In constant quest to improve my sailing skills I would like to ask you what is your best, most convenient way to handle hiking stick and main sheet while getting on the trap wire during solo sailing?
Are there certain steps that you follow? Are you holding main sheet coiled up in one hand and hiking stick in the other or both in one hand, etc?
I don’t concider myself newbi and I’ve been trapping for some time already but I think I or we all may learn one or few tricks to trap quicker.

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Adam Bartos
Nacra 5.0
SolCat 18 (sold)
Lake Zurich, IL
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Coming on and off both the stick and sheet are in my aft hand. A little practice and this becomes second nature.

depends on the wind and if there is another catamaran around. if there is not, why worry about going faster?
slow and steady ... makes less mistakes (and mistakes while going on the wire can be very .... wet)


if i am racing another boat(s)
if needed, I lower my adjustable trap and hook in
pull it taught and push off with my feet .. usually stick and sheet in my aft hand... my other hand is pushing down on the deck to aid my smooth transition onto the wire

this is the same in heavy wind or after a tack


if no one is around (not racing another boat) often i will have neither in my hand

I scan ahead to look for wind shifts/gusts

set the tiller in the correct spot (within easy reach) ... place the sheet is either in my lap/ across my feet, or ontop of the tiller

I push off with my legs and futz with my harness (pull the bucket lower by the leg straps) until i maximize comfort

when all set, i then grab the stick/sheet and sail



Edited by MN3 on Oct 04, 2013 - 09:27 AM.

when i'm solo and preparing to trap out, i have the mainsail eased slightly and the boat close hauled. this allows me to get hooked up under controlled conditions. then as i push myself out, i have the stick in my aft hand and the mainsheet in my fore hand, pulling the main sheet with me as i go out which loads the main and compensates for my extra righting moment, keeping the boat level. when i'm fully out, i turn down onto a reach and sheet in some more to take off.
j

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Aquacat 12 (sold)...'87 Nacra 5.8 (sold)...'03 Nacra Inter18 (sold)
Venture 15 (sold)....'89 Nacra 5.8 (sold)...'91 Nacra 5.8NA (sold)
'99 Nacra Inter20 (sold)
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Being organized is the most important thing, especially when the wind is up.
The first thing I usually do is throw the traveler line across as I move across, that allows you to just do a knee bend to reach it & travel out when the wind is up. I don't tie it to the main, I just toss the bitter over the hull at the beam. I find that in rough water it will stay there, whereas if tied to the main it often ends up out of reach, unless you come off the wire.
I usually hold tiller & main in rear hand, & use forward hand to lift butt off deck & push out. I constantly see newbies skittering their feet on the tramp trying to push out. If they would just use 1 hand, it would go better.
If the wind is light enough to leave it cleated, make sure you have about 3' of slack in the main, or it tends to uncleat as you push out. I think your blocks are the same as my 5.0, I can't re cleat from the wire. In heavy conditions, if the ratchets are turned on, it is also easy to hold the sheet tension & tiller at the same time. Then if the hull really comes up, you can instantly slip some line,(really helps the hands to have gloves).
Generally I also have the jib sheet in my forward hand as I push out. I can then retrim the jib & either hang it over my forward foot, or lay it by the shroud, within easy reach if it needs a tweak.
As soon as I'm on the wire I make sure the main sheet is cleanly flaked on the tramp, then hang it across my forward foot & up over thigh, with a bit of slack hanging, then transfer it to the forward hand. I'm mostly solo, & need to be able to dump some sheet and/or head up quickly, especially when the wind is 20+, or you go swimming.
I would do things a bit different if I had crew. I know my methods are not the fastest, but in strong winds like we had last Wed, (23mph) & solo on a 19' boat, I'm more focused on keeping it blunt end forward, shiny side, up than getting the tack done quicker.

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Hobie 18 Magnum
Dart 15
Mystere 6.0XL Sold Was a handful solo
Nacra 5.7
Nacra 5.0
Bombardier Invitation (Now officially DEAD)
Various other Dock cluttering WaterCrap
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I try to trim the jib before I trap out. I found that tensioning jib halyard to the point it slacks off the forestay helps and I don't have to deal that much with jib trimming unless wind conditions drastically change.

I also lay the stick on the deck, main sheet and aft hand on top of it, fore hand on the trap wire handle. Aft hand on the deck and over the stick give me extra support and while pushing out, main sheet slips through my hand.
I tried few times to have m. sheet coiled in my fore arm but it is hard to slip the sheet this way.

MN3

... makes less mistakes (and mistakes while going on the wire can be very .... wet)

I am not going to ask you how you know that but I concur that

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Adam Bartos
Nacra 5.0
SolCat 18 (sold)
Lake Zurich, IL
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Quote

I try to trim the jib before I trap out.

Yes, I concur. In really strong winds you can leave the jib cleated on the wrong side, & with the rudder opposing the backwind effect, my 5.7 will sit in a position of very little power, mostly headed up, with no worries of flipping.
I find this very useful in 20+ if I need an extra moment to sort lines out, get the hook on etc.
As soon as I cut the jib loose, the boat wants to take off.
I set the jib roughly to where it needs to be then hike out, set the main. I often find the jib needs a tweak, often only an inch or two of jib sheet, plus or minus is the difference between fluttering & clean telltales.

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Hobie 18 Magnum
Dart 15
Mystere 6.0XL Sold Was a handful solo
Nacra 5.7
Nacra 5.0
Bombardier Invitation (Now officially DEAD)
Various other Dock cluttering WaterCrap
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