The entrance to the Walt Disney World attraction in Orlando, Florida is on the shores of a medium sized lake. Patrons to Disney World park their cars in one of the huge parking lots on one side of the lake and then take a highly decorated ferry across the lake to the park entrance.  

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Disney rents small boats on the lake. There are rowboats, canoes, small powerboats, and sailboats. One of the sailboats is a Hobie Cat, a twin-hulled catamaran with a fabric deck stretched between the two pontoon hulls. The boat is lightweight and a great sport to sail.

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While my sons enjoyed the attractions of the park, I decided to rent the Hobie Cat and go sailing. The young man handling the boat rentals on the dock challenged my ability to handle a Hobie Cat. “Have you ever sailed one of these before?” he asked. “They’re trickier than a regular sailboat, you know.”

“Oh sure,” I replied. “Sailed them many times.” That was a slight exaggeration of the adjective “many.” “Few” would have been a more accurate word. I was aware the Hobie being so lightweight could get up on one pontoon in even moderate winds. And if the boat turned over it was very difficult to get it turned back right side up. I would have to be careful.

I was having a great time sailing from one side of the lake to the other. The passenger ferry would pass periodically and all the patrons of that side of the ferry would wave and shout greetings. I wondered if some didn’t think I was part of Disney’s program of entertainment.

I feel certain the ferry ran on a track under the water rather than have someone steering it from the bridge. Because of its lack of maneuverability, I gave the ferry wide separation whenever close.

It was during my fifth crossing of the lake that I became focused on a loose rudder fitting and was not paying attention to my heading. Suddenly, I heard the shrill sound of the ferry’s whistle close to my position. I threw the tiller fully to one side and the Hobie Cat reacted immediately, making a 180-degree jibe.

Unlike coming about into the wind, a jibe brings the wind over the stern of the boat causing the mainsail to swing forcefully from one side of the boat to the other. I hadn’t prepared for that hasty turn and in full view of hundreds of ferry passengers, they watched the mailsail boom pass withing inches of my head, hitting the mainsail limit, and gracefully pulling the Cat upside down.  

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When I splashed into the water, I had the presence of mind to surface quickly, smiling and waving to my audience on the ferry as it steamed past.  Half of them no doubt thought I was just part of the Disney cast.

So now what. As mentioned earlier, getting a Hobie Cat right side up is a challenge. First, I needed to remove the sail from the mast and then by standing on one pontoon pull on the halyard connected to the top of the mast and try to pull the boat upright. A lot of success depends on wind, your weight, and luck. I struggled for 20 minutes without success before a rescue boat arrived from the dock.

The sneering young man from the dock challenged, “Thought you said you knew how to sail?”

“I was doing just fine until that damn ferry snuck up on me. Rather than criticize, why don’t you grab the end of the mast and help me get this boat right side up.”

He did and I continued to sail. Knowing that smart ass was watching closely, I even put the Hobie Cat up on one pontoon just to demonstrate my sailing skills.

I speculated that occasionally that afternoon ferry passengers would talk about the wonderful time they were having at Disney World and then add, “Didn’t you just love it when they had that guy tip his sailboat over right in front of the ferry?”