I Finally got out on my maiden voyage! Winds were 14mph with 18mph gusts. I was sailing alone so I used the main only and since this was my first time on a performance cat, I kept the main flat and didn't hoist the spinnaker (although I did rig it, just in case I got up the nerve.) The boat is *a lot* more responsive than anything I had ever sailed before. I had to learn to keep a very light hand on the tiller.

My first few times on the trapeze were pretty good, but the transitions (especially going out,) were very clumsy. Any advice on the best way to go out and come in on the trapeze would be nice. Also what is the best adjustment for the dog bone? Mine are currently set so the bottom rung goes all the way to the deck and that seems way too low to me. Should I raise them, or is this just something I need to get used to?

It will take a long time to get a complete answer but if you're refering to a metal dog bone, the consensus is to get rid of it. Too many injuries.

Dig through this: http://www.catsailor.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=242364&page=2
As usual the subject varies but there is a lot that is relevant to dogbones.

Start by using the upper hole in the dogbone, the lower one will have your fully extended body in the plane of the tramp when you're erect, with back straight. Which is a position that maximizes your overall resistance to heeling. But you'll do fine initially with the upper hole, and it'll feel more secure to you at first.
To prepare to go out on the trapeze, I let my but hang over the gunnel and put my weight onto the dogbone. I rotate my upper body so that I can get my aft foot onto the gunnel, and then with all my weight on the trap wire, quickly push my torso out away from the boat with that rear leg, and then plant the forward on the gunnel as well. All done without hands, which are occupied with the tiller and sheet. And then move fore or aft to trim the boat.
In the process of extending your leg, you'll be letting the tiller extention and the mainsheet slip (in a controlled fashion)thru your hands to maintain course and mainsail trim.
It'll all seem awkward for a while, keep practicing and it'll become second nature. Coming back in is the reverse. Forward leg remains straight, and slides across the hull and tramp, so it can slip a foot under the hiking strap if necessary, and the rear leg bends and the upper body rotates til your but hits the gunnel. Then the aft leg extends onto the tramp, and you adjust your seating position on the windward hull. Then you can unhook if tacking/jibing.
I'm sure this varies amongst catsailor, but the key is put all your weight on the trap early, and trust it. Trying to bear some of you weight on the handle just increase the chances that the dogbone will unhook. Happy sailing!

Dave

WTG with the inaugural sail!!!

Trap length sounds correct. Just use the upper rung until you get more comfortable with it. Dog bones are great for single handing because it is one less adjustment requiring your most limited resource, hands. With practice, your technique will get better and you'll learn when it is preferred to use the lower rung based on conditions, length of leg, and point of sail.

I also feel that a good pair of skiff boots give added traction for moving on/off the trap but many will race bare footed also.

You will not be the same after flying the chute, especially single handed. Just remember to bear away/down when she heats up. The beginner's tendency is to head up. Get an experienced F16/F18/N20 crew/skipper out with you in the beginning to shorten the learning curve. Or conversely, crew on their boat. The other advice with the chute is that you have to keep up your speed when gybing once the winds get into the teens. That means you have to fully commit and not come around slowly.

And when launching the spinnaker alone, do NOT release the main sheet as you might have on a Laser 2 or other monohull. You can ease it a little bit, maybe a foot of sheet out, but instead, let the traveler way out, then bear off, then launch the spin, trim it in, then pull up the traveler to get a good ballance on the helm.

Remember, the leach tension on the mainsail is the only thing keeping your mast from bending forewards when you trim in the spin, so keep some tension on the main or risk snapping your mast. Then, as Kris said, with every gust, bear off. On the F16's, because they are so short and lack volume in the bow, you really want to be looking upwind for the next big gust, and you want to be bearing off already, just before it hits.

If you wait until it hits you and then try to bear off, your low bow will already be on the way under water, and bearing off hard will only push it under further, so be looking over your shoulder for the next puff and bear away early, or swim! The first few times you sail with the kite up raise your boards up too, that will help keep the low bow from going under, and get your weight way at the back, if it's blowing and there are waves to climb over.

As DaveFarmer said, it will become second nature eventually. I found some of the gopro videos that are around helpful in seeing how other people manage the mechanics of the process (sorry don't have a link handy).

Oh and one other thing... once you get used to committing aggressively to pushing your body off the side of the boat, just don't forget to actually hook in first!

Take your boat on down to Gulfport on any of their club regatta Saturdays, ask around, you'll learn more there in one day by watching them, than a year flogging around by yourself. If you don't want to haul your boat there, then just drive down and offer to crew on someone's boat.

http://gulfportyachtclub.com/

Next club race looks like Feb. 18.

