Capsize in the open sea

I capsized my cruising dinghy in the open sea, off the cliffs of the Atlantic Coast of France, during a passage between the maritime festivals in Brest and Douarnenez. This was only the second time I have capsized my dinghy in over a decade of ownership, and the first time in the open sea. In this video, filmed immediately after the event, I tell the story and reflect on the lessons learnt.
Links
The Dinghy Cruising Companion
www.amazon.co.uk/Dinghy-Cruis...
The Dinghy Cruising Association:
dinghycruising.org.uk/

[@RogerRoving]

I believe the yacht that was towing me put out a 'securité' call to the CG, which then rebroadcast it as a 'mayday relay'. This in turn alerted the coastal patrol vessel. I heard the mayday but did not realise it was me. I remember thinking "I am a bit busy just now to respond to a mayday".

[@1212341234alan]

Very helpful thanks for the message

[@petermccormack3542]

Hi Roger I love watching your videos I used to do a lot of sailing back in my teens .you also said don't get that you know it all you will capsize at some stage .😄

[@mudlakemicrobes]

Capsized my little boat today and now we are safe ashore once again I've come back to watch your adventure at sea. Thankyou for these lovely videos Roger.

[@derekjanzen9745]

I appreciate your candor. I've watched this video several times. Once before I had my own sailing dinghy. 🙂 I can appreciate how it can very quickly get out of hand. Thank you for your videos, it's an excellent reminder that even seasoned sailors make mistakes. Fair winds and following seas! Edit: I've now had my own capsize experience. I ended up in a major shipping Lane and completely turtles my dinghy. (Pirateer 13) I tore my sails, lost some gear, and learned my lesson! I managed to right myself without assistance.. I had too much sail for the conditions. Now I'm adding reefs to my sail, and will use them BEFORE I need them.. 🙂🙂

[@heathkennedy6166]

Torn sails! It’s just like a dramatic film, eh? Sounds like quite the experience, and I’m glad you worked through it.

[@DariusNmN]

I love your simplicity and honesty. These are really helpful videos. Darius

[@westcountry_sailing]

Ah, that's what battery boxes are for! Brilliant share. means it's OK for the rest of us to have the occasional epic too.

[@09mrdon]

Very glad you are safe, Roger. Thank you for taking the time to share such valuable advice!

[@mikefule330]

Two totally different approaches to sailing. For someone on a Laser or similar, a capsize is all part of a day's sailing, but righting it and climbing back on board is simple. If you have a heavy, stable boat, the capsize may be a once in many years rarity, but the consequences are more severe. It's really good to debrief yourself afterwards and see what lessons can be learned. I know the frustration of being rescued because it's difficult to say no when it's offered. I was towed in by a patrol RIB when I had minor problems with my outboard once. I had the situation under control, but if you refused help and needed it later, you'd feel silly.

[@skookumjack]

Glad to are safe Roger and dried out! Thanks for posting such a detailed description of the capsize. As you so rightly say, a learning lesson about seamanship and what we can do to reduce the loss of items in an open boat. You're an inspiration to us all.

[@PeteThecurious100]

Thank you for sharing. For me, a timely reminder. Reef before greif.

[@UKvet246]

What a brilliant story and video, absolute star. Just goes to show even the most experienced can have a wake up call.

[@tombobtail7706]

The usual statement made by someone incompetent trying to justify everyone else being just like them.

[@mhansl]

Great vid, Roger. And, good lesson. Help can be a tricky thing on the water. Once, while coming into a slip, this well meaning person grabbed a line off my deck and threw it around a cleat. Suddenly my boat lurched and because it was the bow line, the stern swung out, rather fast. Luckily, I remembered to get the boat hook out, and was able to fend off the opposite dock. Even luckier, there wasn't another boat in this shared slip, or I WOULD have collided with it. This guy thought I was lined up poorly and was going to hit. What he didn't know was that my little prop has quite a walk in reverse, and I was right at that point when I shift to astern, and she would have slid nicely into her dock. Folks, don't grab lines. Don't stand on a pier barking commands at another skipper. You are just making distractions.

[@glendree1]

I agree with most of the comments here Rodger. , Thank you for sharing your experiences and good advice. Have a great sailing season.

[@oreilly1237878]

Brilliant video and brilliant recovery from capsize.This sort of thing happens to us all sooner of later.

