Getting Tangled with the Sheet!!!

N

nikozak

New Member
I need some help with this,

Constantly while sailing, especially during tacking, I get really tangled up with the sheet. This usually leads to a capsize, because I try to get loose and hike, only to find my feet are completely tangled, and therefore, I have no control over the sail. This is really annoying, especially during regattas!!!

Does anyone know of some technique or method to avoid this from happening??

Thanks!
 
I push the mainsheet forward, into the corners in the cockpit.
 
then it would take up room, our cockpits are small enough as it is

And we do we need spinnaker bags in our boat? lol, we don't have spinnakers! Just push it forward.
 
In an issues of sail magazine I saw a new America's cup boat and it had inspection ports that they would put the excess line in it looked like it really cleared up the deck.
 
captainJack987 said:
In an issues of sail magazine I saw a new America's cup boat and it had inspection ports that they would put the excess line in it looked like it really cleared up the deck.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure the laser would do well sailing with an open inspection port.
 
Rob B said:
I'm not sure the laser would do well sailing with an open inspection port.
Click to expand...


Think of flipping over, and then sinking....


It's funny, when I sailed Finns for a bit, I had so much room in the cockpit that I had trouble organizing the mainsheet as there was too much room! It would get all over the place, I was walking all over it, it would get tangled in the hiking straps, bilge area/drain. The problem never goes away my friends, you just have to deal with it the best you can. In the Laser for me, its by shoving it in the front corners. Some tie it to the hiking strap in the front, some in back. Try and see what works for you.
 
I learned to always kick the sheet off my feet if it started getting tangled around my feet. I shove the sheet into a pile somewhere away from my feet, and after every tack or jibe I kick whatever may have tangled around my feet away and into the pile. Works well once you're in the habit.

Mary


nikozak said:
I need some help with this,

Constantly while sailing, especially during tacking, I get really tangled up with the sheet. This usually leads to a capsize, because I try to get loose and hike, only to find my feet are completely tangled, and therefore, I have no control over the sail. This is really annoying, especially during regattas!!!

Does anyone know of some technique or method to avoid this from happening??

Thanks!
Click to expand...
 
Tie the sheet off to the back of the cockpit and do as the poster above said and just keep kicking it back there. The front of the cockpit needs to be clean and organised. Last thing you want is to be treading on and getting tangled up in mainsheet.
 
Thanks guys! The tips have all been great, and I tried applying them at a regatta I took part in yesterday. To my relief, getting tangled is a problem no more!!

Best of luck,
Nikolai
 
in light air i will tie the end of my main sheet to the hiking strap and in heavy wind when i am rounding the down wind mark i will just throw the line out of the boat(only if no ones close)
 
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