[Rhodes22-list] R22 capsize in Force 10

Sat Dec 21 10:24:45 EST 2019

If the Rhodes has as “design” flaw then lots of Rhodes would have had these
problems over the last 60 years.  Anybody? Anybody?  I’ve owned a Rhodes
since 1976. Mine did actually capsize. Of course it took a tornado to knock
it over while anchored in the “pot” on Poplar Island. According to my buddy
who was aboard and another eyewitness off the boat: The mast hit the mud
(12 ft deep) and the boat “pole vaulted” up then slowly drove the mast into
the mud. Did the boat right itself? Nope, So technically a capsize. It
popped right back up when we detached the stays and tabernacle pin. The
entire weight of the boat was focused on the mast step. No structural
damage. Design flaw?  Can’t think of any other boat that would have
survived as well as the Rhodes. Do I trust the Rhodes?  With my life.  43
years and more than 10,000 miles of ocean, river. bay, and lake sailing I
still am sailing the Rhodes.
Chris Geankoplis
ENOSIS

On Sat, 21 Dec 2019 at 07:45, Mary Lou Troy <mtroy at atlanticbb.net> wrote:

> Thanks Richard. I had forgotten that one. I'll add it to the list I will
> cite in my letter to SCA.
>
> I'm probably not going to get to it until after the New Year so if
> anyone else would like to remind me of examples of how the R22 can
> handle squalls and storms. I've got the ones from the owners group FAQ.
>
> My point will be that any boat can be overcome by the right set of
> conditions but to attribute the loss of this R22 to supposed design
> flaws is a real stretch.
>
> Thanks,
> Mary Lou
>
> On 12/20/2019 8:02 PM, Richard Beytagh wrote:
> > If anyone has concerns about the Rhodes 22 being able to withstand
> extreme
> > weather conditions have a look the attached. This was a boat I delivered
> to
> > Port St Joe a couple of years ago. This area was hit by hurricane Mike
> > head-on and this was the only boat in the marina that survived intact. I
> > know it's not the same as being out at sea in a force 10, but it speaks
> > spades when all others had been washed a way or sunk:
> >
> > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOfAtfXoJ44&authuser=0
> >
> > Go to around 2:30min  to see the lone dark blue R22 still floating...
> >
> >
> > ~~~ _/) ~~~
> >
> > Richard Beytagh
> > Phone: 828 337 0180
> >
> >
> > On Fri, Dec 20, 2019 at 5:30 PM Mary Lou Troy <mtroy at atlanticbb.net>
> wrote:
> >
> >> So I just read the Small Craft Advisor article (Issue #121, p20) article
> >> and I'm rather annoyed. I'll need to read the article again when I have
> >> more time but here is a quick and somewhat careful synopsis.
> >>
> >> The author writes about sailing his Sailmaster 22 (good boat, Sparkman &
> >> Stephens design) and getting caught in the same storm that capsized the
> >> R22. In many ways, it's a good article about what he did in the face of
> >> the storm and what he should have done better. He gets onto shaky ground
> >> when he starts talking about why the R22 capsized (he doesn't seem to
> >> have direct knowledge in spite of talking to the skipper of the R22 and
> >> is just speculating on how the design may have contributed to the
> >> capsize) and why his boat didn't. He makes at least one error and a
> >> couple errors of omission in talking about the design of the R22.
> >>
> >> Early on in the article the author quotes me from my chapter in "Sailing
> >> Small" quoting GB's website about the R22 being "uncapsizeable under
> >> sail." It's irrelevant as the R22 was motoring at the time as was the
> >> Sailmaster. Both evidently saw the storm while near the mouth of their
> >> home creek and both elected to make a run for the dock or at least
> >> sheltered water. The R22 was capsized. dismasted and "the salvage crew
> >> couldn't refloat the boat, so a crane was used to lift it onto a small
> >> barge." The Rhodes evidently had extensive damage to the bow and was
> >> uninsured.
> >>
> >> I'm planning on writing a letter to SCA correcting a couple of
> >> statements by the author and adding some thoughts of my own having had
> >> the R22 out in a significant squall as described in Sailing Small. If
> >> any Long Island Rhodies know more about the incident, I'd love to hear
> it.
> >>
> >> Mary Lou
> >> ex-R22
> >> now Rosborough RF-246
> >> Rock Hall, MD
> >>
> >> .
> >>
> >>
> >> On 12/20/2019 11:33 AM, Cary Tolbert wrote:
> >>> This popped up on my phone. The Rhodes 22 is in good company.
> >>> Donna Lang on her second solo circumnavigation trip in her Southern
> Cross
> >>> 28 , 1982 vintage,
> >>> got caught in 50 mph winds and was knocked down and dis-masted. This
> is a
> >>> Blue Water boat
> >>> with a Dis./Bal. of 40%. It can happen to anyone. You can't mess with
> >>> mother nature; well you can but your playing against the house.
> >>>
> >>> Cary
> >>> Whisper '86
> >>> Radford,VA
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> On Thu, Dec 19, 2019 at 1:58 PM Rick Lange <sloopblueheron at gmail.com>
> >> wrote:
> >>>> Was the boat sailing or laying to?
> >>>>
> >>>> Rick Lange
> >>>>
> >>>> On Thu, Dec 19, 2019, 12:07 PM stan <stan at generalboats.com> wrote:
> >>>>
> >>>>> Force 10.  That is 55 mph, and up, winds with giant waves.  I guess
> we
> >>>>> will have to lower any claims to 50 mph winds.
> >>>>>
> >>>>> I have spent most off my sailing days on the Great South Bay.  It is
> so
> >>>>> shallow it is impossible to lose anything. And although on the ocean
> >>>>> side of Long Island, there never was anything close to a force 10
> storm
> >>>>> in my day.  Global warming?
> >>>>>
> >>>>> We did list once in the middle of the night when low tide had the
> >> family
> >>>>> sleeping stacked up on top of each other.
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>>> On 12/19/19 8:49 AM, Chris Geankoplis wrote:
> >>>>>> details?
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> On Tue, Dec 17, 2019 at 12:53 PM gramille <gramille at tds.net> wrote:
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>>> Did any of you read the article in the latest issue of Small Craft
> >>>>> Advisor
> >>>>>>> about the loss of a R22 in Long Islands Great South Bay? Sobering
> >>>>> reading!
> >>>>>>> Have a Happy New Year full of safe sailing adventures.
> >>>>>>>     Graham in snowy Vermont
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>> --
> >>>>>>> Sent from: http://rhodes-22.1065344.n5.nabble.com/
> >>>>>>>
> >>
>
>