[@shoestringsailor3889]

Thanks for sharing your misfortune there Roger, we can all learn something from things like this. Glad everything ended well.

[@andrewarmstrong9724]

Glad all is well. It knocks your confidence for a while but is a valuable lesson. Many thanks for sharing

[@travelbywater9378]

Roger, I really enjoyed this video. Capsizing is bad news. I am heading out on a 5 day trip in my Walker Bay 8 on this coming Monday. I have been generally assuming I won't dump, but this video is a sound reminder that I should be prepared for a short swim.

[@OldJong]

Thanks for sharing that!

[@Ultramesh]

The Coast Guard don't want to leave you when you may have been suffering from hypothermia. I bet they wanted you to be checked over by a doctor before signing you off. They see day-sailors get into trouble and they probably struggled to realise that you and all the stuff in the boat are a thing and want to remain a thing whilst carrying on the cruise. Glad it all worked out.

[@thebates5938]

It's comforting to know you can recover in the open water.

[@msf60khz]

Thank you, Roger, very good, will remember to clip my oar tethers on! I have a Secumar buoyancy bag by the way, and a friend told me last week that a dinghy went straight upside down due to the outboard. D

[@rryan01]

How can you not like this video(s)..interesting stuff Roger, all the best!

[@paulo8001]

Probably because a great deal of it is inaudible due to the wind, just my own theory, mind you. A woollen sock would've fixed that!

[@FlintF]

@@paulo8001 And because I really think rescue services, especially in that part of France, do very much "understand little boats".

[@maxboonkittypoison]

Hahahahaha youre a cool sailor. omg i would freak out of my mind. Thank you. Next time if it ever happens to me i wil try to keep my cool. Greetings,, Kitty.

[@GavinFinley153]

Roger, you need a more substantial Lithium Fe Iron battery, that can power two, (yes two), bilge pumps,- and the lights, - and the nav gear, - and the camera. Also you would love a good Australian VideoMicro Rode Shotgun microphone. This just costs $75, and it comes with a windsock, (dead cat) to cut out wind noise and center on your voice.

[@davidplug1]

Hi Roger, thank you for your advice today. And I’m glad you are alright. Keep on making your video’s even it will eat your battery juice.

[@BigFiveJack]

It is true Roger, that sometimes "help" isn't "helpful". I do sympathize with your experience.

[@hermitoldguy6312]

It's the weight of the keel that counteracts the force on the sail, and you don't have much keel.

[@radioboys8986]

three weeks ago capsized mark II Wayfarer, made at least three mistakes just before it happened ( my third dinghy capsize in thirty years ) mark II wants to turtle lucky near sailing club warm day warm water, but oh boy was not able to self rescue got to work on that

[@jamesvan-lint7351]

Poor Roger, what a bummer. I very much want to sail on the sea in my dinghy but this story terrifies me 😆

[@leohorishny9561]

Point: secure one's oars at all times. Point: practice baling procedures. Point: secure your baling equipment! Point: Always stash a bottle on board to thank rescuers! 😉 Thanks for sharing a reality.

[@faircompetition1203]

Thanks to the jet ski guy .

[@rustykeller8264]

One thing you didn't mention, but am sure you know (some of your fans might not), is to wash your electronics in fresh water, as soon as possible after immersion in salt water. That may save some, or all replacements of switches, connections, etc.

[@jabjab1010]

I bet you get very frustrated when your doctor tries to help you or give advice. LOL. You remind me of an old salt (no disrespect) that taught me almost everything I know about sailing and I am now as reticent to ask for help and have many examples of taking the harder route. . .I learned from every experience. . .Thanks for these great videos . ..makes me remember Dr. Bill. .. I appreciate that.

[@GunBreaux]

Goddamn, Roger Barnes is the spitting image of Brendan Gleeson in 'Heart of the Sea.'

[@firstman9273]

All through this video I just kept looking at that nice beach and wondering why you didn't go there to land it and spread out everything to dry.

[@PeterMumford]

Interesting tale! But I'm not quite clear on how you capsized. First you came up into the wind.. Were you intending to come about, or not intending to come about? And then before you could shift the sheet, you were caught aback by a strong gust from an unexpected direction? This sort of thing can happen so easily of course. Thanks for making the film.

