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What's the trick to uncleating, moving and re-cleating the traveler without losing tiller, jib and main? Dart 15 may be advertised as single (double?) handed, but the way I figure it requires four.
Hi Scott - in a word the answer is cleats. We all have cleats on the jib for sprinting so it is generally cleated at all times, except when tacking. The main is also often cleated. It is quite normal to clamp the main with the thumb of the hand which is holding the tiller extension. This leaves the most forward hand available for:
- adjusting the tiller
- waving to your chums
- gesticulating to your foes
- picking your nose
Cheers
Bob
PS Did you ever join the Dart 15 Assn and find out how old your boat is? You now have 2 NEW DART 15s ON ORDER for members of your club in Hong Kong.
Thanks for the advice. My main problem with the traveller adjustment is that I need to lean so far forward to get it to cleat that I risk going "ass over teacup," as my father used to say.
I'm a journalist, so just returned from a month in Pakistan. In meantime, Dart 15 membership sort of fell through the cracks. Will do it soon though. Promise.
First of all make sure that the flap carrying the traveller cleat is not too loose, ie so that it rotates freely through the full range but doesn't flap up and down. If it does flap up and down then you will find cleating difficult and that uncleating can be something that happens involuntarily as you are sailing along. You should tighten the machine screw and locking nut which hold it to the main traveller block. To do this you first have to remove the fairlead assembly over the screw head (or partly remove it by removing one bolt and loosening the other and swinging the fairlead assembly out of the way). Loosen the the locking nut a fraction of a turn, tighten the screw to eliminate the flapping but not the freedom to rotate (you may have to compromise and leave a little "flap") and then tighten up the locknut. Refit the fairlead assembly.
Having made sure that your problem isn't caused by need for adjustment, I hope you'll find the following helpful.
Bob is absolutely right about using the cleats, and holding everything else that you may need to hold between the thumb and other fingers of the aft hand and the tiller extension.
Uncleating the traveller sheet is always easy - you just flick the sheet up and it will pop out, but you really only need to do this if you're letting the traveller out; if you're pulling it in then you can just pull it through the cleat and bring the traveller closer to centre - keep the sheet low while you're pulling it in and it should stay in the cleat. This is true regardless of whether or not you're on the wire.
Re-cleating depends on whether you are on the wire or on a hull/the tramp. If you are on a hull/the tramp, the timehonoured way of cleating the traveller is to hold the
sheet fairly low and use the aft foot somewhere between the toestrap and the cleat to depress the sheet into the cleat - this is how Phipps tells you to do it in his book.
If you're on the wire it can be a bit more tricky. If you are trapezing low then you can probably re-cleat by holding the sheet low enough (that's why you mustn't have a floppy cleat carrier). Alternatively you may be able to bring you aft foot into play on the hull, perhaps just angling the toe aftwards and pulling the traveller sheet round it.
It's tricky adjusting if you are trapezing off the the back beam in a blow. I don't have good advice here, except that you may have to slacken off the main, move a bit forward, adjust the traveller to where you think it should be, and then tighten up to regain speed.
Try some practice with the cat ashore, and tied down, so that you can work out what's best for you.
As regards the number of limbs you need, I think it would help to be an octopus: 2 to stand on, 1 for the tiller, 1 for the main sheet, 1 for the traveller, 1 for the jib, and the other 2 for incidental things like adjusting height on the wire, all the things that Bob suggests, etc.
Thanks for your advice. With Keith B's assistance, we discovered that indeed the cleat fastening had gotten bent downward. I removed it and straightened it. A definate improvement.
Well it seems that in my absence both the use of the chat forum, and the action on the water in Hong Kong, is being maintained and reported in an admirable fashion.
I'm still trying to bribe various parties at clubs in Singapore to accept my 15 as a viable alternative to a Hobie (PAH!)......with little success......but one day she'll float again, fully fettled and slicker than an outhouse rat....!!
Keep it up chaps...
PS My traveller cleat plate was wobbly and bent down too.....soon sorted....
It's not all good at HK since you left. You should see what some nasty power boat has done to Spark Naked. Keith #2 is inconsoleable!
Have you unwrapped the Mutts Nuts?
Cheers
Bob
Yeah got the low down via Iain McLeod's circular......sounds a nasty one (albeit waiting to happen)
I'll watch with interest to see if the Marine Department or the Port Police Authority do anything about it.....we're all entitled to have fun, but at what cost...
I take it Keith's boat was totalled then.....anybody hurt.....damage the speedboat.....speedboat driver have the relevant Marine Department engineers ticket......have his glasses on....got lost trying to find the 100 other better places to wakeboard around Lantau.....blinded by the toothey looks of awe at his mastery of his craft.....
Nuff sed.....
I could swear now, but that would be unseemly behaviour more akin to the likes of the perpetrators of the incident.....who's fault (I'm sure bearing in mind the usual status following a car accident in HK) it was of course not....
Keith...
PS The boat is still under wraps....getting fed up now as the North East Monsoons begin to blow.....
I've just read Keith's article in the latest "Fifteen Minutes of Fame" (at least I assume it was Keith - many of this issue's articles don't carry author's names etc!) and put two and two together.
Is there a better way of contacting him?
Please extend sympathy to Keith re the "accident". I assume he was sdailing Spark Naked at the time, and that he is ok.
Although a new sailor, I have a fairly old 15 (No. 602). My problem is that the traveller will not run out to its full extent. It stops about 9" to a foot short on either tack. It will only go fully out if helped by a very good gust or by leaning across and giving it a good push. The latter can be bit hairy in a strong wind. This happens whether the the main sheet is hauled tight or left loose. The traveller moves very freely on shore. Can anyone advise?
Hi Andrew,
The first thing to do is to lubricate the rollers an tracks with dry silicone spray (e.g. Holts Pro-Lube). Use the pipe in the nozzle so you get the lubrication where you want it and NOT on the trampoline.
If that does not work you will have to replace the nylon rollers - batten down the hatches - they are very expensive (nearly ?4 each x 4 = ?16!!!!) from the Laser Centre.
Steve Sawford of SS marine was getting some made at a lower cost so you could try him (see contacts on this web site).
Best of Luck
Bob Carter
