For giggles, I put a second set of trap wires on my brothers Hobie 16. Moving out on the wire when you are rail meat is second nature. But how in the heck do you do it when you are trying to drive and mind a main sheet at the same time without losing control for a few seconds.
Who should go first, driver or crew. I am thinking that it should be the driver so that the crew can mind the sheets for a moment. I'd have figured it out but my brother was so hung over we had to call it a day before he got too green (ahhh, summer festivals).
Advice appreciated so that next time we go out we get right into the groove of doing it correctly.
PSB
Like a lot of things in cat sailing, there is no one right way of trapezing. A lot will depend on crew weight and experience, wind/water conditions, etc.
Having said that, here are some typical things we do: Crew trapezes first with the jib sheet. The skipper can help by sitting on the rail or slightly inboard or at the straps, etc. Occasionally, in really puffy single trap conditions, I will trapeze and leave the crew in. Just seems smoother that way. In double trap conditions, I trapeze by holding the tiller in one hand and the sheet and trapeze handle in the other while going out. You can also hand the main sheet to the crew when you go out. I will do this in really windy or bumpy conditions but not typically. Some teams let the crew run both the main sheet and jib sheet while the skipper steers. You need a very experienced crew to do this. Frankly, I don't trust my crews enough.
As you sail more you will develop the techniques that work for you. Practice in single or no trap conditions to get the hang of it.
In my opinion, the crew will choose if the skipper has to go on the wire. If the crew knows that there is enough wind for the skipper to stay on the wire, the skipper goes first.
While the skipper is on the wire, the crew might be force to go on and off on the wire to maintain the balance in marginal conditions.
If the wind does not require both peoples on the trap, the skipper remains on the tramp.
The reason why I like the skipper to go first on the wire is that unless the skipper is very good at going on the wire by himself, he might pull on the rudder and cause the boat to fall off or something esle, then the crew could loose his footing and fall on the skipper.
Also, if everything goes bad, the crew will be there to manage the helm or help the skipper out of a bad situation.
On the Hobie, it really help to grab both the rear crossbeam and the tiller with your rear hand while you are going out. This will force the boat to keep a straight line while you are going out. Once on the wire, power up the main and the crew will be ale to follow you.
Charles Leblanc [color] Nacra 5.7 #123