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Flying Scot

Flying Scot is a 18 ′ 11 ″ / 5.8 m monohull sailboat designed by Gordon K. (Sandy) Douglass and built by Tanzer Industries Ltd., Douglass & McLeod, Customflex, Flying Scot, Inc., and Loftland Sail-craft Inc. starting in 1958.

• 1 / 2 Orlando, FL, US 2023 Flying Scot $31,500 USD View
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Rig and Sails

Auxilary power, accomodations, calculations.

The theoretical maximum speed that a displacement hull can move efficiently through the water is determined by it's waterline length and displacement. It may be unable to reach this speed if the boat is underpowered or heavily loaded, though it may exceed this speed given enough power. Read more.

Classic hull speed formula:

Hull Speed = 1.34 x √LWL

Max Speed/Length ratio = 8.26 ÷ Displacement/Length ratio .311 Hull Speed = Max Speed/Length ratio x √LWL

Sail Area / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the power of the sails relative to the weight of the boat. The higher the number, the higher the performance, but the harder the boat will be to handle. This ratio is a "non-dimensional" value that facilitates comparisons between boats of different types and sizes. Read more.

SA/D = SA ÷ (D ÷ 64) 2/3

• SA : Sail area in square feet, derived by adding the mainsail area to 100% of the foretriangle area (the lateral area above the deck between the mast and the forestay).
• D : Displacement in pounds.

Ballast / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the stability of a boat's hull that suggests how well a monohull will stand up to its sails. The ballast displacement ratio indicates how much of the weight of a boat is placed for maximum stability against capsizing and is an indicator of stiffness and resistance to capsize.

Ballast / Displacement * 100

Displacement / Length Ratio

A measure of the weight of the boat relative to it's length at the waterline. The higher a boat’s D/L ratio, the more easily it will carry a load and the more comfortable its motion will be. The lower a boat's ratio is, the less power it takes to drive the boat to its nominal hull speed or beyond. Read more.

D/L = (D ÷ 2240) ÷ (0.01 x LWL)³

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds.
• LWL: Waterline length in feet

Comfort Ratio

This ratio assess how quickly and abruptly a boat’s hull reacts to waves in a significant seaway, these being the elements of a boat’s motion most likely to cause seasickness. Read more.

Comfort ratio = D ÷ (.65 x (.7 LWL + .3 LOA) x Beam 1.33 )

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds
• LOA: Length overall in feet
• Beam: Width of boat at the widest point in feet

Capsize Screening Formula

This formula attempts to indicate whether a given boat might be too wide and light to readily right itself after being overturned in extreme conditions. Read more.

CSV = Beam ÷ ³√(D / 64)

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Flying scot

The flying scot is a 19.0ft fractional sloop designed by gordon k. douglass and built in fiberglass by tanzer industries ltd. since 1958., 5300 units have been built..

The Flying scot is an ultralight sailboat which is a very high performer. It is stable / stiff and has a low righting capability if capsized. It is best suited as a racing boat.

Flying scot for sale elsewhere on the web:

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Why would I want to sail one? index

• The boat is an outstanding daysailer or gunkhole cruiser.
• The racing is great.
• The boat is easy to sail.
• The boat is easy to trailer.
• You can take the whole family along.
• They're faster than most small "cruising" keelboats.
• They're indestructible and last forever.
• The class association is one of the most active in North America.

Think of it as an overgrown College 420 with an attitude. Or as a cross between a JY-15 and a J/24. Or as a miniature 30 footer that you can trailer -- and actually afford. Better yet, come out and try one; you'll enjoy it!

Why is it called the Flying Scot? index

"Believe it or not, my biggest problem in designing the Flying Scot was in deciding on a good name for the class and then in designing a suitable emblem because with some 600 'classes' already on record [as of 1957], the field had become somewhat restricted. 'Flying Scot' has been the name of the famous London-to-Edinburgh express, and there also was a famous yacht of the [Eighteen] Nineties by that name. It seemed to be a good choice." -- Sandy Douglass

What is that funny squiggle in the class logo? index

Sandy's original idea for the class logo involved the words "Flying S" with the S slightly above and to the right...

