Hiking out?

P

papayamon2

Member
Another question from my first ride on a Sunfish today: I was in light to moderate air, but a couple of times when it was gustier I had to move outward a bit to keep the boat level on a reach. This boat didn't have a hiking strap, so I put my feet under the lip on the opposite side of the kneewell and scooted my rear partly over the side. Which leads to my question...

When you're sailing crosswind in really heavy air, is your butt hanging complete off the side and over the water? If so, isn't that pretty uncomfortable after a little bit? My Prindle cat had a trapeze arrangement which gave you something to lean out against, but I've never seen such an arrangement on a Sunfish (although my experience is limited!). If you use a hiking strap, are you basically doing a perpetual sit-up on the side of the boat? What do you hang onto with your hands (if anything)?
 
Your hands are busy with the tiller and mainsheet and yes high winds means a perpetual situp or what's called droop hiking where your legs are bent and your butt is below the deck edge and your back is more upright.
It's been a while since anyone has mentioned it but a copy of the Sunfish Bible is just about manditory for any serious Sunfish sailer. There's a link to purchase it off the fish class website.
 
I used the cockpit lip to hook my feet under for years and just put a hiking strap in this year. Yes, you are doing "the perpetual situp" in heavy air, but some of the strain is taken up by your mainsheet hand and the other hand is busy with the tiller. It can be uncomforatble after a while hanging your backside over the edge, but that can be helped with battened hiking shorts. My main source of discomfort is during lighter winds when sitting on the deck for a long time (I call it fiberglass butt), padded shorts and/or wet suit help out there.
 
There are lots of great racing photos at the class website (www.sunfishclass.org). Look in the "Championships" column on the right of the main page. You can find a stop-action shot of just about everything from hiking styles to mainsheet tension (measured by the amount between the traveller and the aft boom block).

Being around the Tampa area, you might also visit Davis Island Yacht Club this weekend (www.diyc.org) for the Sunfish Florida Regional Championships. Lots of really knowledgeable folks to share a beer and your questions with. Even better if you can find a way to watch from the water. Just mind your wake...

Kevin
 
In decent wind, you're constantly out of the boat, on pretty much any dingy. It's normally always faster to get out to keep the boat level rather than just spilling wind by luffing the main. Shorts or wetsuit-like pants that are padded are the best option for reducing the hurt.
 
ive always found that hiking out on a sunfish is actually pretty comfortable. Especially if you are droop hiking. I really enjoy when i have to hike out a little bit! Its kinda fun.
 
The newer rolled deck edges definitely make hiking a lotless painful.
As to Geezer's remark, that brought back a memory of a multiclass regatta which was also a fish regional so there were a lot of boats in many different classes. We happened to strike up a conversation with the owner of a fairly old Finn. Newer Finns came with rail pads and the old ones were real killers when hiking. What we had to laugh about was insribed on his boom was "real men don't feel pain"
Seems several years earlier Dave Perry had borrowed the boat and complained bitterly about the lack of hiking pads, so the owner did the inscription on the boom for the second day of the regatta...LOL He said Dave never said another word.
 
Papayamon2,
I sailed a Sunfish for 25 years with my toes under the cockpit lip and the last 7 with the hiking strap. The strap makes a big difference especially with the newer syle boat as the cockpit is a bit larger and the far lip further away. Once you turn 40, invest in hiking/ padded shorts. They Run $65 and up but they are worth every penny. the rolled edge od the newer boats is easier on the butt as Mike said.

Happy Sailing!
 
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