Interesting. I haven't seen anyone else getting block to block on a stealth. Heck, Nigel got a tail as described by Timbo on his boat, and doesn't seem to cause him any problem. Wayne has the same GP sail as you have, and doesn't get block to block either.

How much rake do you have on your mast?

I have a good chunk of rake, but my plates are longer(a LOT), and so I need more as I have my hulls showing a more aft centre off effort and so i have more mast rake.

This will cut down the amount of rope you buy but it will have no effect on the amount of sheet sitting on the tramp when sheeted on. The loose sheet is proportional to the max travel of the mainsheet blocks x 9 not the total seperation. If you set your length as per Macca's suggestion, both systems (with and without a strop) will have the same amount of loose sheet when the main is cranked on hard.

You are saying that the "extra" line would be up in the blocks rather than on the tramp, not using a teather, right?

Yeah, but it feels better and the main comes in much quicker as you are not pulling all that extra line through the blocks to trim it in. I was even thinking of extending the teather to make my blocks get to "block to block" just to get rid of more sheet. As it is now, when fully sheeted in, my blocks are maybe 1' apart.

I also just bought a new mainsheet, a single braid Robline soft fuzzy type, with a dyneema last 10 feet or so spliced in. (Thanks to Mike Krantz, at Layline, I called him on Weds. and had it at my house on Friday, was racing with it on Saturday)

It it is so much lighter and easier to flick the tail up onto the tramp after you sheet it in and it's dragging in the water. It also runs through the blocks faster, easier to pull in when loaded up and softer on the back of you hand when you have it wrapped up. $89.

I'm not saying don't use the teather, I always have, just don't expect it to solve the rope on the tramp issue.

How does it? I thought if if I sheet in 3 feet, 3 feet goes through the blocks, independent how long the teather is.

Saturday, good weather here, I will try the trapping out downwind today

Cheers and nice WE,

Klaus

Please take photos and post the story afterwards

one hand for the tiller, one for the camera and the spi sheet with the teeth... No, I recently bought a Gopro camera.

However the most beautiful of all girls joined me as crew. So there is no story to tell of traping out downwind single-handed. I have to read out the camera, maybe I can post some nice pictures. From sailing .

Cheers,

Klaus

Why don't you post pictures of the Most Beautiful Girl too!?

Yes please, don't bother with the sailing photographs unless of course the lady is scantily clad and in the majority of the shot.

Sorry mates, only chaste sailing videos for you.
[video:]
<object width="400" height="300"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=4578157&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" /><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=4578157&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="300"></embed></object><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/4578157">9-5-2009</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user1689270">Smiths Cat</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>
[/video]

my vimeo videos

Cheers,

Klaus

I was joking Klaus, but this was a very pleasant surprise! Thanks!
Some very good editing in there Looks like it was a pleasant day to be on the water. If you do another video sometime, it would be fun to see your tacking and gybing technique.

I also have a goPro cam, but it refuses to shoot videos longer than a minute or two. I have no idea what the matter can be.



Eh, that kind of implies that there is more

Rolf: What type of batteries are you using?
The GoPro is very battery hungry.

Keep the mainsheet in your teeth.

When you sheet in, nibble away at the excess. When you sheet out just spit out what you need.

Haven't you noticed Bundy always nibbling away at the mainsheet

I have tried several types of batteries. Rechargeables and alkaline. Last try was with "Duracell" batteries. Perhaps it is an issue with the memory card, or I have a faulty camera..

I've had one for 3 years now and always take the batteries out when not in use as for some reason it uses power when turned off. Its been very reliable and proved to be waterproof. The Go pro has about 3 mins of memory without a camera card so it may not be reading your card, you should have 2 or 3 files when you download if you use all the memory and you can change the quality to get up to 4 hours recording.
regards Jeff

I have tried with fresh batteries just put into the camera, but no difference.
What you said about 3 mins of memory without a memory card was interesting! The data is stored on the memory card, I can remove the card from the camera and put it into my reader on the laptop, but each session never holds more than 2-3 minutes of data. Could it be a faulty memory card, hmmm!

Hi Rolf,

I cut all the gybes an tacks. We are too slow to show it! Espially after seeing those Spaniards on the T...
Actually, the GoPro is a very good training device too, it shows what you did - without mercy. So get it to work! I have the wide lens variant.

Cheers,

Klaus