...but that would have made the emblem very difficult for a sailmaker to reliably reproduce, so the rest of the word "Flying" was filled in with a solid color, and became the familiar squiggle.

How was the Flying Scot designed? index

"While my years of experience had given me a pretty definite conception of the planing family racing boat which was needed in the 19-foot field, I had not introduced such a boat because for many years, the Lightning had dominated that field; and it wasn't until 1956 that I thought that her hold could be challenged....

"Designing the hull was no problem because I already had a clear idea of what was needed for a planing family boat. Such a boat should have the safety of wide side decks, but also a roomy cockpit.

"How could I resolve this problem? The solution was to lower the deck and to shape it into the form of seats, thus combining the advantages of both. Why had no one before thought of this?

"The engineering of the structure was another matter. Fiberglass offers opportunities, but also presents problems. Being denser than wood it must be thinner, and being thinner it lacks stiffness and must be handled differently. It is flexible, and yet flexing can be its greatest enemy because it can lead to cracking.... When I learned that a balsa sandwich was being tried, I decided to go in this direction....

"I had built her with a 250 pound centerboard to make her self-righting, but found that much weight to be unnecessary for stability as well as undesirable in other ways. (Aren't we glad that I cut the weight down to 100 pounds?) I also soon found that while the seats kept out the spray they also held quite a puddle of water and that drains were most desirable....

"The boat had to have flotation.... The solution to the problem we found to be to use fiberglass straps, but to insulate them from the styrofoam with strips of waxed paper which protect the foam until the resin has cured." -- Sandy Douglass

Why doesn't the Flying Scot have... index

Has anyone famous sailed in Flying Scots? index

Sandy Douglass, Greg Fisher, Andy Fox, Larry Klein, Tom Ehman... (I know I'm forgetting quite a few - PTD)

And, maybe... you?

Is there a fleet near me? index

Yes, Fleet 42 is based at the same marina as the Goddard Sailing Association, at Selby Bay Sailing Center . Goddard sailors can join Fleet 42 and participate at fleet events.

Where can I find more information? index

You may find more information, among others, at the Flying Scot Sailing Association , at the Flying Scot company or at flyingscotracing.com .

What do I need to do to get my boat ready to race? index

Here's what we did during our first racing season on FS 4340, which had been extensively daysailed but never raced before 1995:

I'm getting killed upwind! What am I doing wrong? index

One of the Scot's little quirks is that the jib fairleads are in a spot that causes them to sheet the sail about four degrees too far outboard. (The Collegiate 420 has the same problem.) To fix the problem, tie your jib sheets together about eight inches off the clew, and put enough tension on the weather jib sheet to bring the upper jib batten parallel to the boom. The clew will wind up roughly in the middle of the leeward seat, as a rule of thumb. A main with a window in the upper part of the luff that lets you see the upper jib batten can be very helpful.

What you don't want to do is overtrim the weather sheet, which stalls the jib leech and closes the slot; you can tell when that is happening by the backwind that you get in the main luff. The more you weather sheet, the narrower the "groove" gets, which can actually be helpful -- the Scot's groove is unnaturally wide to begin with, and it's easy to be fooled into sailing too low or to miss shifts. However, in light air, heavy chop, or if you're having trouble holding the boat in the groove, the weather sheet can profitably be eased or left off.

What about cruising? index

Since there's so much room aboard a Flying Scot, including enough storage space for camping gear and supplies, many fleets organize cruises up and down coastlines or among groups of islands. A week-long cruise through the Thousand Islands is planned following this year's North American Championships, for example. Information about organized Flying Scot cruises frequently appears in the class newsletter, Scots 'n Water.

Raising and lowering the mast is a major pain! index

Getting the mast up and down on older boats can be a trying process, involving a good deal of trial and error and fumbling. Fortunately, on newer boats, there is a pin on a hinge just aft of the mast step that greatly simplifies stepping and unstepping the mast. With the mast hinge, you just hook up the sidestays, slide the mast into the pin on the hinge, attach the jib halyard to your trailer winch, and have one person in the boat guiding the mast to prevent it falling sideways while the other cranks the mast up to vertical. Hook up the forestay, and you're done! Reverse the process when taking down.

