Its been a while since Ive sailed on a cat but getting my feet wet tomorrow I am hoping to have suggestions on entry and exit. My local spot is mostly on shore into ankle to waist slappers. I have a set of beach wheels no rope attached seen a video of a tornado launching they pulled the wheels out from under with a rope that looked like it was looped around the nose. They also went in rudders first and turned the boat around in deep. Since Im going into a headwind Im going to try nose first and jumping over the rudder cross bar. Also single handing on a public beach I'm a little concerned about leaving the wheels in the entry area. Any advise is apprecated.

you can usually add rope to the ends of the wheels by removing the cover and putting a stopper know on the end of some rope and threading it through the cover whole. The rope makes it much easier to put on and off the boat. if you dont have cradles on the beach wheels it is almost manditory.

I STRONGLY SUGGEST you go to a marine store (or walmart) first and get an anchor and line. wade out to anchor your boat while you return your wheels to your trailor.

you may consider locking your wheels to your trailer with a bike lock to... they are expensive and can ruin your week if they "walk off".

Be sure your main and traveler are sheeted in (no need to whale them tight) but as long as they are in your boat will point into the wind while on anchor.

Hi Andrew,
I never considered anchoring in waves they break close to shore and are usually small. I know those wheels are expensive to replace a lock and cable would be wise. Thanks for the advise I have 4 boat stores on the way . Where on the boat would I tie and store an anchor ?Under the mast would be my choice the front stays don't split for a jib they run full length like the back stays and trap lines all come from the same spot.

you may want to create a little bridal between the 2 bows to attach the anchor line.

I am not suer where you should store the anchor onboard. I carry a little bag on my trampoline and keep mine in there.

Charlie,

Some questions:

1) Are you launching a "A-Cat" through the surf?
2) What is the "shingle",ie: the angle/slope of the beach?
3) How big is the surf?

What limited advise I can give on limited knowledge of the conditions.

Make a "friend" on the beach ... ask them if they could deal w/ your beach wheels after you remove them from under the boat in the water (if possible). Give them clear instructions of where you need the wheels placed.(I set-up some beach chairs and a umbrella, usually that is enough to show ownership presence in the area)

Determine the favored direction to launch ....

Study the "Wave Break" ... the wavebreak some times has a hole in it where the waves are not as high or break as violently. And the waves come in at a certain frequency. Try and launch anticipating a lull.

Remember the sail can generate much more power then you so .... hold the boat in shallow water and "power-up" the boat and when you can just barely hold it push off and jump onboard ... get some windward daggerboard down (1/2 a board maybe) and hand hold the windward rudder down if possible ...

Accelerate the boat by footing ... then before the wave head-up into the wave .... just before stalling the boat turn down ... you're trying to show minimal frontage to the wave BUT do not stall the boat, keep it moving. If you stall the boat you will get over the first wave ... but the next wave will eat you for lunch !!!! Keep the boat moving ... speed/velocity/power is life. If you stay in the surf to long standing still you will have nothing left but debris/flotsum.

To return .... determine the direction of the wavebreak ... try and come in 45 degrees (at first) to the wavebreak ... build up speed and turn down riding the back of a wave. Do not come straight downwind ... you are then a sitting duck for a wave coming from behind ... picking up your sterns -- driving your bows down into the bottom ... over you go. I once saw my friend pitchpole his Nacra in a little 12-16" surfbreak ....

Both ways ... SPEED/POWER/VELOCITY is LIFE

Good Luck
Sail Flat, Sail Fast, Sail SAFE
HarryMurphey
H18Mag/#9458, Fleet54/Div11
P19MX/#86, CRAC-Open Class

If the anchor had a bouy with a short tether from the buoy to the boat, you could just disconnect the boat when ready to head out, and leave the anchor at the beach. I think that attaching to the main crossbeam below the mast will work for you, if it wanders too much, consider a bridle that attaches to the main crossbeam outboard near the hulls, with the apex near the bows. The bridle could be pulled back on board or bungied to one of the forestay tangs. I'd shy away from attaching the birdle to the forestay tangs on an A cat.

Dave

Boyer A
F18HT

Some of the catsailors here in brisbane tie an anchor to their beach wheels and simply throw the anchor off the tramp and let the wheels float once the cat is in the water.. Simple and easy to use

Talk to Dan Delave at the yacht club He's a f-18 and a cat sailor. he can help you.
I've sailed off that beach down by the end its a nice ride off but you may be able to launch at the yacht club easier.