If you sail solo with spi + trapeze, take an adjustable trapeze. Because you will trapez upwind from the shroud and downwind from the rearbeam, which has a significant effect on trapez height.
All comes with a bit practice

An addition/amendment to Dave's most excellent writings.
As I extend my legs while transitioning onto the wire I don't slip the mainsheet through my hand. The concept here is that the main is trimmed for you being onboard and as your weight is moving out you are auto-trimming for the new balance. And I think the tight Mainsheet works to close a stability triangle. IE the third leg of a stool.
My other change is that while coming in off the wire (this is for a tack) I grab the handle briefly to raise myself so that I come in on both feet. Not standing up but in a rolling motion so that I end up in the middle of the boat, on my knees. While this is happening, the helm is being pushed over and the main is being eased. What I'm trying to describe is a tack started from the wire. If you are coming in because the wind dropped than land on your bum as Dave described. But, if you are tacking, skip the bum landing and go straight to being on your knees moving across the boat.

Smiths_Cat,

Thanks for the video. The trapeze line in the video is quite a bit shorter than what I have, when he scooted off the hull, his butt didn't seem to drop at all. I noticed the crew was using the aft trapeze line, isn't that only when going downwind? Also, could someone explain what a "chicken line" is? I assume it is supposed to stop you from flying forward in a pitch pole situation, but how is it rigged and how does it work? My wife might like something like that.

I don't really agree with using a adjustable trapeze for going downwind singlehanded. You can't really adjust it when you're out on the wire simply because you've got a tiller in one hand, and a spinnaker sheet in the other. I use dog bones and that's about all the hi/lo adjustment you need. Besides, wiring downwind isn't so much about getting weight out left to right, as it is about getting weight aft.




Yep, just for going downwind the crew will use the Skippers trapeze. Using the Crew's just makes it harder.
1. its way at the front of the bus, someplace you don't want to go in a blow
2. You'll be pulling the hell out of the bungee, it in turn will be pulling like hell on you.




Usually a line tied to the transom at one of the rudder pintles. then into the rear beam on a bungee to suck up the slack. People either use a hook of some sort and hook it to the trapeze ring, or just a line and they mount a jam cleat on their harness. I've never used one, (lake sailor), so I have no experience with them.





I just put together a quick video and I'll upload it tomorrow. There's a decent tack, and singlehanded hoist, and some downwind wiring singlehanded

The length depends on the weather conditions, another reason to have an adjustable setup. In light winds if you go in and out or in a bend leg position, it is good to have a shorter one to avoid getting tea-bagged. Same if there are serious waves. With constant wind and flat water you go with a long wire, getting more heeling moment.
And by the way, you can adjust the trapez also when sitting on the hull, if it seems to unconvenient to do on the wire. We have rigged the chicken line from rear to the front beam. It is quite helpful if the crew goes out without the main sheet (which pulls her backwards) especially if the boat rocks.
You may have noticed that we come in with both legs, either going on the knees or sitting. This requires a pull on the handle and is of course harder the lower the trapeze.

Cheers,

Klaus

What I did wrong: (which I'm sure I missed plenty of things)

-Tack-

-Wiggled the rudders, twice
-over steered, the rudders were too hard over.
-sheeted out a bit too much
-I bobbled the main sheet in there somewhere when I was on the new tack and sitting on the hull when I was hooking up the trapeze. I also looked to find my hook. You should grab the round part of the dogbone in the palm of your hand so you feel the hook in your palm when you are hooked up. That way you don't have to take your eyes off the rest of whats going on. In this case it looks like I steered down much farther than I needed to.

-Hoist-

-Main sheet is too loose, but not horribly so. Having some twist helps the boat turn down around the offset. Also help guarantee that the sail is making power through the turn as part of the sail will always be trimmed correctly
-I waited way too long to go forward and hoist.
-I should've been running much hotter to the offset than I was.
-Way too aggressive on my turning up when I got the kite sheeted


-Downwind-

-Going into the low hole on the dogbone wouldn't have been a bad idea. I don't because it is really damn hard to get in and out smoothly when you can't use the handle because your hands are occupied. As is when you see the shot from the side, the bulk of my weight is behind the transom anyway.
-I'm a bit twitchy on my steering, but it was fairly windy. The upper end was 17kts of wind. This same run I was holding 18kts on the Speedpuck, which is really flying singlehanded.

A lot of good advice here.

My take: Adjustable is nice. Set for the conditions, then tie off. Keep it simple, go for the 80% solution if you have to compromise on the setting between upwind downwind

Then work on it until you feel secure and have your own strong opinion