05/420643

02/11/1975

11/30/1973

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114/39.230

114/90

B63C7/00; B63H9/10; B63H9/00; B63H9/04

114/39,61,90,100,103,108,109

Blix, Trygve M.

Basinger, Sherman D.

Scholnick, Seymour A.

What is claimed is

1. In a multihull boat having a lower boat portion with first and second outboard hulls, a mast with a lower end universally pivotally mounted on the lower boat portion and normally extending upwardly therefrom, and a plurality of cables extending from the upper end of the mast to the lower boat portion, including a stay cable extending towards a first end of the boat and a pair of shroud cables extending towards opposite sides of the boat and with directional components towards a second end of the boat opposite the first end, the improvement of apparatus for facilitating the righting of the boat when it capsizes on its side with one hull out of the water, comprising:

2. The improvement described in claim 1 wherein:

3. The improvement described in claim 1 wherein:

4. The improvement described in claim 1 wherein:

5. The improvement described in claim 4 wherein said means for tensioning the second end portion of said operating cable includes mechanical advantage apparatus coupled to the second end portion of the operating cable for multiplying manually applied tensioning force.

6. The improvement described in claim 4 wherein said means for tensioning the second end portion of said operating cable includes a releasable catch for normally locking said operating cable in a fixed position to maintain tension in said shroud cable.

7. In a multihull boat having a lower boat portion with first and second outboard hulls, a mast with a lower end universally pivotally mounted on the lower boat portion and normally extending upwardly therefrom, and a plurality of mast supporting cables extending from the upper end of the mast to the lower boat portion, including a stay cable extending toward a first end of the boat and a pair of shroud cables extending to predetermined attachment positions on opposite sides of the boat and with directional components towards a second end of the boat opposite the first end, the improvement of apparatus for facilitating the righting of the boat when it capsizes on its side with one hull out of the water, comprising:

8. The improvement defined in claim 7 wherein said second means includes returning apparatus manually operable for substantially simultaneously reshortening the shroud cable to its original length and reattaching the shroud cable to its predetermined attachment position to thereby permit reerection of the mast from a sidewise tilted position.

9. The improvement defined in claim 7 in which said second means includes a tensile member having substantial length and having a first end portion thereof coupled to the shroud cable adjacent its predetermined attachment position and a second end portion thereof coupled to the new attachment position.

10. The improvement defined in claim 9 in which said tensile member includes a lever having a first end portion attached to the shroud cable and releasably attached to the lower boat portion and a second end portion pivotally mounted adjacent the new attachment position.

11. A multihull boat easily rightable after it has capsized on its side with one hull out of the water, comprising:

12. A method for righting a multihull boat which has capsized and which includes a mast buoyant at the top and free to pivot in any direction on the deck and normally maintained upright on the deck between first and second opposite hulls by cables extending downwardly from the upper portion of the mast to the hull and deck assembly, including a stay cable extending forwardly and a pair of shroud cables extending with an aft direction component and in opposite laterally directions, comprising:

13. In a catamaran boat having a lower boat structure with a pair of hulls coupled by a center member, a mast with a lower end pivotally mounted on the lower boat structure and having a buoyant upper portion, a stay cable extending downwardly from the upper portion of the mast in a forward direction, and a pair of shroud cables extending downwardly from the upper portion of the mast in largely opposite lateral direction, the improvement of apparatus for righting the boat after it has capsized, comprising:

14. In a catamaran boat having a lower boat structure with a pair of hulls coupled by a center member, a mast with a lower end pivotally mounted on the lower boat structure and having a buoyant upper portion, a stay cable extending downwardly from the upper portion of the mast in a forward direction, and a pair of shroud cables extending downwardly from the upper portion of the mast in largely opposite lateral direction, the improvement of apparatus for righting the boat after it has capsized, comprising:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to an improvement in a multihull boat, which facilitates the righting of the boat when it capsizes.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Catamaran boats are often subject to capsizing, particularly because of high speeds and the tendency to sail with one hull well out of the water.

Once a catamaran has capsized onto its side hull, with its mast dragging in the water, a very difficult and potentially hazardous situation is created. The boat is unmanageable in the capsized position and may be swept onto shore or into the path of other boats. Usual righting operation which the crew might conduct are very difficult and often impossible. In very cold water or heavy seas or shark infested areas, the inability of the crew to promptly right a capsized catamaran creates a potentially lethal situation. For larger size catamarans, such as eighteen foot and twenty-two foot and larger catamarans, all of the righting problems are greatly increased, and the safety problems involved have greatly limited the marketing of larger catamarans.

