[Lakegeezer]

There is not much the MPs can do when a sailboat tips over, except to make sure that the passengers are OK and try to prevent the water craft from damaging any property. Getting a sailboat back in operation, especially if it has turned turtle, is not easy, but possible. The folks at "Sea Tow" can help (by the way, anyone know what they charge?). With a boat and a few helpers, amateurs can also accomplish the task. First, take down (or actually, its “up”) the sails. There is usually air trapped under the boat that you can use to breath while getting the sales taken care of. Also, straighten out the ropes, so that you don’t get tangled in them. Tie a rope to the mast, and pass it up and over the bottom of the sailboat and to the rescue boat. Slowly troll the boat in a perpendicular to the boat – and the sailboat will roll back over. This may take a few attempts. The rope will sometimes slip front or backwards and if so, you have to try again. Also, once the boat rights, because it is full of water, it will not have much buoyancy and may roll over again. Get in the boat and start splashing water out of it as quickly as possible. Then, bail out the boat and start again or tow it back to the dock. If there is a motor that was dunked, get it running as soon as possible to prevent rust. Remove the plugs, spray in WD40, and clean the water out of the carb by taking it apart and again, spraying WD40 in it. In my experience (unfortunately, four times), it takes about 90 minutes to two hours to get things righted and underway.