Some video from a day at Carlyle Lake

1981 hobie that looks like it's been through the mangle:
41 Miles in 4 hours. 19.97MPH top speed, lots of time spent at 17. Still really having trouble with flying but I wonder if it's not because this lake is usually so gusty? Feel free to critique, I am still very amateur.

Not one other cat one the lake today! What gives?


[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tj7xisa7NHA[/youtube]

I have the same problem, but it seems as if you let off the mainsheet everytime you anticipate flying a hull.

I would have your 2nd move fwd to balance to boat better. Your bows were a little up in the air which meant your stern was dragging which meant you could have been going over 20. Maybe?

Get out on the trap and I think you could of handled the gusts better.
As you get a feel you will be able to keep a hull up. I am good at letting the sheet out just enough for the gust, for faster recovery. I also point upwind for gusts some too.

Either way you sailing is awsome, I wish I could have been there. You were hauling azz. You were leaving so much white water and a rooster tail.
Did you name your hobie Das Boot? Thats cool I thought of that name some time ago but chose alley cat.

_________________
ALLEY CAT 1984 RED LINE HOBIE 18 MAGNUM
Sail # 10505 or 277

Ok, I think this is going to be a good thread for some of us "virgin" hull flyers. I was out yesterday in 10-13 knot winds and could not "get it up" with consistency. For me I think it was a combintation of lower wind speed and my crew weight of about 470#.

I tend to agree with matt922. It appears you were letting off the main too often. And as jmecky stated having your crews weight more forward would give you more control over the boat and speed by getting your sterns out of the water.

It looked to me you could have flattened the sails out a bit more with the outhaul and maybe pointed off the wind some to raise the hull. Where was the traveler? Was it centered? If not then I would think sheet in the main and control the gusts with the traveler.

Thanks for posting the video. I'll look forward to learning something here.

_________________
1984 Hobie 18

Nice video.

I agree with what the other posters stated. It appears to me that if you are on a reach you should let the traveler out some and trim the mainsheet a little more, that gives a flatter sail and more power. Shift the weight forward a little, trim the jib some and stop dumping the mainsheet when you feel the hull lift, you got to learn to feather it and ride on the edge.

The biggest thing is to get rid of that line tied to the bridle and dragging in the water, it was driving me nuts

Keep at it and keep practicing.

The boat was named as such when I got it. I'll probably be renaming it Kamikaze or Soyokaze -- depending on how I feel at the time - they mean Divine and Gentle wind, respectively -- when it gets a bit of a make over. For now Das Boot is pretty appropriate and funny considering how the boat looks.

Interesting you mention the traveler, how it could be used to fine tune the sail has never really occurred to me until this second; I'll keep that in mind next time out. This is really only my 2nd season sailing.

My biggest problem right now is that the amount of effort I'm having to put in to control the sheet is outrageous. It's probably fair to say I'm stronger than average and it's a serious workout to sail the boat in conditions like that day. Will a more appropriate traveler position help with this as well? The first time I blew the sheet in the video is evidence of that, I'm nearly certain it just got away from me.

I've tried controlling heeling with the rudder but I have found that no matter how precise I try to be, the sheet offers 10x more authority. It would be nice if this were, again, more a function of inappropriate sail trim.

I should add that I requested my ballast ride as far back as possible because I'm getting tired of pitch-poling. Any thoughts on that subject?

I would set the main sheet and leave it while using the traveler and minor adjustments with the tiller to max the wind and compensate for gusts. You can turn up into the wind a bit - pinch the wind - to keep from tipping.

You should have your crew on the trap position himself so that the leward hull stays above the water but not so high as to drag the sterns. Also, I like them to do as little movement as needed so they are not moving their weight all around on me.

_________________
1984 Hobie 18

Nice vid, I like the angle from the leeward bow.

A couple unsolicited tips:
1. Don't dump the main sheet so much and you won't teabag your crew. Instead try fine tuning by holding the sheet with your elbow bent at about 90 degrees and tighten or loosen the main with the range of movement you can get from your arm.
2. Train your crew to use the jib sheet for even finer tuning and less work for you on the main. The trick is to teach the crew the same technique as above while also not shifting his weight inboard.
3. Try leaning out before sheeting out in small gusts. A little shift of weight can do more to lower hull height smoothly than dumping power from the sails, but you need to have more patience to let the weight shift take effect.
4. Get a pair of sailing gloves, they are worth their weight in skin.

