Welcome anonymous guest

Please Support
TheBeachcats.com

How long does it take to set up a cat?  Bottom

Go to page [-1] 1 - 2 - 3 [+1]:

  • jloobyI should probably add about trailering with rudders attached.

    When I was younger I chased technology for the fastest boat (Bimare F18HT in my recent past) but I now pursue robust ease of use. With this, that Hobie rudder system designed ~50+ years ago while heavy, is a thing of beauty. Midseason trailering, I tie the crossbeam down with line led down through and underneath tramp to forward beam. This locks the crossbar down and forward and I did this for my previous H16, H18 & H18SX without a single problem the past ~40 years. Can this fail... absolutely but I have 3 sets of rudders (and even a fully complete backup H17) so I can take the risk.

    James H17+/F25C+


    A fail situation to have in mind is branches from bushes, not on the road but when leaving the place or arriving home. I've seen tiller crossbars broken like that.
  • Quoteit is just about saving time in rolling, unrolling and untangling the wires,

    I don't disconnect any wires. I just wrap them into a circle and tie it off to a line that is on my deck already (jib car adjuster line)

    there is nothing to untangle .... untie the small knot that holds the loop of wires, slide the mast into stepping position and the wires have fallen inline and are ready for stepping

    https://www.thebeachcats.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=132805&g2_serialNumber=3



    Edited by MN3 on Apr 09, 2020 - 11:16 AM.
  • jalexIf I am trailering with rudders, which is a no no, I can do my Hobie 16 and my Gcat 5.7 both in under 30. Mast up, sails up and go. I have spent 6 hours rigging\assembling a Supercat 20 and I wish to never do it again. I have mast up storage for my 16 and if I have the roller furling setup I am probably out of the car and on the water in 10, it is awesome

    showoff! :)
  • I take about 30 minutes solo

    --
    Captain Chris Holley
    Fulshear, TX
    '87 Prindle 19 "¡Hijole!"
    '74 sunfish "1fish"
    --
  • Thirty minutes? Forty five minutes? There are more techniques to doing this than there are kinds of beach cats. Once you've got your method down you stick with it and make gradual improvements as you learn. One writer stated he gotten to the point where the ease of rigging was getting more important than speed. I understand that because I'm seventy years old and have been sailing beach cats for more than forty years. When rigging a boat I have made a similar dumb mistake twice and those mistakes came partially as a result of getting distracted from the task at hand. I'm sure all of you at one time while rigging your boat have someone come up and start bending your ear with a lot of questions and like me are glad to talk about your boat. Well I forgot to put the line through the mast step/ball on a G-cat 5.7 and when I walked the mast down, it slipped (the boat was on the trailer backwards) and the mast fell on the roof of my new truck putting a nice dent in it. Another time with a Nacra 500 I got distracted and forgot to tie the boat to the trailer and when I walked the mast down the boat (once again on the trailer backwards) shifted on the trailer and I dropped the mast and once again damaged the roof of another new truck. I'm considering a check list.

    --
    Bill Townsend
    G-Cat 5.0
    Sarasota
    --
  • https://youtu.be/lz3hbRmy-7w

    --
    Captain Chris Holley
    Fulshear, TX
    '87 Prindle 19 "¡Hijole!"
    '74 sunfish "1fish"
    --
  • 20 or 30 minutes depending on what beverages are being consumed, lol.

    I leave everything attached to the mast, shrouds, forestay..etc. it is all coiled up together, no kinks, no tangles. Attache the side stays and raise the mast, I have someone pin the forestay, done. I trailer with rudders in place so, not having to deal with that. I have dragged the boat 4 hours away or 5 minutes away, never had a problem with rudders. Longest part of the whole deal is raising the main which has a tendency to stick a little but that's all.

    --
    Marty
    1984 Hobie 16 Redline Yellow Nationals, "Yellow Fever"
    Opelika, Al / Lake Martin
    --
  • I've got the P19 in mast up storage across the street from the ramp. And lately, during the season, I've been leaving the boom on the boat, using the halyard as a topping lift. So that saves a little time. I think I'm around 30 minutes with that setup. Including suiting up with the drysuit and gear, launching at the ramp, and parking the truck, then going back to hoist the main... I think I'm around 45 minutes to an hour.