The crew usually rights the boat by attaching a righting line to the uppermost hull (the hull out of the water) and leaning backward while standing on the lower hull. In order for the crew to apply enough righting moment for even a small boat, they normally must have substantial weight and must be athletic enough to lean very far backward. In most cases, a single crewman cannot right the boat, and he must await help from another boat. A relatively simple device that facilitated righting of a catamaran or multihull boat would not only make sailing less troublesome and hazardous, but would also make practical the safe use of larger sizes of catamarans. Such larger boats often permit greater speed, but have heretofore had the disadvantage of being extremely difficult or impossible to right after capsizing.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, apparatus is provided which is useful on a typical catamaran boat to facilitate the righting of the boat after it has capsized. The typical catamaran boat includes a mast with its lower end positioned in a universal mount on the deck and with its upper end held upright by three cables, including a stay cable extending forwardly and a pair of side cables, usually called shroud cables, extending to either side of the boat and a small distance rearward or aft of the mast. The righting apparatus includes a device for lengthening the shroud cable that lies out of the water on a capsized boat, to permit the upper hull to be easily moved to a position where its weight can aid in the righting of the boat. The device not only lengthens the shroud cable, but also moves its hull attachment point to a position aft of the original attachment point. The purpose of such movement is to prevent the mast from tipping forwardly, instead of laterally, with respect to the hulls. Such aft movement of the attachment point of the shroud cable prevents the partially released mast from collapsing forward, thus preventing further incapacitation of the boat during the righting process. The present invention makes it practical to right capsized catamarans with relative ease, ordinarily with a single crewman.

The novel features of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention will best be understood from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a catamaran boat constructed in accordance with the present invention, showing it in a normal sailing position;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the boat of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front elevation view of the boat of FIG. 1, showing its position on the water after capsizing;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3, but showing the boat after deployment of the righting apparatus of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a view taken on the line 5--5 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a partial sectional view taken along the line 6--6 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a partial side elevation view of the boat of FIG. 1, showing some of the details of the righting apparatus thereof;

FIG. 8 is a partial side elevation view of a righting apparatus constructed in accordance with another emobodment of the invention;

FIG. 9 is a partial perspective view of the righting apparatus of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10a is a partial side elevation view of a modified form of the righting apparatus of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10b is a partial side view of another modified form of the righting apparatus of FIG. 8; and

FIG. 10c is a partial side view of still another modified form of the righting apparatus of FIG. 8.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 illustrates a typical catamaran boat 10 which includes a mast 20 and a lower boat portion 12 formed by a pair of spaced hulls 14, 16 and a deck structure 18 for joining them. It should be understood that in some catamarans the deck structure 18 may be the top surface of a cabin or other center structure. The mast 20 is held upright on the lower boat portion 12 by three cables that extend downwardly from the upper portion of the mast. The three cables are often referred to as the stay cable 22 which extends to the forward end of the lower boat portion, and a pair of shroud cables 24, 26 which extend to either side of the boat and to positions rearward, or aft, of the mast. The lower ends of the three cables 22-26 may be tied directly to the hulls 14, 16, although it is also possible to make connections to the decking 18. A sail structure 28 is mounted on the mast 20 and can pivot thereon to a variety of positions between the two shroud cables 24, 26. Of course, it should be noted that the items 22- 26 referred to as cables may be ropes or other devices that can withstand tension to hold up the mast.

The locations 30, 32, where the lower ends of the shroud cables 24, 26 are attached to the lower boat portion, are ordinarily chosen as a compromise between mast stability considerations and other sailing considerations. Attachment locations far aft of the mast 20 would be desirable in order to prevent the mast from tipping forwardly. However, in practice the rearward attachment of the shrouds is limited in order to allow clearance for pivoting of the sail 28 within the widest range of positions in order to permit the attainment of the greatest possible sailing speed. It may be noted that additional cables may be utilized to keep the mast upright, but the two shroud cables 24, 26 normally provide the main support against forward tipping of the mast and also determine the limits within which the sail 28 can be positioned.

