Hit a turtle and busted the centreboard case today! Nearly sank the port hull. Bugger, now have to decide whether to do a quick and dirty repair or do it properly which involves cutting the old one out and installing new cases...

On a bright note, the kite has been fitted and works like a charm. Haven't raced with it yet though so no indication of relative performance yet.

What systems are out there for getting rid of all the messy lines off the tramp, at the moment they keep getting tangled? Sheets, halyard/retrieval, tack line.

Nick,

How did the Turtle fair? I believe you can fix their shells with epoxy.

With regards to running sheets etc.

On the F18 we ran 1:2 purchase on the tack line which meant we could get the tack to the end of the prod in one tug. On the Tornado I've now been convinced this won't work as we've blown up one cleat and stripped two ropes. But on the F16 it should work. Either way assuming you usually do port rounding courses run the tack line to a small turning block near the dolphin striker to a cleat mounted near the port hull. There have been heaps of photos posted on various trip line systems. At the outboard port edge of the both beams attach a small block (drill a single hole through the beam for a lashing (knot and washer in beam). Thread the tack line between them and then to a third block above the tramp on the centre line. Tie a metal ring to the tack line immediately after this third block. When the kite is in the bag the ring should be hard up against the back beam. This will allow you to pull the tack line out to the end of the prod from anywhere on trapeze, so if you have overshot the mark and are power reaching in you wont have to work fwd to the front beam as required by most people's systems where the tack line goes into the beam.

Run your halyard down through a cleat on the mast (assuming you usually sail two up) to a turning block either on the beam, tramp or base of mast depending on your preference through the ring on the tack line and then though the tramp into the shoot. You'll need to experiment with lengths but typically if you have about 1-2 foot of slop in the halyard when the kite is packed away then you'll have more than enough as the end of the tack line moving fwd will give you a lot more to play with when the kite is hoisted. By doing this you won't need the shock cord most people have in the system.

On 18s and Ts, I've never had an issue with the kite sheets ending up in the water and if this is happening you may find they are too long.

The turtle didn't come back up!

Mr. Scarecrow,

I'm interested in your tack & halyard setup, I think I understand it...'cept we usually round A mark to port, so we'd want the line runnig along the starboard side gunwale, not port side as your describe.



We've got it working quite well on our T:



Pulling the green "handle" pulls the tack out with ~1:2 purchase...single arm length pull does it.



I like the idea of getting rid of the slack sucker for the halyard. This will improve/eliminate the sail deforming on the slight tension of the retrieval line, correct?

Sorry my bad, it runs down the starboard side. I'm not sure what I was thinking when I typed that. Yes you end up with a very loose retrieval line and definately no deformation in light winds. Sketch attached,

Hi Nick,

sailing one up, I personaly use single line tack, halyard retrieval system. Also use clew line to retrieval line, that sucks sheets into chute. You can find these and more on mossie site. Am working on system to stop Mainsheet jumping off tramp. Mind you if it is bumpy enough they van still get twisted up <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />.

Until you sail one up with kite, you would not believe how important it is to keep ropes to a minimum.

Ah, the sheet take-up is setup so that the clew is like the bottom loop of the retrieval points?

Well we do sail on Moreton Bay, which is usually pretty choppy!

Thanks for the diagram...pretty much what I visualized from your description.

One further question, when you pull the tack out, the excess line just falls on the deck along the gunwale or in the water until the sail get hoisted, right?


I'll likely give this system a try this coming season.

Mike.