    Here's the thing though... I used to rush through things to "get it over with". But, somehow, I forced myself to enjoy rigging and de-rigging the boat, and take my time. Before the lockdown, I would sometimes try and get a sail in after work in the summer evenings. I would spend an hour getting on the water, sail for 90 minutes to two hours, and spend another hour putting the boat to bed. So a good half my time sailing is rigging and de-rigging. If I considered that a chore, it would make it practically not worth it. I don't have any specific advice on how to make rigging your boat enjoyable. I just managed to do it and make it part of the sailing experience.

    --
    Bill Mattson
    Prindle 19 "Gelli Bean"
    Prindle 19 "Cat's Pajamas"
    Nacra 5.2 (Will sail her a bit and let her name herself)
    --
  • Quotemake rigging your boat enjoyable


    Great approach. Rushing means mistakes happen.

    --
    John

    Nacra 5.0
    CT
    --
  • Depends on the boat and the distance traveled. 15 minutes to 1.5 hours. If I am sailing local, I leave everything attached and even leave rudders on. I only have to travel 1/2 mile to the ramp. For anything over an hour drive, I pull the rigging and rudders off. I use a 4' ladder to place the mast tip on behind the boat. If it is windy, I will hook a trapeze to an eye on either side of the front beam. This will keep the mast from going side to side. I can still dead lift the mast, so I don't crank it up. I have a line through a block at the base of the mast support with a clip on the forestay and led to a cleat on the front beam. I will lift the mast and as I hold it with one hand (and a shoulder), I pull the slack out of the line to hold the mast forward. Once cleated, I can then relax and attach the forestay to the bow foil. I use dyneema line to adjust the shroud tension. On my Prindle 19, I replaced the shroud tangs with turnbuckles so I can easily tension the rig solo. I will say, if you use turnbuckles; make sure you tighten the lock nuts every time or have some other way to lock the turnbuckle. One regatta, we were sailing upwind and my crew asks about the leeward shroud flopping behind the boat. He was able to grab the shroud, rethread it on the turnbuckle and then get back on the wire. Lesson learned.

    For the Tornado, I break it apart. I can have it from trailer to sailing in 1.5 hours rigging it my self.

    --
    Scott

    Prindle Fleet 2
    TCDYC

    Prindle 18-2 Mod "FrankenKitty"
    Tornado Classic "Fast Furniture"
    Prindle 19 "Mr. Wiggly"
    Nacra 5.8 "De ja vu"
    Nacra 5.0
    Nacra 5.8
    Tornadoes (Reg White)
    --
  • QuoteFor the Tornado, I break it apart. I can have it from trailer to sailing in 1.5 hours rigging it my self.


    guessing that since it isn't a sport, that saves a lot of time.... b/c I always estimated that it was an extra hour for setup just because of being broken down.
  • ctcatamanWondering how long it takes to go from trailer to sailing for you guys?


    Two beers if I'm solo.
    One and a half beer if my daughter is helping.
    Three beers if anyone else is "helping".

    *Subtract one beer if at my club with mast-up storage.
    **Add one beer for very high wind...extra time need to 1) keep moving bows back and forth to stay pointed into shifty wind, 2) double-check all the stuff that'll screw you if it fails/fouls once on the water, and 3) build courage.

    (Time means nothing unless I'm racing....I leave the watch at home and bring plenty of beer.)

    --
    Jerome Vaughan
    Hobie 16
    Clinton, Mississippi
    --
  • wlrottge
    QuoteFor the Tornado, I break it apart. I can have it from trailer to sailing in 1.5 hours rigging it my self.


    guessing that since it isn't a sport, that saves a lot of time.... b/c I always estimated that it was an extra hour for setup just because of being broken down.



    It's a classic T. Luckily I can store it indoors, otherwise I would have it on a tilt trailer with a full boat cover.