Yeah, it's not a 16 so it won't pitchpole as easily. Move the weight forward a little more for better hull trim.

Sailing gloves will really help with controlling the mainsheet. Also are you using the ratchet on the mainsheet, it really helps keeping the load off your hands and with sheet control.

Interesting, I havent knowingly used this ratchet, or the jib sheet block ratchets for that matter. I am aware of how to engage and disengage the ratchet mechanism but when and how do you use this?

_________________
1984 Hobie 18

Typically the ratchets are used all the time except for very light air. The way they work is they allow the sheet to be trimmed in without resistance but provide resistance to trimming out. It is not absolute resistance as when you ease the tension on the sheet it slides over the ratchet block and the sheet goes out. What is does do is allow you to hold onto the mainsheet with less effort (without cleating the line) and lets you ease out the sheet smoothly and controlled. This in combination with sailing gloves (gloves greatly increase the grip on the sheet) allow you to comfortably control the main sheet and jib sheets.

Once you try them you will say Wow!! why did I not do this sooner, the same with the gloves.

Loved the video, thanks. It looks like you guys were really moving at around the 2:15 mark!! FWIW, I don't believe the traveler is the answer for "fine tuning" your rig. In Rick White's book Catamaran Sailing for the 90's, multi-time National and World Champion Hobie Atler, Jr. says he does all of his trimming with the mainsheet. The only time Atler's H18 traveler isn't locked in the middle (when sailing to weather) is when the wind is *really* ripping, at which point he'll let it out 4 to 6 inches of traveler. Downwind Atler Jr.'s traveler is set just inside the hull, and he sails at about 90 degrees apparent wind. If I could make one observation from your terrific video I would question if you're sheeted in enough. Hard to "measure" visually, but I believe my blocks are closer together in those conditions i.e., I'm running my mainsail flatter.

What are you using to shoot those terrific clips? GoPro? Please share pics of your installation.

All good comments Brian
If you're "reaching" back and forth across the lake
(sailing at 80 to 110 degrees off the wind...the fastest point of sail) experiment with letting the traveler out.
Try letting it out in 3 inch "steps", if the hull is still popping up too fast,
so fast you have to dump all the main sheet, or head up violently, then let out another 3 inches of traveler.
You'll find a point where the boat is "calmed down" and then, (as someone already stated)
you can keep an arms length of sheet to let out in the puffs (gusts).
As stated, keep your sheeting hand close to your chest and ease out in the gust (you may even have to lean in) then start sheeting
(pulling) back in before the gust wanes. This will keep your speed/momentum up.

After finding that traveler "sweet spot" experiment with this
pick a landmark on shore and steer straight for it, adjust to the wind with the mainsheet only.
The other drill is pulling on good main sheet tension and steering to adjust to the wind velocity. Try to keep the windward hull barely skimming the top of the water.

Both are good drills to get the feel of the wind and what effects it has.
Always try to stay focused on the wind ahead of you and anticipate a gust coming (you can see the water looks darker)

Keep asking questions and Fair Winds

_________________
Sheet In...Max Out
www.fleet297.org
sailflatlands at gmail dot com

Wasn't around for a few days.

Regarding use of the traveler, That was actually was what I did the first time or two I went out. It requires a tremendous amount of effort to hold it uncleated while underway, at least in the wind I like to sail in. And simply steering up into the wind does not seem to be an appropriate way to deal with too much more than ideal steady breeze; when I watch the really fast guys, they are sawing on the sheet.

Maybe I would be better off to sail upwind and unload the sails, come back off with the sheet really cranked in but it seems like that's pretty much the exact opposite of what you want.

Anyone else sail in 18-24mph wind much? The purchase afforded by the factory block setup just doesn't seem to be enough for these wind speeds.

Couple more scenes really highlighting my ineptitude.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFf0HYRSQwA[/youtube]