The catamaran boat 10 is capable of high speeds, and there is often a tendency to allow the boat to sail in a tipped condition with one hull out of the water. For these reasons and because of sudden wind gusts, excessive tipping leading to capsizing is a common occurrence. The most common condition immediately after capsizing is illustrated in FIG. 3, wherein the boat has rotated slightly more than 90° from its upright position, and with one hull 16 and the top of the mast 20 lying in the water, while another hull 14 lies out of the water. The mast 20 is constructed so that it is buoyant, in order to minimize the possibility of the boat turning to a complete upside-down or "turtle" position in the water. For this same purpose a float, such as a styrofoam ball, may be mounted at the upper end of the mast to supplement the buoyancy of the mast alone.

Righting of a boat that is in the condition shown in FIG. 3 has been accomplished traditionally by tying a righting line 40 to the upper hull 14. Ordinarily several members of the crew stand on the lower hull 16 and lean backward holding the line 40 so that the weight of their bodies provides a moment that tends to rotate the boat about the lower hull 16 to an upright position. However, even relatively small sixteen foot boats are difficult to right in this manner. One reason is that the weight of the upper hull 14 and much of the decking 18 or other center structure provide a moment about the lower hull 16 which tends to resist righting of the boat.

In accordance with the present invention, a device is provided which enables the boat to be changed from the configuration shown in FIG. 3 to the configuration shown in FIG. 4, to minimize the crew weight and righting moment which must be applied to the boat in order to move it from a capsized condition to an upright position or to permit it to right itself without the use of the weight of the crew. The righting apparatus performs two functions; namely, lengthening the out-of-the-water shroud cable 24 to the length shown at 24a, and moving the point of attachment 30 of that shroud cable rearward to the location 30a. The lengthening of the out-of-the-water shroud cable 24 permits the lower boat portion 12 to pivot with respect to the mast which does not appreciably change its position in the water. In this manner the lower boat portion 12 undergoes the main change in position, by pivoting closer to the position shown in FIG. 4. The lower boat portion 12 may not automatically pivot to the position shown in FIG. 4, but a crewman M normally can produce such pivoting by pulling on line 40 with only moderate effort. With the boat in the position of FIG. 4, the upper hull 14 lies on a side of the lower hull 16 opposite the mast, which results in the weight of the upper hull tending to help in the righting of the boat. As a consequence, a smaller or no effort and righting moment must be applied by the crewman M to right the boat.

The attachment point 30 of the upper shroud 24 is moved rearwardly to the position 30a to prevent forward collapsing of the mast 20 which would otherwise occur either while the mast is in the water or as the boat begins to right or reaches a righted position. When the upper shroud cable 24 is lengthened, it allows the mast 20 to pivot not only towards the other side of the boat, but also to pivot forwardly. Thus, if the attachment point were not moved, it would be possible for the mast 20 to pivot freely laterally and forward to collapse in a well forward position.

Once the mast has collapsed, especially in a forward position, it is difficult to impossible to reerect it, because of the weight of wet sails and the mast itself and the usual lack of standing positions from which sufficient leverage can be applied to the mast. It is difficult enough to erect the mast alone, without sails, under the best of conditions. If the mast were permitted to collapse during the righting process, the boat would ordinarily become at least a temporary derelict often requiring external rescue operations to bring it to shore.

The amount of lengthening of the upper shroud 24 determines the amount by which the upper hull 14 can be moved in free rotation of the lower boat portion before actual lifting of the mast begins. A moderate amount of lengthening will aid considerably in righting the boat, even if the position of the upper hull 14 does not fully move past or only slightly moves past the center of the lower hull 16. It is also possible to provide a great enough lengthening so that the boat will right itself. After the boat is righted, it can be sailed, although quite inefficiently, with the mast tilted away from an upright position. However, it is generally desirable to return the mast to its upright position, by shortening the shroud that was earlier lengthened and by reattaching the lower end of the shroud to its original attach point.

The righting apparatus 50, which is shown in greater detail in FIG. 7, includes a rigid arm 52 with a rearward end 54 pivotally mounted on the lower boat portion 12 and with a forward end having an eye 56 that is attached to the lower end of the original shroud cable 24. The forward end of the arm 52 is normally held down to the lower boat portion by a latch 58. When the latch 58 is released, tension in the shroud cable 24 lifts it up and causes the arm 52 to pivot to the position shown at 24a. In this position, the shroud cable 24a, which now includes the original shroud cable 24 and the arm 52, has been lengthened by the length of the arm 52, and has been moved aft to the pivot point of arm 52. After the boat has been righted, the mast can be returned to its original upright position by pivoting the arm 52 back to its original position and reengaging the latch 58. The provision of a stiff pivoted arm 52 facilitates the manipulation of the shroud cable 24 to its original latched position.