Older boats can have the mast hinge retrofitted fairly easily. The hinge only costs $15, and is one of the better investments that you can make. If you're within easy driving distance of the factory, they'll also install the bow bag and transom port for you for very little while you're there. Even if you aren't close to the factory, the hinge doesn't look to be particularly difficult to install yourself, and it will save you a lot of grief.

If you have an older boat with no mast hinge, you can simulate the effect of having a hinge by placing the butt of the mast in the tabernacle and following the above procedure, either using the trailer winch or walking forward from stern to midships while holding the mast overhead. The tabernacle will prevent the mast from falling over sideways while you're bringing it to vertical (which is the reason why it's there). Once the mast is vertical, hook up the jib halyard to the bow plate (not the tack shackle), and lift the mast from the tabernacle up to the mast step. Then hook up the forestay, and you're all set.

What about safety in a capsize? index

Because the Flying Scot is so beamy and has a very heavy centerboard that provides a good deal of counterweight, capsizes are rare. In fact, it can be difficult to intentionally capsize the Flying Scot to leeward when the centerboard is down, since the boat develops uncontrollable weather helm as it heels over, which heads the boat into the wind until the sails stall. Most Flying Scot capsizes occur during downwind legs of races in heavy, puffy air, when the centerboard is up, the boat is not being sailed conservatively, and the spinnaker is almost doubling the boat's total sail area.

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Flying Scot - did I buy the wrong boat?

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This has been my first season with a Flying Scot. I think I may have bought the wrong boat. I'm a novice sailor. I've taken the ASA 101 class last spring and chartered several times. Those were on things like a Capri 22, O'Day 25, Catalina 25. I do not have years of experience. I bought a Flying Scot based on the reputation as stable and good family boats. I did not buy it to race. My Scot has been very responsive - it sails in light wind and reacts quickly to my changes. I now think it may be too responsive for my skill level. I'm nervous that if I don't anticipate what's going to happen, I could get into trouble easily. I don't want the risk of capsizing. Of course it is possible in any boat, but I want something where the risk is very small. I now realize that the Scot has a higher risk of capsizing than something with a fixed keel. I think that is basic boat design that I didn't appreciate enough. My wife has no sailing experience and is looking for a lounging experience (newspaper, cold drink etc). I have two kids (6 and 9) that have loved sailing, love the water. My wife is not interested in ending up in the water. My kids would probably say they'd like to fall off, but I think they'd actually get scared and it could put them off sailing. I have a wet slip on a lake, so the advantage of being able to trailer a Scot are not important to me. I want to emphasize that my interactions with Flying Scot Inc have been great. Also, other Scot sailors have been extremely nice and helpful. I crewed in a race once and it was a blast. I think my issue is that I didn't match the pros/cons of the Scot with my personal menu of desires. I think I bought a boat that is great for an experienced sailor, or someone that is fine with some capsizes. What do you think? Do you agree that a slightly larger fixed keel boat (like a Capri 22) would be better suited for me? I expect it won't be as resopnsive in light winds, but it would be more stable in moderate or heavy winds. I'm not interested in overnighting, so the down-below area isn't important (part of the reason the Scot was attractive). I wanted/want a bigger cockpit area. I now have a better appreciation for what people say about buying a boat - that is is a very personal decision and differnt for everyone! Thanks in advance.  

Could you try sailing with one reef in the main until you get more comfortable?...smaller/no jib?  

Unless you are in 20 knots of wind you are unlikely to capsize. Find an experienced sailor to go out with you and give you some tips.  

Flying Scots are really nice boats. I owned one for a few years and had a blast. They are really very stable and you should never experience a capsize if you are not pushing it (e.g., racing) and pay the least bit of attention. The local sailing centers near DC teach on Scots and that's what they rent to the new sailors. I'd take manatee's advice and reef until you are more comfortable. No shame in that. Pick your weather window. Also, never cleat the main sheet. If you feel you are losing control, just let go of the sheet. The boat will settle down nicely. All that said, a CB boat generally will not be as stable as a keel boat. So, if it would help you and your family to enjoy sailing, instead of being anxious, I'd say trade in the Scot for something else. The point is to have a great time and want to get out on the water. Just my 2 cents.  

