Hey guys, just looking for some tips here!

I was out today in some nice wind (12-15) and I attempted to get on the wire twice as captain, but it seems like you have a lot to do; you have to control the tiller and mainsheet while positioning your harness on the wire... I think I need three hands!

Fell in on both attempts; yelled at my crew "unsheet the main and turn up!!"

So... what should I do?

Thanks in advance!

The way I've always done it is to sheet the main in until the boat begins to power up; cleat it; then have it loosely draped (like in between your thunb and forefinger) on your forward hand, which is also used to steady yourself by holding onto the tap handle.

Your aft hand steers while all of this is going on, but you shouldn't have a death grip on the tiller. Your hand has to slide along the length of the tiller until you are fully extended on the wire - without steering the boat.

Once you're out, you cinch in the last bit of mainsheet, holding it in your forward hand.

Or, if you want to be real fancy, give the main to the crew and you work the traveller

Okay; that's something to think about. I suppose it doesn't help that I have the old-school (long) trap wires so that the hook-on point is down by the frame rail. With this setup you kind of have to lean pretty far back before you can engage the harness, else the ring pops (down/out). Then when you DO get out on the wire if a hull isn't flying then your butt is dragging in the water...

I should go to Lowe's and see if they have a swaging tool and shorten up the wires some. I plan to buy Murray's double trap wires here in another month or two but in the meantime...

Thanks again!

Jim

Okay so I got a bunch of stuff from Lowe's including a swaging tool ($25) some um... swages (can't remember what the real name is... the things that squish down over the wires) and a few other things.

After careful analysis of pics of other boats' trapeze systems, I wound up removing about 15" from each side which should really help matters:

BEFORE

Note how with the rings attached to the thimbles on the trap wire, you'd be trying to hook on right at the rail level.

AFTER

(I'm holding a part of the wire rope that I cut off.)


Hopefully this setup will last me a while now!


Meanwhile, I also got a flag to run up the mast when I'm not sailing:

Hook up (that will always get you if you forget that step). I turn a bit forward and place my forward foot on the rail. I brace myself with my aft hand on the rail behind me and forward hand on the trap handle. I ease out and over the rail till the trap wire supports my weight. I push out with my aft hand till I can get my aft foot on the rail and then extend the aft leg.

How do I do it with the main and tiller? I sheet the main to power up and hold the helm on a course. Check that you are stable both on a safe course and not starting to fly the hull too much. Check for any approaching gusts!

I place the tiller on the rail just to aft of my sitting position and hold with my thumb on the rail and palm over the tiller. I turn forward and I get the forward foot on the rail, uncleat the main and place it in my aft hand on top of the tiller, on the rail (main held and course held steady) Reach for the trap handle with the forward hand then push out with the aft hand. Once my butt is over the side I grab the mainsheet again with my forward hand then push out with my aft hand I then extend the aft leg as I slide my aft hand out along the tiller (also have to slip the mainsheet through my forward hand as I extend out. Keep the forward leg more rigid and keep the aft leg bent a bit, so you don't fall forward.

I don't like to keep the sheet in the cleat, but will do that when the conditions are stable. Best to learn how to do it with the cleat un-done. I have been hit by puffs when in mid transition. Having the sheet uncleated and held in my hand allows me to slip the sheet out if I have to.

My technique is exactly the same as Matt's.

If you have experienced crew, have them handle the main sheet while you practice going in and out (one less thing to mess with). I will also have the crew handle the main sheet as I trapeze out in very windy/wavy conditions. After I am out, I will take the main sheet back.

FWIW your "after" wire length looks very similar to mine.

Hi Jim...

I am not aware of any old vs. new long vs. short trap wires... there are old and new style shrouds and the new style shrouds are shorter than the old stuff - but trap wires???
Part of your length issue is maybe your keyhole setup. Looks like the part that replaces the dog bone (or H handle) might be a bit longer than the dog bone.
Some of the older harnesses (bucket seats) allow for quiet some pull away from your body - creating additional "lenth". The newer harnesses will stay closer to your body and make stuff more controlable.
Rope lock... on the pic's it looks like the rope lock would "lock" at a point when the ball of your hey hole setup reaches the level of the side bar - it might even go a bit past the side bar if you pull with 180lb.
Practice... 50% of the time I sail single handed - My first attempts on the wire, handeling main sheet and a two meter long tiller extension did not turn out well. I moved the rope lock so that I would stand higher on the rail and so I would not take a dive when I would move my butt over the edge. Over the last months I gradually lowered the rope lock. A good starting point for me was to place the eye of the dog bone about an inch above the siderail.
Getting out on the wire... I typically start from a position hiked out wit a foot under the straps. In this position my butt is already past the side rail. I hook to the wire and lower untill the wire carries my weight. the rest is about the same as befor... forward foot pushes out other foot follows - that all without any manipulation to rudders or main sheet. I tend not to cam the main in.

Patrick

THe way I do it on my 17 is this :

1, Finish Tack (or gybe)
2, Place tiller under my aft armpit and hold it
3, Pass mainsheet to (now) free aft hand
4, Grab trap and hook on
5, Go out on the wire by firstly getting your bum over the side and push / launch yourself out to fully extended and at the same time grab mainsheet from aft hand and release grip on tiller (from arm pit) and catch with (now free) aft hand.

Part 5 will become one fluid movement (with practice) and you do should be able to do it without changing the mainsheet tension or the rudders moving at all - If you don't catch the tiller first time (and it is not too lumpy) you can catch it on the re-bound from the deck.

Okay guys, thanks! I'll try this stuff next time there's wind!

Practice on the beach! My kid (6) played with a couple friends on a boat last summer for hours swinging on the wire and jumping along the rail... he was "on it" after that. He loves to sail... as long as the boat has a trapeze! That "play" time was really effective. He has great balance out on the wire / water now. That is a good lesson for all of us. Practice a bunch on the beach. Don't wait for that good day and waste it "practicing" on the water.

Ha! Good idea; wonder why that never occurred to me. I don't have a beach available to me these days (shore of this lake is all big rocks) but maybe I can practice in my wet/dry slip.

Hey Jim,
another way i did when i was learning. Go thru the tack and get on your knees with feet hanging over the rail. Clip in and rock back on your shins, (Must wear wetsuit, too painfull in shorts). You end up standing on the hulls but quickly step onto the rail (Otherwise anychop will wash you off). It seemed to give me more time to think about tiller and main.

Goodluck

Thanks guys; I tried it again today and with the trap wire re-set higher I had no problem getting out there. Did it several times, and had a blast! This is also the first time I have been out with my GF when there was more than just the occasional puff of wind and I think she's hooked! She kept saying "fly the hull again! fly the hull again!"

Now I've just got to figure out what to do with the traveler vs. mainsheet to keep as much power up as I can!

I usually finish the tack sheet in hook up power on and get the hull flying just a tad (focus is the key to this) then just step up. seems easy to say but u should just hook on and with confidence drop out (on the wire that is!!!! ) anywho have fun the best part is seeing ur inexperienced crew float by waving frantically!!!!

Rock on
Andi