Help with harness...

Here is my problem.. When the wind lets up, I often have problems getting my harness unhooked.

I have no problem getting into the harness. When the wind picks up, I lean back and the loop falls into place. Sometimes it even feels like to lines are too long, but I am afraid to shorten them. As I lose power and stand more upright on the board, it becomes difficult to unhook.

What am I doing wrong?

CTM,

It just takes more practice. My last time sailing, two days ago, I was slogging a lot as it was gusting, and I had this trouble, too, but I don't really try to get out. I usually slog hooked in, as it's easier (and unless I'm trying to get higher upwind, which I can do better unhooked).

The main thing is that you really don't need to worry about getting out of the harness when it lets up, just rebalance so you are in a good sailing position for the new, lighter wind. Knowing when it's going to lighten up is important, too, so paying attention to the water upwind will pay dividends.

Sometimes I have to pull down hard and actually get on my toes to get out of my lines if it's really light. When I'm unhooking to jibe, though, it's just an unconscious flick of the boom.

Hans

On 15 Aug 2002, CTM wrote:

CTM, most people set their harness lines for the correct length when planing. This means the sail is raked and the distance vertically between your hook and the lines is reduced.

When you lose power and start to bring the sail to vertical, it has the effect of 'lifting' your lines. If you are still hooked in, it will pull you up too. In this situation, I try to unhook as I lose power, as on a sinker I usually have to Hula dance in slogging winds.

Cheers

Hey CTM, Just a minor note here as the others made some good comments; Do you use a hook or a roller (reactor bar)? I have found that I can unhook easier in light air with the roller than I can with a hook. On the flipside, I have had the roller twist the line so it won't release when I have crashed a few times. Not every combination is great in all conditions. Read you later, Marc

I think most would stay they have to jump up or stand tippy toed to hook in with the sail upright in the slogging position, so getting hooked goes with leaning the rig back. If it is an off and on day, I set my length so I cannot hook in unless the rig is leaned back but I can stay hooked in if slogging is required. Then if I reach forward as far as I can with the front hand and I can just get the hand on the mast. Then I can hold the mast with the lead hand and stay hooked in (even though it pulls the harness lines forward. This position is the slogging delight position because you can point very high (mast is upright), you can drop the back hand off the boom, and you can essentially sail along resting while slogging and waiting for the next bit of wind. Everything is pretty steady and solid doing this and I can sail with less effort than any other slogging approach. Takes some practice however, but you soon learn how to do it

Playing with harness line length depending on conditions is fine but runs the risk of eliminating the 'feel' of controlled power we work so hard to get. Harness line lenght is everything when it comes to getting big range out of gear. For me, I find that once a range of adjustment is identified that range works for everything I might be able to get even with certain extreme settings. It works this way for me because I can keep planing through lulls in which I might otherwise shlog yet I can control the rig perfectly well when the biggest gusts come through. CI knows his harness line settings and can always return to correct. Many others are less certain about the one position that really works -let alone the best length -and changing the setup tends to blur the tuning that has occured. As long as the original length and positions are identified, play away. What I don't get, though, is why people stay hooked in on a shortboard if their not planing.

Ooh, Ooh ... I know! Because letting the hardware do the work of muscles lets us sail all day. In the very rare scenario that I actually slog, it's likely to be at dusk, when the milked wind teat goes dry one squeeze quicker than I expected. If it's more than a hundred yards or so, and I don't think the wind will come back, I'll pop the boom clamp, drop the boom a couple of inches, hook in, and slog in in relative comfort. If it's just a hundred yards, or I think I will plane any second now, I'll just put up with a wedgie and a VERY upright stance. But then I seldom worry about setting the sail foot on the board deck on small boards, unlike with bigger stuff on bigger stuff.

What I absolutely do not get is why anyone would slog a short board (at least a sinker or bobber) period, except in the above scenario. That's the biggest body-buster in all of WSing, IMO.

And I set my harness line length short to prevent swing and bounce; all other considerations are secondary at best, IMO.

Mike m/

I've used those. Non-swing = merely reduced swing. I prefer no swing. Besides, last time I looked I couldn't buy lines as short as I like them.

Mike m/

You need to make the movement to unhook your harness. In, up and out. Try also placing your boom slightly lower so that you can quickly unhook when the wind dies on you.

Elliot