I'd guess that most Flying Scot's that were rigged for racing do not come with reefing points. There were no reef points on my Lightning 19' (similar sized center boarder). I think you have discovered the essence and personality of a Flying Scot: nimble, responsive, fast and a bit tender (tends to heel quickly). Most keel boats will be much more forgiving, stable and not at all likely to capsize. They will also be slower and less sporty - but if you can live with that and that is what you want = now you know. Before buying your next boat you should gain some familiarity with it to figure out it's personality; preferably go for test sails on different models. did you like the Catalina 25' you sailed on? There is a version of the C25 that has a fixed fin keel which should be the most stable, as long as it does not have the "tall rig" mast. Standard rig with fixed fin keel is what I'd suggest. Hope you have no trouble unloading your Flying Scot.  

I have never sailed a flying scott so I wont comment on the boat specifically. As for your ability and therefor safety, with time and practice you will become a skilled sailor. The trepidation you feel now will pass. As was mentioned earlier it will likely be a big help to bring a more experienced sailor with you. Point out the areas that give you concern. It might as simple as sailing with a reef until your more comfortable. Best of luck and don't hesitate to ask the group here for help. There is a wealth of knowledge around this place. Brad  

You don't reef a boat like the Flying Scot, you just "depower" and hang on and hike your ass off. Very few dinghies have reef points and your boat, without ballast is a dinghy. It's a dinghy Caleb and has to be sailed like a dinghy. I know the boat well but I've never sailed one. My guess is that it would be hard as hell to capsize. You'd have to be trying. That boat will tip on it's ear and then most probably round up and dump the wind out of the sails and then right itself. The shape is funky with that big fat bow but the boats were very popular in the Mid west in the 60's. Just go at it slowly and whn in doubt let the sheet out. You'll be fine. I am pretty darn certain you bought the right boat.  

it's difficult to capsize a Scot but i have done it a few times. But it's easy to right and continue sailing. it generally takes on very little water. I'm very comfortable soloing in my scot even flying the spinnacker in light winds. best dinghy I've ever sailed. At a regatta Riverside NJ The lightning next to me capsized the sailor jumped onto the deck of my scot. all was well my scot barely rocked. Herb 'Flying Turkey' my friend Kay gave me the nickname, Get out there and sail.  

My Flying Scot's sail (a fairly new boat) could be reefed. It had "roller reefing" in that you rolled up the sail on the boom and you could make the sail as small as you wanted. (With some loss of efficient shape, but who cares...you aren't racing.) The rental Scot's in DC have traditional slab reefing. They wouldn't rent these boats to newbies if they weren't easy to keep upright.  

I do not know how a newbie in sailing, who does not know how much he wants to invest in the sport, does not know what type of sailing he wants to do, or even if he will get sea sick, can pick a boat he will stick with for several years. There are so many types and choices of boats out there. My story, My wife and I sailed a daysailer for two summers 30 some years ago. I always wanted to try it again, especially as I neared retirement age. So I bought a 17' Newport for $1k w/ trailer. Admiral went along with that because of the cheap price. Then I needed an outboard and next thing we knew we had about $2500 into it. BUT, that starter boat was what we needed to figure out if we still like sailing and wanted ti invest more into the hobby. It showed us we hated trailering, we needed a boat with a cabin and we needed a boat we could sit up in without getting wacked by the boom. We also needed something we could do some relaxing sails that was much more stable. Within the year we moved to an Oday 25. Perfect boat for a second boat. Easy to sail, stable, can handle heavier winds or we can just put up the sails and sail while laying back and sipping our fruity drinks. Maybe some people can pick their first boats right the first time but as I was advised my first boat will definitely not be my last boat and they were right. Even our second boat is a learner boat. So, play with your boat and remember one thing. You need to have the Admiral on board and if you and the admiral decide on a type of sailing that appeals to you, and the boat you have is the wrong one for that type of sailing, bite the bullet and get the one you feel you will be happy with.  

you have a place on the water so keep the scott they are great boats to learn in. before long your kids will be sailing it and dad and mom will need their own boat. something that mom can sit in with a glass of something cold and a book to read while your kids sail circles around you. Look at the Rhodes 19 a great boat comes fixed keel or centerboard  

