Plastic stopper balls: how tough?

[bbg]

Is that true?

In that case, I'll review BBG's advice above.

I don't know how that device fits, or what you need to cinch tight.
If you need to cinch the grommets down to the bar, you can use the method I mentioned above.
If you need to cinch the two sides together, you could stick with what you have now and thread in another line just like a shoelace and cinch it up and tie it with a bow.

 

[ex-Gladys]

Does anybody have a view on how tight a trapeze harness ought to be? I've just tried it with the wetsuit on, and the thimbles at the outside corners of the spreader-bar. I'm not sure I'd want it roped any tighter round my middle, unless there's an important reason to?

If you can stand up straight on land before sailing, it is not tight enough.

​

Absolutely... I go back to the days of stainless gate latches, and nappy style "harnesses", and couldn't believe how much better the Gayle Heard was when it came out, and then the Crewsaver/Magic Spreader bar things.... If you can stand up without wincing, you really haven't got it tgith enough

 

[Greenheart]

Thank you gentlemen...with BBG's advice, I'm sure I can make it fit...

...and with Gladys's advice, I won't be sorry if I can't.

 

[Medway Matt]

Hi Dan

As you go out on the trapeze and the harness takes your weight, you'll deform into it and the harness fabric will stretch, this means your bottom will become lower than the gunwale (if you have your trapeze wire set to the right length) and it can be tricky getting back into the boat. Hence you'll need to get the harness pulled tight around your waist/hips to minimize this.

I found that there's no real need to get the shoulder straps tight unless you're a masochist or too lazy to use your stomach muscles a bit. Too tight shoulder straps also restrict movement and flexibility, which I found pretty important in a Contender with its very low boom!

 

[Greenheart]

Thanks for that Matt. My old sense of dread is experiencing a revival.

But, it's the right end of the year to get a dunking or two, or ten. I'll try to persuade someone to take photos, for posterity's sake.

 

[Medway Matt]

How's your asymmetric spinnaker project coming along? A flat, reaching kite could well be the right sail for the job, as I found when singlehanding my Hornet with the kite up that as soon as I came off a run I was beam reaching because the apparent wind went forward so quickly.

My Hornet had a symmetrical kite of course but it had twin flyaway poles which made the set, drop and gybe relatively easy. I did embarrass a few shiny new RS600s sailing like that, which was fun!

 

[ex-Gladys]

Hi Dan

As you go out on the trapeze and the harness takes your weight, you'll deform into it and the harness fabric will stretch, this means your bottom will become lower than the gunwale (if you have your trapeze wire set to the right length) and it can be tricky getting back into the boat. Hence you'll need to get the harness pulled tight around your waist/hips to minimize this.

I found that there's no real need to get the shoulder straps tight unless you're a masochist or too lazy to use your stomach muscles a bit. Too tight shoulder straps also restrict movement and flexibility, which I found pretty important in a Contender with its very low boom!

One of the things that you learn with a cat is that a couple of steps aft will lift you up more than you can ever do otherwise. Very handy when hands are full of tiller and mainsheet

 

[Greenheart]

...you'll need to get the harness pulled tight around your waist/hips...

Thanks for this, Matt and others. I've over-engineered (by my standards) a solution to tightening the waist of the trap-harness...below is a pic of it, turned inside out. The blocks are less effective than the excellent antal ring (top left), BBG's suggestion, long ago...

...and I've tied a mini clam-cleat to one of the stopper-balls on the front of the harness, so the red rope emerges from the antal ring, pulls across the front and can be cleated when extremely tight. Another stopper-ball on the end to stop it running back through...

...so, notwithstanding howls of laughter in response to this post, I'll have no reason not to give it a try next time I'm out.

How's your asymmetric spinnaker project coming along?

Thanks for asking. I've been sailing more than thinking and tinkering, over the summer, but September is here...

...so yesterday, I again tried hoisting the little black 'reacher'-style asymmetric. The trouble (as many originally observed) is that while this very flat sail's 19ft luff really wants hoisting high above the Osprey's spinnaker hoist, the foot is only 8ft...(forgive lousy pic)...

...so if I were to use a bowsprit to extend the tack far enough forward to straighten the sag out of the luff, the clew would need sheeting to a point far ahead of the mast, which might suit an old-school cutter rig, but isn't what I had in mind here.

Actually I've rigged up a reasonably effective means of hoisting different sizes of spinnaker to different heights above the designed position. This was initially to enable rapid lowering of the spinnaker's attachment, to prevent mast-damage in gusts.

In truth I doubt I'd have time during a gust, to come in and release the height-adjuster even with its shockcord-return, but considering how hard it has been to find an asymmetric of proportions which might suit the Osprey, the option to vary the head-height has proven quite useful.

To be honest I am persuaded that flying a decent-size asymm will require both bowsprit and extra head height. I found a spotless RS400 kite, apparently unused but very cheap because it wasn't made by RS Sailboats, thus isn't class legal, no problem to me...

...but at 21ft, the luff is even longer than the black kite's. However, this sail is much, much fuller, so seems to set better from a lower halyard attachment point...but still requires the tack to be held well ahead of the bow (I improvised with an oar in the photo).

So now I'm in the process of retro-fitting a bowsprit. It's not so easy. I sourced a nice old carbon two-part windsurfer mast, but there was slight damage in the join. Having repaired it, I decided it was far too long at 16ft, and that the join needed reinforcement...

...so I've cut off the tapering upper five foot-six, and am working out how to secure it without adding undue weight, inside the outer end of the remaining ten-foot-six, where the join is. Then...and here's where the fun begins...

...I'm constructing a 'bridge' to sit athwartship, halfway up the foredeck. This will hold a rail allowing the inboard end of the bowsprit to slide to port or starboard, controllable from the cockpit...meanwhile, the bowsprit will run through a pivot beside the forestay foot, so that the outer end of the bowsprit will point substantially to port or starboard of the forestay...

...meaning that the big RS400 kite won't only fill when the wind is on the beam, but should stay clear of the main's shadow, downwind.

Has there ever been a driftier thread-drift? Sorry about that. Anyway, the modification goes on. It's at least as much fun as the sailing.