DAVENPORT, Iowa — What appears to be a catastrophic accident on the water can be managed with the right techniques.
The Lake Davenport Sailing Club was out on the Mississippi River on Sept. 21 for special training on how to bring a sail boat upright after it capsizes. The practice is part of the club's educational branch, the Quad City Sailing School.
"Every sailor's fear is always turning the boat over and it's not that big a deal — it's actually something that happens quite frequently," club vice commodore Don Allebach said.
Experienced boaters at the training explained what happens when a boat capsizes. "The boat lays on its side because the sail's in the water, and the sail will begin to sink very slowly," Allebach said.
The sailor has to stand on a part underneath the boat called the centerboard in order to tilt it upright again. "If you do it quickly you don't even put any water in the boat. It goes down, it comes back up and you sail away," Allebach explained.
The training was useful for boaters like Sue Wiley, who has only been sailing for two years. "I was around sailing my whole life. My parents always said 'no, you can't sail,'" Wiley said with some laughter.
Wiley said her boat has already capsized a few times, and she wanted to improve on getting her boat upright again. "You just have to not let your fears rule you, pretty much with anything new in life," she said.
Club members said the training was timely, as their annual Polar Bear Regatta is coming up on Oct. 7.
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