I was raised on dinghies starting back in '74, sailing many different designs under 20' over the years since. Over a decade ago I taught adults to sail on Flying Scots for two seasons at one of the metro DC marinas Jiminri mentioned. From that experience I have to say the Scots were the most stable and, in a blow, forgiving monohull design under 20' I've ever sailed. My advice is simple: give yourself some time underway aboard your FS before giving up on it. You'll grow into it and you'll be glad you took the time to adjust. If you also sail other dinghy designs for the sake of comparison you'll likely discover the gem you currently own. Failing that, I'm almost tempted to suggest you email me for the right to first refusal when you sell the Scot.  

"small keel boat"? That's for wussies. Stick with a boat that can capsize. It will make you a far better sailor. Maybe a better swimmer too.  

Do what the Scot does well. Go racing. Find some friends that want to get wet, and go for it. When the conditions are right, take the family out with cold drinks and newspapers. And who knows, maybe some in your family might dig racing too.  

Don't give up on your Scot. Just buy a used smaller set of sails, like from a 14 or 15 foot boat, and keep using them until all of you guys are comfortable and have learned how to act on your boat when sailing. Smaller sails will make the boat more stable and less responsive - but in stronger winds you will still sail fast. Then you can go back to the big sails and have real fun. Scot is an awesome dinghy but it does require some skill to sail nicely.  

some good videos about the Scot The Flying Scot - The Best Daysailer in the World  

There was a FS at the marina where I bought my boat. It was parked on a trailer near the entrance. I drooled over that boat EVERY time I went down to work on my boat. You may or may not decide to keep it, but PLEASE enjoy it while you have it! Also, as much as I like my keel boat, keep in mind that there is a lot more maintenance. Lighting, plumbing, cushions, rigging, etc etc etc.  

I learned to fly on a tree lined short grass field. As my flying progressed to larger more advanced aircraft the question of where i took my primary training always came up. it was met with with the same response from almost everyone _ You flew there? Yup and because i didn't know it was supposedly impossible to land a plane there, for me, and everyone else who flew there, it wasn't. We didn't know any better. We were taught by people who knew how to get it done, and because of that, right out of primary training we were better pilots than many. So it goes with dinghy sailing. There is no cruise control. You can't let the boat get ahead of you. Learn to sail a dinghy well and you will be a better sailor for it. You sail in the Delaware River? If so the New Castle Sailing Club ( think that's the name) in New Castle Delaware sails a fleet of Flying Scots. Real nice people! I'm sure for a case of beer they would be more than happy to give you some tiller observation time along with ways of detuning the Scot into the don't spill the tea boat you want it to be. Bottom line, if i can sail the grossly over powered Hobie 16 and Nacra 17 without flipping in 20mph winds, you can do the same with a FS. No need to give up on the boat. Just learn how to do it. Also the advice to get some capsize experience on a sun fish or laser, good stuff!!!  

TJC45 said: I learned to fly on a tree lined short grass field. As my flying progressed to larger more advanced aircraft the question of where i took my primary training always came up. it was met with with the same response from almost everyone _ You flew there? Yup and because i didn't know it was supposedly impossible to land a plane there, for me, and everyone else who flew there, it wasn't. We didn't know any better. We were taught by people who knew how to get it done, and because of that, right out of primary training we were better pilots than many. So it goes with dinghy sailing. There is no cruise control. You can't let the boat get ahead of you. Learn to sail a dinghy well and you will be a better sailor for it. You sail in the Delaware River? If so the New Castle Sailing Club ( think that's the name) in New Castle Delaware sails a fleet of Flying Scots. Real nice people! I'm sure for a case of beer they would be more than happy to give you some tiller observation time along with ways of detuning the Scot into the don't spill the tea boat you want it to be. Bottom line, if i can sail the grossly over powered Hobie 16 and Nacra 17 without flipping in 20mph winds, you can do the same with a FS. No need to give up on the boat. Just learn how to do it. Also the advice to get some capsize experience on a sun fish or laser, good stuff!!! Click to expand...

