A small boat is said to capsize when it rolls over upside down or on its side with its mast and sails in the water.  Turtling is a type of capsizing but only refers to the turning of the boat completely upside down with its sails and mast pointing vertically toward the sea bottom.   Capsizes usually occur when a sudden guest of wind catches the skipper and crew off guard.  For this reason, one should always have control of the main sheet to quickly let out and depower the mainsail. 

( Click on the Colored Text Below For Definitions !!!  )

Remember the following safety rules:
#1.  Never swim toward shore.  It looks closer than you think and you may not make it.
#2.  Always stay with the boat.
#3.  Do not swim under the sails or hull.         
#4.  Upon entering the boat after it has come upright, be sure to duck to avoid the swinging boom.   

There are several methods of righting a capsized boat.  The Scoop Recovery Method can be used for righting a boat when sailed by two or more people.  The boat often capsizes toward the leeward side and both the skipper and the crew end up in the water.  One sailor supports the mast to keep the boat from turtling.  The other sailor maneuvers around the boat (not under the hull) and climbs on the centerboard.  The sailor in the water grabs on to a stationary object in the boat's cockpit.  See above picture.  The sailor on the centerboard leans back and starts to right the boat.  If more righting leverage is needed, a jib sheet may be used to lean farther out on the centerboard. The sailor in the water is scooped into the cockpit and helps stabilize the boat as it is righted.  As the sailors enter the cockpit they should duck to avoid getting hit by the boom.   The sheet of the mainsail and jib should be loose and the sails allowed to luff so they will not recapsize the boat while it is righting.

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