It should be understood, as is indicated in FIG. 2, that in addition to the righting apparatus 50 on hull 14, a duplicate righting apparatus will ordinarily be provided on the other hull 16 so that, if the catamaran capsizes in the other direction with hull 14 in the water, the duplicate righting apparatus on hull 16 can be actuated so as to right the boat.

FIGS. 8 and 9 illustrate another righting mechanism 70 which facilitates the lengthening of the shroud cable that is out of the water and which moves its attachment point aft. The mechanism 70 includes an additional cable length 72 with one end 74 attached to the lower boat portion aft of the attachment point of the original shroud cable 24. The additional cable 72 has a forward end attached to a shroud adjuster coupling 76 that is attached to the lower portion of the original shroud cable 24. When the lower end of the shroud cable 24 is released, its length is increased by the length of the additional cable 72, and its attach point is moved aft to the attach point 74.

The coupling 76 may be of a conventional type comprising a bracket having two parallel plates having a plurality of aligned holes through which pins are selectively placed to serve as linkage points for the various cables which are attached to the coupling. The coupling 76 which is attached to the shroud cable 24 is held down by an operating cable 78 which extends around a pulley 80, through a catch 82, and forwardly to a handle 84. The pulley 80 is rotatably mounted on a catch block 86 which is tied down to the lower boat portion by a swivel fastener 88. The operating cable 78 has a ball catch 90 mounted thereon which is normally held by the catch 82 of the catch block. Engagement of the ball 90 with the catch 82 prevents the operating cable 78 from moving along the pulley 80 to lengthen the shroud cable 24. However, when a crewman releases the ball 90 from the catch 82, the operating cable 78 is free to move around the pulley and thereby release the shroud cable 24, so that the shroud cable can move upwardly until it is held only by the additional cable 72.

After the boat has been righted, a crewman normally operates the righting mechanism 70 to return the mast to an upright position. This is accomplished by the crewman grasping the handle 84 and pulling it upwardly. When the handle 84 is pulled, the operating cable pulls down the coupling 76 and the shroud 24. When the operating cable has been pulled far enough so that the ball 90 passes the catch 82 the ball 90 can be reengaged with the catch 82 so that the shroud 24 is held in its original position.

FIG. 10a illustrates a modified form of righting mechanism, similar to that illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9, except that it includes a pulley arrangement 200 for providing a mechanical advantage to facilitate the operation of the mechanism. The pulley mechanism 200 includes a movable pulley 202 coupled by a bracket 204 to the operating cable 78 and coupled by a force increasing cable 206 to another pulley 208. The pulley 208 is pivotally mounted on a bracket 210 that is fastened to the deck of the boat. The cable 206 has one end 212 fastened to the bracket 204, and the cable 206 extends around the pulley 208, around the other pulley 202, and extends through a handle 214. When a crewman pulls rearwardly or with an upward directional component on the handle 214, he obtains a mechanical advantage in applying tension to the operating cable 78 to move the mast back to an upright position. This arrangement is especially useful for larger boats, where large tensions may have to be applied to the shroud cable in order to return the mast to its original upright position. Of course, multiple pulleys may be utilized to obtain even greater mechanical advantage.

FIG. 10b illustrates yet another righting mechanism 120 which is arranged to provide a mechanical advantage and to provide a self-locking toggle action. The mechanism 120 includes a lever 122 pivotally mounted at 124 on the lower boat portion and having a handle 126 which can be moved by a crewman. The mechanism includes an operating cable 78 which extends around a deck-mounted pulley 80 and which has one end connected to a coupling 76 that holds the shroud cable 24. The cable 78 has another end 128 which is connected to the lever 122 at a location inbetween the lever pivot point 124 and the lever handle 126. When a crewman wishes to release the shroud cable 124 to right the boat, he merely lifts the lever handle 126 to release the operating cable 78 to allow lengthening of the shroud cable 24. When the crewman wishes to retighten the shroud cable 24, he grasps the lever handle 126 and returns it to its original position as shown in FIG. 10b. This lever arrangement provides a mechanical advantage that allows the crewman to apply a large tension force to the operating cable 78 and cable shroud 24. In addtion, the lever acts as a toggle clamp which obviates the necessity for providing a separate latch to hold down the lever. That is, when the lever is moved to the position shown in FIG. 10b, tension in the cable tends to retain the lever in this position. The lever 122 can, however, be released by applying only a moderate upward force at the handle 126.