    --
    Scott

    Prindle Fleet 2
    TCDYC

    Prindle 18-2 Mod "FrankenKitty"
    Tornado Classic "Fast Furniture"
    Prindle 19 "Mr. Wiggly"
    Nacra 5.8 "De ja vu"
    Nacra 5.0
    Nacra 5.8
    Tornadoes (Reg White)
    --
  • 83 H18. it was 45min from parking to floating loaded ready to go. new/used wings will add a new learning curve.
    45 min to tear down and trailer up.

    --
    1978 H18
    1983 H18 (some of it)
    --
  • Today did some active water social distancing. 70 minutes parking lot to water, fussing with jib for 20 of that. 45 minutes to break down, but sloppy. Lightning and in a hurry. GREAT sail, but really, really busy on the water. Scared the kids with the speed today-they loved it. Awesome. Everyone was all proper and protective at ramp. I think my most appropriate time will be around 45. I'm good with that.

    --
    Chuck C.
    H21SE 408
    --
  • Quote I think my most appropriate time will be around 45


    45 seems like a good target.

    How do you raise the mast on your 21?

    --
    John

    Nacra 5.0
    CT
    --
  • charlescarlisToday did some active water social distancing. 70 minutes parking lot to water, fussing with jib for 20 of that. 45 minutes to break down, but sloppy. Lightning and in a hurry. GREAT sail, but really, really busy on the water. Scared the kids with the speed today-they loved it. Awesome. Everyone was all proper and protective at ramp. I think my most appropriate time will be around 45. I'm good with that.

    I saw your pictures, you planning on making it out for wednesday night races? Ill be out with me as well at texastuma and possibly a nacra 5.8. where did you launch from?

    --
    Captain Chris Holley
    Fulshear, TX
    '87 Prindle 19 "¡Hijole!"
    '74 sunfish "1fish"
    --
  • I want to make it out Wednesdays...got several friends out there often enough. This Wednesday, however I have a 50th "drive-by-birthday party" to do for a close friend.

    This time I launched at Clear Lake Shores at the invitation of a co-worker who sails also.

    I use a gin pole permanently attached to my trailer, which makes set-up a breeze and I CAN do it by myself, however 2 people are more comfortable. The trick was making it so that all hinge points are in-line so no loosening/tightening of lines is needed and is largely a one person affair. I also use a winch with an auto-brake ($75) - which makes it a LOT safer/more comfortable. If I slip or need to stop and adjust something, it is rated to hold the load in-place. I don't trust that it will, but it does.

    Here's a pic at the dock; you can see most of it and how I made it so that the trap wires hinge in line with the mast/dolphin striker ball and joint.

    https://www.thebeachcats.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=132915&g2_serialNumber=3



    Edited by charlescarlis on Apr 28, 2020 - 09:50 AM.

    --
    Chuck C.
    H21SE 408
    --
  • I'll get more pics this evening. That one doesn't show much...

    --
    Chuck C.
    H21SE 408
    --
  • charlescarlisI want to make it out Wednesdays...got several friends out there often enough. This Wednesday, however I have a 50th "drive-by-birthday party" to do for a close friend.

    This time I launched at Clear Lake Shores at the invitation of a co-worker who sails also.

    I use a gin pole permanently attached to my trailer, which makes set-up a breeze and I CAN do it by myself, however 2 people are more comfortable. The trick was making it so that all hinge points are in-line so no loosening/tightening of lines is needed and is largely a one person affair. I also use a winch with an auto-brake ($75) - which makes it a LOT safer/more comfortable. If I slip or need to stop and adjust something, it is rated to hold the load in-place. I don't trust that it will, but it does.

    Here's a pic at the dock; you can see most of it and how I made it so that the trap wires hinge in line with the mast/dolphin striker ball and joint.

    https://www.thebeachcats.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=132915&g2_serialNumber=3Edited by charlescarlis on Apr 28, 2020 - 09:50 AM.

    I'll be using cls with texastuma on Wednesday nights so more to help set up

    --
    Captain Chris Holley
    Fulshear, TX
    '87 Prindle 19 "¡Hijole!"
    '74 sunfish "1fish"
    --

Go to page [-1] 1 - 2 - 3 [+1]:

No HTML tags allowed (except inside [code][/code] tags)

  • Options

This list is based on users active over the last 60 minutes.