Life Saver

Sorry guys, trying to get the drawing in my post...
Damon help !

Edited by catmodding on Dec 06, 2012 - 02:02 AM.

catmodding wrote: Sorry guys, trying to get the drawing in my post...
Damon help !

OK 😎

Pics! Pics!

I've been trying to sort out a boarding problem on my boat, too. Nothing nearly as serious as the one you experienced, but it looks like this might be what I'm looking for.

Thanks!

Tom

I needed to replace my righting line. Looked around for appropriate size line and found it more than $1 per foot. Went to West Marine and found a 25 foot nylon double braid line with a 12" eye splice in one end, cheap with a coupon.

Back on the cat, I tied three half-grapevine knots on the line, spaced to be used during righting, and set the overal length so that the eye splice was just in the water when the cat is on its side. My foot goes in the loop and I use the knots to pull myself up, and the hull over. Car manufacturers and stereo installers use a coiled plastic wrap to manage lots of wires together into a bundle. I used 4" of that same stuff to hold the eye splice open into a step. Otherwise the loop just closes when wet.

Usually my crew is on the bottom hull as the top one comes down, and so climbs to the deck of the hull as it rotates. If he gets left in the water between the hulls, I wrap the righting line around the mast base a few times and drop the foot loop in the water for him to use to climb back onboard.

If you can make your own line, you could incorproate a curved piece of PVC or electrical pipe to form the foot loop, just make sure it is small enough to fit into your tramp pocket.

DamonLinkous wrote: [quote=catmodding]Sorry guys, trying to get the drawing in my post...
Damon help !

Thank you Damon, don't know what went wrong but maybe you can pm me this...

benedict wrote: Pics! Pics!

I've been trying to sort out a boarding problem on my boat, too. Nothing nearly as serious as the one you experienced, but it looks like this might be what I'm looking for.

Thanks!

Tom

Tom, I am working this weekend, so will make some pics next week, cat is not in my backyard.
the drawing should explain most of it. So if your cat is in the backyard, fiddle around with some
lines and a block attached to the bridle .

Regards, André

There have been previous threads on aids for getting back on the boat. I built one that you access from the sides because I figured most people who have trouble getting back on the boat will be approaching from the side, and you don't want to be running them over to get them between the hulls, or you don't want them to have to hand over hand from the side around a hull to the middle while the boat is bouncing around. However, I can see that if you are righting the boat, you end up between the hulls, so that would be a nice place to have an aid to get up over the front beam.

I put this together for around $100. Ladder from Westmarine and 8 stainless bolts. On my new boat I used 4 zinc coated muffler brackets. Works a treat.
http://www.thebeachcats.com/pictures/?g2_itemId=80556

Edited by Wolfman on Dec 07, 2012 - 05:01 PM.

Guys, made some pics and a video, yes it is crappy, but it is a life saver!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJcdubbHI5Q&feature=player_embedded

Regards, André

catmodding wrote: Guys, made some pics and a video, yes it is crappy, but it is a life saver!!

There is a elegance to the simplicity of your solution.
I like it!

klozhald wrote: [quote=catmodding]Guys, made some pics and a video, yes it is crappy, but it is a life saver!!

There is a elegance to the simplicity of your solution.
I like it!

Yes.... spread the word!

I put this together for around $100. Ladder from WestMarine and 8 stainless bolts. On my new boat I used 4 zinc coated muffler brackets. Works a treat.

Wolfman,
I don't think the integrity of the front-beam would be the same after drilling
8 holes for your stainless-steel boarding solution, I do a race or two and try
to keep the weight on my cat down. A couple of lines , a block and some
shockcord do the job just fine.

@Bob,
For better and worse, gonna take the cat out soon and make a video.
Temp is not bad over here (though its winter) but windforce is a bit strong
for almost weeks now .Ruined the x-mass and new years sail. I will flip the
18-2 and demonstrate soon.

Regards, André

catmodding wrote: Ruined the x-mass and new years sail.

I remember the video of your Christmas sail from last year.
It was well done.
Sorry you could not go this time.
Happy New Year!

Happy new year to all of you, guys.

Grtz, André

It looks like you added some photos here but if you didn't already you should put it all in a tech gallery with as much detail as possible. I for one will likely give it try this spring as this is always a problem and concern for me. I have had thoughts along a very similar type system for some time but have not really done anything to put it into effect.

@ Quarath

Take look at the video I posted in this discussion, can't make it any clearer at the moment.
Like I promised Bob, if the weather and work let me, I will make a video
flipping, righting the cat and boarding it.
Its winter overhere , so it might take a while.

regards, André

Edited by catmodding on Jan 03, 2013 - 11:17 AM.

Sorry,
The weather over-here won't let me make a video,
the snow is gone, the lake is still frozen, temp is
raising though. Patience.........