I learned to sail on Flying Scots at one of the marinas here in DC. I then sailed them for years on the Potomac. You really can't capsize this boat unless you are out in a gale. However, if you feel like you are going to capsize, you may need to learn more about sail trim and dumping air in a puff. I've been out in 30 knot puffs in this boat and it will heel alarmingly. Just ease the main quickly and let the air out in the puffs. You should also be able to reef your sails but do this on shore before heading out in stronger winds. One of my favorite features of this boat is its stability and performance in light air. That said, this is not a 'sit and drink wine' cruiser boat. You may have not bought the wrong boat for yourself but maybe the wrong boat for your wife. But you'll learn a lot sailing this boat if you decide to keep her for a while. E.  

emcentar said: That said, this is not a 'sit and drink wine' cruiser boat. E. Click to expand...

BTW, i learned to sail on Flying Scots. I love the boat. As i recall the boat can be reefed as reefing was part of the instruction. The boat was comfortable and stable. Compared to my usual ride, the Hobie 16, the FS was rock solid.  

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We offer training to scow members only for more information, contact scow's training director at [email protected].

Join SCOW and improve your sailing skills with special training offered only to members.  For more information on how to become a SCOW member visit the Join SCOW section of the Website.   Please note the blue highlighted disclaimer at the bottom of this page .

No prior sailing experience is needed to take the basic sailing training. Significant prior sailing experience is required to take the cruiser training- e.g. taking the basic sailing training and then skippering the Flying Scots for a year, or significant cruiser experience, etc. Applicants applying for the cruiser training must submit a brief summary of sailing experience to the Training Director for review. If you are not a Flying Scot skipper you will be required to demonstrate your sailing skills through an on-the-water assessment. Contact the Training Director for more information.

SCOW Training is conducted in accordance with the SCOW Training Policy .  SCOW is not an affiliate or concessionaire of the NPS and SCOW training fees are set so that when combined with the membership fee, will be at least as expensive as training fees charged by the WSM.  For WSM training offerings click HERE .

Basic Sailing  

Our Basic Sailing course consists of classroom instruction in conjunction with hands-on training using the club’s 19' Flying Scots. There are four nights of classroom training and six on-the-water sessions. The goals of the SCOW course are not only to teach the fundamentals of sailing but also to prepare students to take and pass SCOW’s Flying Scot skipper examinations and thus become qualified to take out the club’s boats on their own. The Flying Scots used in the course are the same boats that SCOW members use to race on Wednesday nights during the season and that are used for Thursday night social sails. Once SCOW members earn their Flying Scot skippership they may reserve these boats online for SCOW events or for personal use.

Please see below for 2024 Basic Sailing training dates. Water classes normally run 4 hours with start times at 8am, 10am and noon. We make an effort to schedule students in accordance with their preferences. If you are interested in signing up please monitor your email inbox for announcements about how to sign up.  You may need a registration code to enroll in a class.  

Makeup dates are  tentative  and depend upon weather, as well as student and instructor availability.  Generally they are only used for rescheduling classes that are canceled due to inclement weather, not for classes missed due to other reasons.

Cruising Sailing

The Cruising Sailing course is taught on the club’s three 25' Catalina Cruisers.  The main purpose of the course is to familiarize students with the three different club boats, as well as SCOW’s policies and procedures regarding the cruisers, so that they are prepared to take and pass the club’s comprehensive cruiser skipper written and water examinations.  Once SCOW members become Cruiser Skippers they may reserve the boats online for personal use.  SCOW cruiser training is focused on the particulars of SCOW’s three cruisers and relevant local sailing knowledge and requires that a student already has significant prior sailing knowledge and experience, such as at least a year as a SCOW Flying Scot skipper or relevant keel boat sailing experience elsewhere. The course includes two land classes, three days of on-the-water hands-on-training, and one evening of night sailing.  The course is typically followed by some tutoring to practice for the water checkout exam.     

Below please find the specific steps to take if you are interested in Cruiser Training. Please note that all Cruiser Training slots are currently filled for 2024; however, if you are interested in having your name added to the waitlist for Fall Cruiser Training, please notify  the Training Director as soon as possible by email via  [email protected] . Waitlist preference for Cruiser Training is based on when candidates contact the Training Director via email.

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You must be a SCOW member to enroll for cruiser training.

