sheet out or travel out?

When flying a hull, and you get too high, is it better to sheet out the main or let the traveler out? The only time I've been able to fly a hull is on a beam reach with the traveler in the center and sheeted in. Thanks

Sheeting out is more reliable. The main sail traveler car does not move easily under sheet loads. Then, if you can not keep the boat down, travel a little and continue using the sheet to control heeling height.

_________________
Matt Miller
Former - Director of Parts and Accessory Sales
Warranty and Technical Support
Hobie Cat USA
(Retired 11/7/2022)

You can also head up.

_________________
Nick

Current Boat
In the market
Previous boats owned
'74 Pearson 30
'84 H16
'82 H18 Magnum
St. Louis, MO

. . . and stall the boat, virtually guaranteeing a capsize. I found rudder action to be almost useless when up too high, and instead prefer to dump the main (sheet out) and hike out until one of two things happen - come down either on the mainsail or on the hulls.

Head up before you get too high and you can avoid dumping the main altogether.

Just curious how you can capsize if you are in the "no go" zone heading into the wind?

You can't. But if you're flying a hull too high the sail must be in the wind. The "no go" zone is where you'd like to go towards to lower. But getting to that zone is not easy when the rudders, which steer optimally when the boat is flat, are above about a 60 degree angle. When you try to steer to the wind in the "too high" zone the rudder's effect will lower the stern more than to turn the bows to the wind. I believe a combination of sheeting out, hiking out, and light rudder to windward (in that order) is the best way to avoid a capsize in this situation.

However, if you do go over, what's the worst that can happen? Unless a gust raises the hull unexpectedly, usually the boat is moving very slowly when the hull is at the "too high" point, and if you get that "here we go" feeling you can either elect to bail to windward or, with practice, scooch onto the windward hull and stay there as the boat capsizes. Then you can entertain yourself with a cannonball jump off the boat. I don't like sliding down the tramp during a capsize, there's too much stuff to get hurt on while on the way down, and jumping/being thrown into the sail, while sometimes unavoidable, may damage the sail.

Hugs and kisses,

Captain Capsize