FIG. 10c illustrates yet another righting mechanism 140, which employs a conventional winch, to apply tension to an operating cable 78 and to release it. The winch includes a conventional winch drum 144 around which the cable 142 can be wound, a handle 146 for rotating the drum, and conventional pawls (not shown) for preventing unwinding of the drum until the pawls are released. The operating cable 78 extends around a deck-mounted pulley 80 to the coupling 76 which is attached to the shroud cable 24. As in the other righting mechanisms, an additional cable 72 is provided which extends between the coupling 76 and a deck location 30a which is aft of the original attachment position 30 at the pulley 80, so that when the operating cable 78 is released the cable shroud 24 extends towards the new attach point at 30a.

In catamaran boats, the mast of the catamaran is normally supported in a simple universal mount which permits the mast to be tilted to a certain extent in any direction. Thus, for example, in one of the most common types of mounting systems, the bottom of the mast is equipped with a ball which engages with a matching socket mounted on the deck of the catamaran. The prior art types of mast mounting systems allow for fore and aft tilting of the mast as may be required in raking the mast in tuning operation to obtain greater sailing speed. The prior art mounts also permit full 90° tilting of the mast as may be required in erection and take down of the mast. They also permit substantial athwartship or sideways tilting of the mast and therefore may be used in the practice of the righting method and apparatus of the present invention.

However, because universal mast mounts of the prior art are not specifically designed to permit tilting of the mast, as may be desirable in the practice of the righting method of the present invention, such prior art devices may in such use present several deficiencies. They may, for example, have a tendency to permit the mast in its fully tilted position to pop out or slip out of its mounting socket. To compensate for this deficiency, it is usually desirable, when using prior art mast mounts, to provide auxiliary means for capturing or retaining the bottom of the mast in position. This is done, for example, by connecting a cable to the bottom of the mast and tethering the mast with the cable to the deck so as to hold the mast bottom in position without interfering with the operation of the universal mount. Alternatively, a redesigned mast mount may be utilized, both in new manufacture of catamarans and in retrofitting of old catamarans, which is specifically designed for utilization in the righting operation, having an integral capturing system and adapted to permit such sidewise tilting of the mast as may be desirable in the righting operation.

Referring now to FIG. 6, a preferred embodiment of a universal mast mount 100 is illustrated. As shown in FIG. 6, the mast 20 is held in the simple universal mount 100, the mount being formed by a convexly rounded lower end 102 of the mast and a concavely rounded socket member 104, which is mounted on the deck 18 of the universal mount, and which permits the mast to pivot to either side, through tilt angles of 30° to 40° without interference. As shown in FIG. 6, a capturing device 106 is mounted on joint 100 to prevent the lower end of the mast from leaving the socket 104 during righting operations. The capturing device 106 includes a short length of cable 108 held by a fastener 110 to the lower end of the mast and fastened by a quick-disconnect cotter pin 111 to a large washer 112 at its other end, which lies below the socket member 104. The cable 108 is long enough so that it is loose and does not interfere with the free pivoting of the mast is its socket. However, the cable 108 limits upward and sideward translation of the lower mast end which could otherwise cause the mast to slip out or pop out of its socket during righting operations.

It is clear that the invention provides a relatively simple mechanism which can be utilized on a typical catamaran boat to facilitate righting of the boat when it has capsized. The device includes apparatus for holding the shroud cables at positions that maintain the mast normally upright, but each of the holding means being releasable to allow the lengthening of a shroud cable so that the mast is able to tip towards the opposite side of the boat. The apparatus also includes means for fixing the position of a lower shroud cable to prevent the mast from tipping primarily forwardly, so that mast tipping is confined primarily to a lateral direction. This can be accomplished by moving the point of attachment of the released shroud cable in an aft direction. The mechanism is designed to be operated easily by the crew (ordinarily by a single crewman) at a capsized catamaran or other multihull boat, to shift the position of the upper hull so that righting of the boat is made very much easier. After righting of the boat, the shroud cables may be rapidly replaced in their original positions, so that the mast is upright and the boat can be sailed in a normal manner.

Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated herein, it is recognized that modifications and variations may readily occur to those skilled in the art and consequently, it is intended that the claims be interpreted to cover such modifications and equivalents .