Hey everyone?first of all let me say to any of you who sail Mission Bay frequently, you missed an awesome day on New Years day. My buddy Reed and I had the whole main bay to ourselves for most of the day. We finally had to quit due to exhaustion at about 3:00 and the wind was still blowing a steady 10+ knots as it had been all day. With that said, my question is this. I?ve been sailing a Prindle 16 single handed for years and since I weigh in at close to 230lbs I don?t get the opportunity to go out on the Trap as much as I would like. Yesterday I did. What does everyone do in the process so that you end up out on the Trap with the main sheet and the tiller in your hands? And once you are out, how do you keep the main sheet from dangling over the side of the boat and eventually getting tangled around your feet?

Tiller in hand, main sheet over one knee, and jib sheet over the other. May not be the best way but it works for me.

I only use the main sheet when I trap. It is a pain to keep the dead end from dropping off the boat and your leg. If it is windy enough to be in a trap then chances are you are not locking down the main anyway, so if you are alone, secure the jib line to keep it from sliding off on a lift.

To keep the dead end under wraps I have used bungee cords to slide the dead under. It allows the demand for more line when needed and enough tension to hold the dead end to the tarp.

Pay close attention to the trap's lines... I have had spectron wear in two and dump me.

For my overall sailing, I tend to not want to use the traps. The increase in speed (providing you are not tied up in racing) is not that much to warrant me putting up with the hassles of dangling trap lines and wearing the diaper. Simpler life.

BAHHhhh Humbug Deepsees!!!! ( )

I love being out on the wire... especially with the hull 6 feet up! the only reason i come in is when my hips hurt from the pinching...

I place the jib sheet near the edge where i can get to it from the wire if need be... i hold the tiller with one hand, and the other hand has the main in it... i reach up to the handle (same hand with mainsheet) and push myself out over the side.

when out i keep most of the main inboard but i keep about 4 feet in my lap/across my legs. this keeps the line out of the water most of the time.

when i need to travel out in heavy air... i either leave the traveler line close to the side as well... or i fish it out with the main (they are tied together)

I like your bungee idea deepsees. I think I'm going to try that this season!