.
Sailing by the lee works too. Make sure you have vang on for this as well

I do vang when sailing by the lee, just enough to take out the twist which isn't that tight.