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If you are a member in good standing, please email the Training Director ([email protected]) to indicate that you are interested in taking cruiser classes along with a completed sailing resume. Submit a completed sailing Résumé to SCOW's Training Director at  [email protected]      Sailing Résumé Note that potential candidates may be invited to demonstrate their sailing skills on a sail arranged by the Training Director.

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When you have been confirmed by the Training Director as a qualified candidate and there is an available spot in one of the cruiser training courses (spring or fall) you will be provided with a registration code via email. If there is no spot available for the current training year you will be placed on a waiting list in case we have a cancellation.

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When you receive an email with a registration code, follow the instructions contained in the email to register. Before registering, make sure you carefully note the class dates for the course you want to register for. SCOW does not issue refunds for training unless the training is canceled by SCOW.

Capsize Training

SCOW is not affiliated with the National Park Service or Guest Services, Inc. SCOW offers training to its members as part of our overall sailing program. GSI is the official NPS concessionaire to offer sailing lessons to the general public at the Washington Sailing Marina. For information on GSI's training, visit WSM Sailing Lessons page. For general information regarding the marina visit the Washington Sailing Marina website.

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Any Flying Scot Sailors Out There?

• Thread starter shemandr
• Start date May 25, 2021
• Forums for All Owners
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I'm growing in confidence on the FS. It's getting hot and humid here so my trips will be more short. And thunderstorms are now a more regular afternoon phenomenon. Nevertheless, I'm looking forward to my next sail.  

Hope you’ve been able to find crew as the Scot sails much better with two, even three in heavy winds. Class races cut off in the low 20’s, but the vang is very useful in depowering the main. Rule of thumb is bring the bang line with you as you hike out, and loosen it as you come back in. We tighten it all the way and bend the boom like crazy in heavy beats to wind, but you must release it before heading down or it’ll break the boom. Almost always operator error when these break. For solo sailing with just the main, you should raise the center board a quarter to a third. This moves the end of the board aft and balances the helm you’ll get from sailing with just the main. Experiment until you can sail with little or no helm. And, you can certainly capsize a Scot in heavy winds, especially with the chute. Been there. It will turtle very quickly if you don’t get to the top of the mast, and then you’ll need a third party rescue since you won’t be able to recover alone. That can be a serious emergency out on a big lake, so I would be extremely cautious when sailing alone, and would highly recommend you get a masthead float from the factory and sail with it. If you do capsize, the float will give you time to right turn owt alone. Strongly urge you to go through a complete capsize drill at the dock if you sail this boat alone, and even if you sail with crew. A turtle all alone out on a big lake could be a disaster.  

Yikes!! Thanks for the warning. I want no part of a capsize. I'd prolly not sail it in over 16 Kts. at least that's what the sailing coordinator told me. No spinnakers on these. I like the suggestion about the board 1/3 the way up with just the main. I haven't been out on one since June but the heat is moderating a bit and it's getting to be time to start again.  

The Scot should also have a floatation bag under the foredeck. The styrofoam blocks under the seats will float the boat sort of. The flotation bag and a 6 inch inspection port in the transom will allow for self-rescue by sailing. The boat will sit bow up and as it sails, water will exit via the inspection port, once it is open of course.  

There is no way you will be able to sail and drain the boat after a turtle. Even with the bow bag, which is required for racing, the deck aft will be under water, and it would take some super human skills and a lot of wind to sail fast enough to drain through the drain opening. Only way to drain is with a motor tow, hopefully using the rescue bridle that will get water flowing through the drain opening, assuming this old boat even has it installed. If you sail alone on a Scot, you should by all means sail with a mast float to ensure you won’t turtle in the first place. Gusts come out of nowhere sometimes, so better to plan on a capsize than hope it never happens.  

Pretty new to sailing...have FS hull number 959 which I am slowly refurbishing. The boat is definitely designed for a crew of 2. Almost impossible to manage single-handed although that is how I sail exclusively unless I have visitors; when single-handed, I only use the main. And yes, it will turtle. Fortunately, I was close to my dock when it happened and I have amazing neighbors that wanted to assist. Because it's quite shallow, I have to manage sails, centerboard and rudder when approaching the dock. It get real busy and I've learned to furl the sail to the port side of the boom so I still have easy access to the centerboard line.  