[@brianminghella3312]

The only way to overcome your fear of capsize is to experience it a few times. Knowing you can handle it and bring the boat up again makes you a far more confidant and proficient sailer. But a heavy laden boat full of gear that is loose ish and raising the centre of gravity would be a major cause for concern with me in a boat of your size Roger. I can only assume you have some kind of Fixed Buoyancy Bags ? I cannot see any in the Bow which is where your REALLY need it. All boating carries a degree of risk and a life without adventure and risk is a boring life indeed. The temptation to ‘carry everything you need’ in a boat though can become obsessive to the point where function is impaired at the expense of seaworthiness. Personally I like to keep baggage to an absolute minimum and my cruiser will have a lifting bulb keel to make it self righting and fixed built in buoyancy. When your taking family on board I think that becomes a non negotiable. As tempting as it is turn a small boat in to a home I think it has to be tempered otherwise this wonderful budding movement may get nipped in the bud by a tragic loss.

[@BoraBilgin]

thnx for the experience a bit of water left in the mic though :)

[@andrebauer576]

Dear Roger, I bought a 50 m2 Windfall in Morlaix in 2006 and fell in love with Brittany. The restoration is going on, even it had to have a break. In 2015 bought an german 20m2 dinghy cruiser (Jollenkreuzer) which is ready to sail this summer. I was asking myself if the Rade du Brest is a good sailing area for an kind of wide flat bootom boat of 7.5 m. It has a fin but also no ballast as your dinghy. Danger of capsize is everywhere of course, I was thinking more about common seastate in open water and so on. Seastate of course has influence on the tendency to broach. Happy to hear from you. Maybe you have known Bruce Graham? He was english from Lee on Solent, but lived until 2016 near Guimilliau. We had a good friendship for 10 years and he has been kind of father to me.

[@RogerRoving]

André Bauer hi Andre. Watch my more recent video about the Rade. It is large enough to have a reasonable fetch and so quite large waves, but you can always find shelter.

[@faircompetition1203]

Is the boat unsinkable ? And yes they are not that concerned with the boat , they are worried about you . I was also surprised that more is not in waterproof containers , given just rain or spray can get everything wet .

[@MandolinSunrise]

I’d be tempted to analyse all of my actions that lead up to the capsize, not just the minutes but days and weeks beforehand. And then the confusion that quickly arises ‘avec l’imprévu’ hypothermia, adrenalin, ‘following syndrome’ and general fatigue. Really glad to hear you made it! 😊 I was sailing a laser a LOT this summer, on a small inland lake and fatigue did set in, followed closely by an accumulation of minor and invisible ‘errors’ - tacking at the wrong time, not double-checking bungs, not checking retaining clip for rudder, boom-meets-head, tailgating, sailing with people (in other boats) who were physically fresh etc. It was nice though because I had a lot of very friendly, supportive, benevolent and sharing club members in mentoring sessions to give me subtle feedback! 😂

[@barriewatson]

Having to renew the electronics it was also a finacial last did you have to get a new handy , battery, radio, regards Barrie

[@The1stGurehaundo]

You need some fur on the microphone, I think.

[@vaunmalone3064]

@Roger Barnes I notice you never wear a lifejacket! 😮

[@RogerRoving]

Yes I do. Look again!

[@vaunmalone3064]

@@RogerRoving yes, I have caught up, and it's like a gilet! Very stylish. 😊

[@bensmith4563]

What are the dimensions of your boat

[@AndyJarman]

4.5m X 1.8m

[@hughmacfarlane3947]

A bit like being killed by kindness .

[@leohorishny9561]

Perhaps, you could set up a controlled towing experience and film that? I know, it may not happen to you often enough to have a process, but with your experience, you have to have some basic skills and cautions to offer inexperienced sailors in a staged setting.🤷‍♂️

[@AndyJarman]

The French are great about helping distressed travellers. Touring Brittany by bike I got my front wheel stuck in a tram track/ rail line and fell over. Seemed like all the traffic stopped and three or four people came to my rescue. No harm done, but the esprit d'core was very impressive. Someone told me the French constitution requires the French to come to one another's rescue in that manner. Hit a feral camel in the Arabian Gulf once. Very different story, Sharia law states you have to prove you did everything you could if someone you are caring for dies. Consequently nobody stopped until I demonstrated I wasn't going to die by getting out of the wreck and standing in my headlights. Not impressed with Sharia law.