Mast head flotation ideas

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Hi,

 Been awhile as I have been in Summer migration mode and spent much of the time  in the mountains of Northern Ca.

Petunia now has an older, smaller Sister- "Daphne" who is a Drascombe Dabber . She will probably spend much of her career down in Baja as a Panga, but we're still working on developing a small , all species , sail boat fleet down there so I'll probably get a chance to try a lug sail as well.

While recently RE-reading Paul's capsize story and the followups I had a few thoughts about a "turtle stopper" per se.

I called and spoke to Alan and got some numbers to play with regarding my specific concerns; I was a "Mk 1. xxx with a trunk cabin" so I sort of fall between the "MK 1's and MK 3's "  in terms of windage, weight, etc.

 Alan gave me a target of 25 pounds buoyancy at the masthead and I was trying to figure out how to do that without adding ANY more rigging to what is now there, so that eliminated the hoisting a gold fish idea.  I  had already installed pool noodles inside both masts while building in the hopes of stopping such an event, but to date I have never really done "the Test".

Now what I am now thinking of trying is to open one of those square seat cushions we ALL have lying around and using the thin, flat ,foam panels they are made of to create shaped (tri angular most likely) panels which would then be inserted into pockets at the head of BOTH sails....Why only have flotation on  ONE mast? A few of my own prior capsizes would have probably wiped out something mounted on the mast head so I'd rather have something I know is going to be able to  take the fall . These panels shouldn't  be thick enough to alter  performance, and they "should" roll /fold nicely within the sail.

The one disadvantage ( if it is one) I can foresee is that if you are reefed/double reefed your buoyancy is lowered with the head of the sail. Not sure how that would all play out. Any ideas?

If you DO open up a cushion as I have ( and will show below) you'll see that they are nicely packaged with ten small panels, 5 per side with a plastic separator. Half of a cushion is a little over 1.25" thick without being compressed. The panels themselves are about 15"by 15".

Here is where I am hoping I/We can figure out the actual buoyancy of said panels. If a throw cushion can keep "an adult"afloat, and "an adult life jacket for more than 90 pounds" are true, then how much of that foam is needed to get the 25-35 pounds we seem to be looking for? ( Or half if we do BOTH masts) The standard life jacket pictured below is ALSO made up of nice, thin panels as well and supposedly supports almost 4 times what we are looking for.

The concept is to see what it will take in terms of volume, and then add two triangular pockets at the head of BOTH sails which mimic the existing angle. Taller/joined foam sections would let  you come down further in thinner stacks, etc. A fuller mast head sail section of an added 1.25"on either side wouldn't be very noticeable (since I have tan bark sails it might NOT be noticed at all ...).

SO, I have this idea, I have the cushions/jackets/foam panels, extra tan bark sail cloth, BUT Petunia and her sails are sitting 1500 miles away down in Baja, MX which means I won't even get down there for at least another 3-4 weeks so if anyone gets a chance, and wants to try this, go for it. 

Doing a double float test is one of the first things on my agenda when I do get back to Baja as I need to see if either of my pool noodle masts leak air, and if so are they sealable? Then we'll try putting her over and see how my current foam flotation compartment scheme holds her.

I'm throwing this idea out now because I'd like to hear if there are other options to the idea of an unobtrusive, reliable, uncomplicated method to keep from rolling beyond the recovery zone we can all be working toward.

BTW- Does anyone know what the CG uses as a bench mark when they say "adult" ?  ( at least weight wise....).

Side note- I'm sort of glad that I have a hybrid center board as well in that I added some lead to her lower end  to get her to drop quickly, but I also have the hold down release cleat in play so theoretically the board should NOT retract if she's on her side.

Please feel free to pick this idea apart  or reconstitute any of it's content as if in an  "open source flotation project"...

Bill P

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