While visiting with the original owners of our CT54 a few weeks ago I was told a story of our boat having a knockdown on a passage between Washington and Hawaii. It seems everyone except the gentleman on watch was down below asleep. He did not reef the main as was standard practice at night and was hit by a gust (they could not recall how big but did not think it anything extreme). What I found interesting is that when they finally were able to make it up to the cockpit it took two men to pry the skipper off the wheel. I wonder if this is a typical response on a knockdown?
Anyway, according to the story it took quite a while to get the main down but once they were able to do that the boat righted itself. Luckily no injuries were incurred.
My husband has told me that a boat can only have one knockdown in its lifetime so it would be impossible to have another....I think he may be trying to settle my nerves
Jackie