Dart 15 Forums

Finally took the chance to drop the mast and attach the trapeze wires and jib halyard yesterday.
Had a great sail from Penmaenmawr, across Conwy Bay to Puffin Island and back, (12 mile round trip) on the wire most of the time. But what do you do with the mainsheet and traveller. Ok you can keep one end of each in your hand for adjustments while trapezing but the rest ends up over the back trailing in the water especially if the water's choppy, and breaking over the front beam.
Any ideas.

Kevin 1615

Kevin Parvin wrote:Finally took the chance to drop the mast and attach the trapeze wires and jib halyard yesterday.
Had a great sail from Penmaenmawr, across Conwy Bay to Puffin Island and back, (12 mile round trip) on the wire most of the time. But what do you do with the mainsheet and traveller. Ok you can keep one end of each in your hand for adjustments while trapezing but the rest ends up over the back trailing in the water especially if the water's choppy, and breaking over the front beam.
Any ideas.

Kevin 1615

I normally loop my traveller and mainsheet round the mast and tie them together, make sure they go under the Jib sheet. That stops that happening and I always seem to have sufficient main & Traveller to adjust them from the wire if necessary.

Martin S.

Kevin Parvin wrote: But what do you do with the mainsheet and traveller.........ends up over the back trailing in the water especially if the water's choppy, and breaking over the front beam.
Any ideas.

When I bought 1818 from George, I noticed he had the mainsheet and traveller rope joined together. I thought, what a brilliant idea. It meant I would only ever need to recover one rope instead of two! But then, something went wrong.........

I was sailing flat-out amongst the moorings at Thorpe Bay, in full view of everyone. Unfortunately, I was trailing the 'continuous' main and traveller over the stern. I thought nothing of it. Then, a small mooring buoy was in my path, so I rode over it, with the buoy between the two hulls.

Guess what happened next! The mainsheet and traveller looped over the buoy as it passed under the trampoline. I discovered it was a good way to reduce one's speed in an emergency! What a debacle. Everybody laughed.

Rotters!

Sounds like you should become a naval pilot Andrew.

Arrestor wires - sounds like a possible way to stop us when coming ashore at SSC in a full NE wind - then I wouldn't try and run people on the beach over. Just need a couple of buoys just offshore............

The first time my trapeze hook came out on our 18 I hung onto the jib sheet and nearly wiped Joan off the stern as well - and ended up surfing on my nose (they laughed at me too, but then they usually do).

Steve

Kevin

I've tried Martin's suggestion, but found the traveller difficult to get hold of as it tends to go straight to the mast.

I find throwing the main & traveller (ends tied together) over my forward shoulder best. They trail in the water still, but tend to be somewhere to hand most of the time.

It's the jib sheets I find difficult if you want to adjust them you usually have to crouch down at an opportune moment to grab them.

I tend to have traveller in front hand, mainsheet cleated in tiller hand, and the middle bit joining the two in a knotted mess with the jib sheet tangled around my feet, having to do a hopping dance upwind to sort it out.

If i'm organised about it, usually the jib sheet is in front of my front foot incase adjustment is needed, then the middle bit of traveller/main sheet between my feet/legs so it's skimming the water, but keeps it from being dragged over the back.

If it's over the back, it gets a bit annoying with it wanting to pull backwards all the time, and if you heel a bit and get the rudder out the water, there is a risk the blade can come back down and land in the middle of the loop, meaning the rudder needs to be lifted up to sort it out.

Er... waffling... what was the question again?

Hi,

I used to always hold the main sheet (tied to the traveller). If I really needed the traveller, it was possible to alter it. (I tended to set it at the start of the leg for the necessary amount of depowering (approx) and only make adjustments if the wind changed or I got it wrong.)

The jib sheet would have a loop over my forward foot. Especially useful for allowing a safe bear-away at the windward mark.

Cheers

Robin
Gurnard SC

I find that when on the trapeze in Sport you can lose a lot of time trying to adjust things when you need to concentrate on going fast. And when I'm on the trapeze (wind at least top F3) I have so much power available that steering and mainsheet adjustments are all that are usually required. So I set things thus:-
Forestay tight
Traveller: Set at beginning of beat and not adjusted unless large change in wind strength. Any changes would be made when tacking. Main can always be eased or tightened a bit if necessary and boat steered lower or higher.
Mainsheet (tied to traveller rope): When on trapeze it is tight and cleated but never block to block. I adjust it if necessary and use leech TTs to set main to jib. I keep sheet in for'ard hand and constantly flick the loose end onto the tramp to keep it tidy and out of the water. After a while that becomes second nature. I also do that when I'm sailing in other trapeze dinghies.
Jib sheet: Always to hand attached to my trap harness through an easily openable hook. (See Musto Skiff Web Site). However after setting the jib for a leg I seldom adjust it. If the wind pipes up I let the jib luff a bit if necessary.
It isn't a straight line that is my problem, it is the corners!

Jim Coleman

Thanks for all the info. I think there's allot to be said for setting the boat up for the new tack, getting out on the wire and concentrate on speed. I did try sheet and traveller around the mast but as Charles pointed out the traveller is short and difficult to reach.
I tend to leave the jib sheet alone and take the rest with me on the wire. Can be a bit of a mess sometimes and I suppose sport mode Requires some thought on planning ahead before the tack.

Kevin 1615

I have main sheet and traveller tied together,take the one i need to adjust first out with me then gather the other in coils on my tiller hand,make sure you dont drop a loop of rope over the end of tiller or its big problems when you tack.
Martin