Hagar Feb 9?

I just took a look at ye ole Calendar and it says that Hagar is Feb 9-10. Is that still the plan?

I have an alumni event that I'm desperately trying to get out of and that infrequent sailing itch needs to be scratched it seems.

Yes, Feb 9 & 10. Do you what you need to sir, it's been too long.

Trying to get crew... I have a "maybe".

I don't need a full NOR but what time does the distance race start on Saturday? Thats the only part that I can make anyways.

Sweet

I got crew lined up. Never been on a sailboat in his life but he's a good friend so it should be fun.

Great forecast too! Upper 70's and 10-20 from the NNE. Beat to the bridge (if it shifts at all to the east we might get a close reach) and then a sleigh ride home!

wouldn't that be nice.

Yep. Forcast is moving to the right.

Right out of the NE. Should be a GREAT day on the water.

Forecast is still perfection!

Had a great time. Weather was great, the party at Matt's afterwards was awesome and it felt great to get back in the water again :P

GOD I HATE WHEN THAT HAPPENS!!!

Did the mainsail blow up at the end there?

Ouch!

I donno. Did it? :P

Double OUCH!

A little duct tape, you'll be back in business.

Actually, I have seen damage like that taped together.

AND a hiking stick...took me forever to figure out what that last "pop" of motion was at the end of that video. I guess your boat is making you pay penance for all the inactivity!

Hell hath no fury like a boat scorned?

The hiking stick is fine... it was off the back of the boat. Only thing that broke was the sail. Boom didn't even bend.

I'm stumped...at the end of your video, what was the "pop" that caused the boat to move and you to drop the rest of the way through the sail?

I also see that you had the sheet in your hand but didn't use it...RUSTY!

I'd say the "pop" was mylar giving way to Tad's girthiness. Those booms are tough, that was why I never switched over to the tube booms.
Good to see ya sailing Tad.

Yeah I think the second little pop was either my weight finishing the job or just another seam letting go on the sail. I did luck out in that I didn't hit the boom straight.

As for the main.... The ratchet is busted so the main was cleated. It was my friends first time on a sailboat so I was actually being a bit conservative. Oh well. Still had a great time.

I'd like to hear the friends comments!

He was ear to ear grins all day. He's already scouring eBay for a beater to put on the lake over here.

You almost got a high rise out of the boom! That was a great video angle.

John had a GoPro too but forgot it at home. Would have been great to have a headcam shot of him falling off the boat hahah.

Sucks to get dropped off the wire like that!

So...who didn't replace the worn out trap line?

Or did something else let go?

Timbo: The stopper knot that held the pigtail to the bungee pulled through the stopper ball. In retrospect, that stopper ball was way too big for the diameter line I was using.

I was worried that my eye splice let go but no.. in the video I was able to slow mo it in Premier Pro and see that the bungee pulled right through the block on his way into the drink.

Lesson learned.

That SUCKS!

I do find it extremely funny that a split second before the crew splashes, it looks like he's checking his watch, (or at least just looking at his wrist), then poof, he's gone.

Great angle Tad, sorry for your main. Its a sad realization that you just went winging through an expensive piece of cloth.

Eh. It can be replaced :P

I had a quote running through my head, "emergency departure initiating in 3...2....1...."

That sucks! I had a similar thing happen, had a knot let go on a trap handle, but mine happened just as I got out onto the wire in a good breeze, right on the starting line, at GO time, in a 23 boat fleet!

I went straight into the drink, the boat went over, luckily I was down by the pin, so it didn't hit anyone. I got the boat up quickly enough, but with no trap handle on one side, and being Uni, I had to go to the beach to replace it!

I hate it when that happens!

We can put a man on the moon, but so far as I know there is no full proof trapeze rig.

Human error is ALWAYS the fault of traps breaking. Set it up right and replace worn parts and it won't happen. It's just not always a priority like standing rigging.

I'd just re-rigged the whole trap system with the adjustable rig.

The knot/ball were just not the right size. Critical mistake - wont be made again.

I've done the same. It's pretty amazing how fast the shock cord stretches out. Both times I've had trap failures (both my fault) the rings were still in the harness because of the keeper.