André

So, just when I thought the weather got better, winter started again,
temps around 0 c , and snow. Went to the cat to do a check on the
straps holding her down. Because it has been windy lately.

gonna make that video....

André

She's pretty even in the snow.
We'll be watching for the video.

The ice is gone, wanted to take out the cat for a short sail, but wind was
down to zero. Water-temp is 1.8 dgr Celsius , so I didn't put the cat in
the water to show the boarding-solution , instead made the long- promised
video...

Here's the original;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJcdubbHI5Q

Here's what I made today;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0QbkYsdCoY

and

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V654nRU9D24

Hope this helps,

Regards, André

Thank you Andre for sharing the idea!

I flipped my cat a week ago and had very much trouble to get back onboard. And now I'm a believer! I got the system rigged up and ready to go. It may need to do some tuning, but seems to be working. Here is a video of testing the system: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4WEMq6hfz8&feature=youtu.be

-CH-

That's a great solution to a common problem. My getaway is easier to get back on because the wing seats give you something to grab on to.

kevinbatchelor wrote: My getaway is easier to get back on because the wing seats give you something to grab on to.

The issue is not having enough upper body strength to pull yourself up onto the wings or a deck.
André's solution gets your butt high enough- using your legs- to simply slide over onto the deck.
I have been that tired, and had to pull tired crew up many times as well.
Awesome solution, André!

Edited by klozhald on Aug 21, 2013 - 05:36 PM.

ch_kurkio wrote: Thank you Andre for sharing the idea!

I flipped my cat a week ago and had very much trouble to get back onboard. And now I'm a believer! I got the system rigged up and ready to go. It may need to do some tuning, but seems to be working. Here is a video of testing the system: [url] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4WEMq6hfz8&feature=youtu.be [/url

-CH-

Christian,
Thanks for making the video I was supposed to deliver!
You make it so clear, its a simple, save, lightweight solution.
Some events in my life made it impossible to do anything
with catamarans the past 7 months.
Hope to be back in spring though.

Regards and thanks again.
André

Edited by catmodding on Jan 08, 2014 - 11:00 PM.

I had a similar problem, with 2 of us we righted my cat and after gusting winds blew us right back over and very exhausted, I purchased a "righting bag" I can fill with water and put an attachment so that when we right the cat the ballast of the bag keeps the boat from capsizing the other direction. 👿

will the setup work just by adding a block to the bridle.. seems like it would pull the bridle back

carl2 wrote:

will the setup work just by adding a block to the bridle.. seems like it would pull the bridle back

here are my thoughts on this set up:
Yes it will pull your bridal back
i personally don't think it's a good idea to do that
having just replaced my bow tangs. i now know, I don't want any pressure from any direction except as intended
i believe the OP's set up took most of the load on the beams... that is a good place for load

no disrespect intended but I'm not a fan of that line hanging down either... if your line ever worms itself free... you now have a line dragging from a bad location. even in medium wind, tacking can be pretty violent place to live (if your a line tied to a forestay/jib)

my method (learned the hard way)
avoid the bows/front beam - too high on my boat

get on the side of the boat and grab a trap bungee, then wire, then handle.
then (while holding a handle) - get 1 foot up on the cat (stern side), then the other foot. now i can get my butt/torso out (still holding handle - now w/2 hands)

YMMV

Just took my trap wires off my cat (put wings on it) - gonna need a new system 🙂 (my wings have hiking straps that i think will work just fine)

On my SC15 the best way seems to be from astern. I unpin one end of the tiller crossbar and move it out of the way.
The stern is the lowest to the water on an SC. A sailing buddy showed me that one. That method doesn't work so well when the forstay parts and the mast comes down on the tiller crossbar and bends the hell out of it, however. Then I just had to dolphin kick my way back on over the side as far aft as possible. This happened on another buddy's boat. Take a close look at your Nicopress fittings! Especially where the wire comes out to form the loop. The leg of an open end thimble can chafe the wire.

I'm glad this topic came up because as a very full figure kind of guy I know how hard it can be to get back up on deck, particularly when you become exhausted. I had this idea a while back and just went out to the shop and spent less than 10 minutes making this addition to my righting line. All it is are a couple of Prusik loops with a piece of PVC on the loop to make it easier to get your foot into it. I think ideally you might use heavier PVC than what I had laying around, but this shows the idea. The cool part to the Prusik Loop is you can position it where needed and I am very confident that it will hold the line even when everything is soaking wet. Very little weight gain and it stows with the righting line. While I have large Figure 8 knots in the righting line, these loops could also easily serve as handles when righting.

Here is how you tie the Prusik knot:
http://www.animatedknots.com/prusik/#ScrollPoint

Catmodding,That's an impressive number of cats there. Take us on a video tour sometime.

Edited by gahamby on Nov 11, 2016 - 03:49 PM.