You’re lucky it happened close in. Seriously, if you sail alone, you really can’t afford to capsize without a mast head float. If you capsize without one, you’re going to have a hell of a time righting it alone, and even if you can, you better hope it doesn’t sail away from you before you can grab the ladder—assuming you have a ladder. If it does turtle, the centerboard will drop into the boat leaving you with no lever for righting, meaning you will need third party assistance to right it. Hope I scared you solo sailors enough to get a float and/or always sail within reach of rescue and have a radio on your life vest. This is not a boat you want to capsize in all alone out beyond sight of rescue. Even in a small lake, we only race with safety patrols who always carry the FS safety bridle, and it gets used on occasion.  

It did indeed scare me into action. Immediately ordered the bow bag and masthead float. Even though I can swim ashore from any point on our lake (I was a competitive swimmer through college), I'd rather not have to.  

That’s great. The bow bag will only be needed if you turtle, but it’s good insurance even if you don’t race. Tip on the mast float: depending on wind, waves, etc, it may still try and turtle after a few minutes, so you will want to make sure the boat is stable before you climb up on the deck to position yourself to right the boat. To make sure it won’t turtle when you climb up, you will probably want to take an extra float cushion and strap it to the mast head before you climb up on the boat. The masthead float will give you the time to do this, but in strong winds, the hull can get pushed over after a few minutes even with the float. Extra buoyancy will stop that. And make sure you have a ladder and that you unclear all sheets before righting the boat.  

On the boats I sail, which are available through my membership in USSCenterMartinCounty, there are no bow floats or mast head floats. I do carry my portable VHF and wear a life jacket and a dry bag which I will henceforth make sure has a lot of air in it. Bringing the boat to the dock alone can be a trip. It's not that hard to hit the dock - which is what. you need to do. But getting up to the bow to tie off on a dock cleat is difficult.  

There was a very active fleet of these where I grew up and my Mom and Dad raced in it for years. #707. I suspect we are the only family of 5 that has ever slept aboard one -- Mom and Dad on either side of the centerboard, two older boys up under the bow and the youngest across the stern. Fun boats, but you definitely don't want to turtle. The centerboards have a lead slug in the bottom (maybe around 75 pounds or so) and if the board slips into the trunk you can't get it out on its own but will need help righting the boat.  

I am glad you made contact with US Sailing Martin County. I still have the hat from our stay in Stuart several years ago. The folks there were very accepting of new members even though we were only there for a short time. Enjoy the sailing! The difficulty we had was getting to the dock due to its location and water depth. Of course water depth is often a concern in Florida!  

Yeah, water depth is a problem here. Not many keelboats outside of the ICW. It is nice to be able to pull up the centerboard to make it over the dredging spoils areas, which are not really marked. That dock almost has to be approached by shooting into the eye of the prevailing SE wind. Problem for me is adjusting to the relatively short glide for the centerboard boat vs a keelboat. It's better to hit the dock a little hard than to miss short.  

I learned from the many Exoerienced Scot sailors at our club to sail the boat into the dock rather than playing the guessing game of how much speed you can carry head to wind. The way to sail in is to keep your boat at a sailable angle to the wind and luff both sails about a boat length or more from the dock. When you slow down almost to a stop, gently bring the main in just enough to bring the boat to the dock. If going to fast, quickly stand up and back the main as a brake. Crew, if you have crew, should never stop the boat with their feet. They should jump onto the dock before contact and push back on the forestry to stop the boat. Going full head to wind can work if you judge it perfectly, but even experienced sailors get it wrong sometimes and either ram the dock or slip backwards. Sailing in like this once you learn it is pretty much fool proof.  

Serenity on Hudson

Rented FS in the Potomac out of Alexandria. Fair weather sailor, so no high wind problems. Went out with my GF and her then young sons. They were impressed with the heel. There was a sand bar between the channel and the harbor so I got my speed up and pulled the centerboard til I was past the bar and let it back down. Docked it by full on ram til the last minute with a quick turn. The lack of glide worked for me with this approach. Took a few lets try this again before I got the hang of it. It was a fun boat for an afternoon sail.  

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