"Ian Malcolm" wrote in message
...
imagineero wrote:

I've got a caper cat that is in desperate need of updating. Im hoping
to sail it up the coast of australia, and have ben sailing it 3 times
weekly and updating what needs to be changed bit by bit, cleats,
rigging, shrouds etc etc, the halyards are a pain to me. The main
halyard clips in with a shackle on a bowline to a dinky little d ring
on the mast, then is tensioned with a downhaul rope through a pulley
then back up to a clam cleat. It takes me about 5 minutes to rig the
main on shore, and i'd have no chance of getting it down in a pinch if
i had to out in a big blow.

Yes, I've seen a few cat setups with similar problems and frankly as
coastal dinghy cruiser they scare me s**tless. OK on a big lake or
sailing off a beach with safety cover but you dont want to be 5 miles out
on passage crossing a big bay or estuary and get caught out in a squall.
D. Parker's comment about being able to read the weather building to the
south and getting 20 minutes warning is not confidence inspiring. Say
five minutes of innattention, and 5 minutes of Hmm, is it headed this way?
then 10 minutes of struggling to get the main down and you are out of time
and quite probably swimming. Personally, I'd like time to check all gear
is secure, pop a quick plot on the chart and get some foul weather gear
on. Say 7-8 minutes total. Cut back the 'Hmm, thinking time' a bit and
you still need to be able to drop and stow the main in about three
minutes.


Snip

Sorry, you may have missed the sarcasm in my previous post.

He wont need the 5 minutes of "hmm, is it headed this way". If your off the
coast of NSW and to the south you see a big MoFo Anvil. Its coming your way!
He will already be wearing a wet suit so he shouldnt need time to change

There was a guy some years ago who sailed the east coast on the hobie. But
he used a support vessel to help along the way. I forget his name. But from
memory he had all sorts of Australian titles under his belt. Another reader
may be able to enlighten us further.

DP