No doubt. Then there's this:



I've only had a couple fail, once singlehanded and the only thing I had a decent grip on was a Marstrom tiller extension. Broke the tiller, but I didn't loose the boat. That was a shite day, I also ripped a patch out of a spinnaker that day too. Back to the beach twice, and at one of our worst venues to get in and out of by yourself. Which led to a small hole in the bottom of one of my hulls from a rock. Cascading shitstorms happen to all of us at some point. They've all been my fault though.

I'm probably going to jinx myself with this statement - but I've never had a trap system failure. I did once fail to get the ring engaged past the keeper on my harness and fall in because of that (come to think of it, I think Tad was on my boat at the time). Since then, I've cut all the keepers off my Harnesses. You have to stay after them with maintenance and be careful with the rigging. If you think "that might be a problem", fix it.

Standing rigging can last a life time. Trapeze rigging requires almost constant attention. Why is that?

There is a big difference between "can" and "will". That is why the smart money is on replacing your standing rigging on a regular basis!

Are spinnaker bridles considered "standing rigging"?

Unfortunately not on my boat.

I'd like to re-iterate that it wasn't for lack of maintenance on the boat that caused this, rather a stopper ball that should have been a bit smaller.

So a lack of PROPER maintenance?

Which is worse?

It happened to me on my first trip into the ocean on my first Hobie 18. My crew dropped off the side, it was an experience that taught me a lesson about life jackets as it became clear to me just how easy it was to lose sight of someone and how long it can sometimes take to double back and pick them up.

If you think one trap fail sucks....

http://youtu.be/wYFDf0HhOHM

Here was my little misadventure last month at Tradewinds. I think I have the dubious honor of being the only sailor to take an unintended swim that weekend. Fortunately, no damage and the water was warm.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RExuf_WlbRs

My trap hook had some kind of spring clip retainer. When I went out, the hook/clip must have been just resting on the edge of the ring. As soon as I put weight on it, splash. Needless to say the clip was removed.

My crew's first instinct with the main sheet wasn't quite spot on either... Later, trying to uncleat the center-sheeted main from in the water was a real PITA.

I've never thought about that. Taking the cleat off is the answer there I'd think.

First thing I do with a new harness. As long as your bunji system is functioning properly, it keeps upward tension on the dogbone and the keeper isn't necessary. It's more of a liability in my opinion.

Yeah, but capsizes are inevitable.

(edit)- I was talking about the mainsheet.

Oh....I cleat the mainsheet all the time. I'm wimpy. I adjust it a lot but I do give myself breaks with the cleat. However, I'm johnny on the freakin spot with the uncleating flick at all times.

I don't think your crew was going to be able to get to the main sheet before he was sliding down the trampoline anyway - he didn't have many options.

Can't you just reach around the rear beam while standing on the hull that's in the water to uncleat the main?

Center sheeting is pretty centered

Aaaaa...I see. Crew had hold of the mainsheet before all this began...gotcha.

Yeah - I had just transferred the main sheet to Collin (my son) and he hadn't uncleated it yet. First thing he did was drop it when I went trolling for sharks. Kind of a knee-jerk thing he won't do again (I hope).

After I got back to the boat, I could easily release the traveler, but couldn't get enough leverage to release the main while I was bobbing in the water. I ended up climbing up and basically stood on the main sheet reeves between the blocks (is that the right description?) to get close enough to release the main. Didn't want to put any weight on the boom for fear of bending it.

First time with center sheeting. I kinda liked it except in this situation.

Gilo - what happened here? Trapeze shackle at the top give way?

Props to Collin for a nearly perfect crew maneuver - didn't get wet until he stepped off. AND didn't go through the main unlike Tad's little vid at Hagar's


And you're little pirouette wasn't bad either. Stick not broken, didn't hurt yourself, and the boat didn't sail too far without you...


Yeah, ditch the keeper on your harness hook. Seems no good comes of that thing. Either hangs you up when trying to get out, or doesn't get you hooked in correctly.

Thanks Jay - only concern with his dismount was losing connection with the boat. Had it been much windier, we both woulda been swimming for a while. He was also PO'd for losing his sunglasses. He could see them slowly sinking, but it was either the boat or the glasses - fortunately he made the right choice