Hi everyone! Great to know someone is here tonight. I am meeting another Cat sailor at Claremont and will be taking notes. I used to launch my first cat from the bay side long ago but think that area is overtaken with yackers now.
I bought my boat from a member of ABYC and had to move it out of there the list to get back in is more than a year wait. Heres a pic from the spot on a typical day. The A cat is the sister ship to mine both were brought from down under by the Glasers origionaly.
The waves in the spot we use are small being behind the breakwater but I have seen them get larger with wind. Nice to know everywhere cats have these issues and over come to get beyond the stingrays.
Thanks everyone I'll post over the weekend with results.

Charlie,

I've got a mark IV as well and I've sailed off that beach (not on my Boyer). It's a terrific spot to sail and shouldn't be too difficult. Another thing you might consider, especially since it is a pretty steep beach leading to the water, is to find some carpet scraps and put them under the hulls just leading into the water. You can put your boat on the carpet, pull out your wheels, secure your wheels, and then slide the boat on the carpet into the water. Anytime you leave your a-cat unattended (for just a second like this), I would leave the mainsail unpinned from the boom so it can float free and not catch the wind. Once your at the boat, pin the main on the boom and slid it into the water. If you've accumulated sand on the carpet at the water, lift the bows and slide the sterns down the carpet until the bows are in enough water to float. Then lift the sterns and push into the water.

Based on an idea that a friend of mine had (and I'm sure it's been done elsewhere), I put a t-bar on my beach wheels with a 45 degree riser and a handle that comes up even with the top of the hulls - in the middle of the hulls - at the forestays. That t-bar has a leg that sticks below it at the ground under the dolphin striker. In an offshore breeze, I can back the boat to the water, put the beach wheels right at the edge of the water, step on the leg to embed it in the sand, and slide the boat off into the water leaving the beach wheels right there at the water's edge. Works great (in an offshore breeze).

Jake, could you post a pic or diagram of the handle? Thanks!

dave

Today was a great day for a first sail on a different boat. Light wind, little sun, light rain, didn't break or lose anything.
Thanks for everyones input I know without your advise yesterday when I showed up all by myself today I might have otherwise chicked out.

Once I got away from the beach I found a puff here and there, I also saw the Schock 32 I was not crewing on to make the cat launch. I sent them pics I took of them. You guys should have seen me once I got the wheels out from under her still in the sand with every little wave wanting to take her out even with the sail centered "I ran back to the chair with the wheels over one sholder didn't lock them thru the rope ovver it and ran back. Of course once I got going both daggers found kelp that went out past the rudders so after moving them up and down then clearing the rudders I managed to stay clear of it the rest of the day. Landing in such light air was un-nerving somewhat I raised the daggers outside the waves and just as I got close I raised the second rudder and let her come into the wind before I slid off the windward hull to find the bottom at less than 3 feet, thankfully I was relieved to have some control again and backer her back onto the beach with the wave as it surged on shore. The tide had dropped a few inches while I was away but it managed to move my chair and wheels a lot farther away from the boat. Have a few things to make better for next time out now.

Jake is the Gelcoat on the MK IV really that thin to even think about carpeting the sand? Guess I should do an inspection in the morning did a little sand plowing. My wheels sucked in that sand too may be springing for some wider tires.

Does anyone else have kiteboarders all over their launch spots, had any problem launching or landing because of them? I drove by today to see who was out since the storm had passed thru no cats only about 20 kites zig zagging across the launch. I remember when I tryed learning that a few years ago I had my kite over head standing on dry sand and out of nowhere about 7 cats had landed directly down wind of me. I managed to walk upwind away from them and within 10 minutes they were all gone again. I know those kite strings are under a lot of tension (braided kevlar) and would hate to trip into one with my mast sailing to or from the shore.
Someone suggested I carry a line cutter incase I had to get out of the trap lines in a hurry. I can think of another reason to have it now.

Sure! The image set is in this group with several photos of the construction. The yellow bits started life as a windsurfer mast.

TeamSeacats Fiberglass work

And yes, the gelcoat is exceptionally thin on these boats compared to other typical cats (but why not?).

That's a nice addition to your Beach wheels Jake.
I have an old windsurfers mast too but think I can get some slightly bent lazer masts free that will weld to my center tube better.
I'm still itchy from look thru that nose rework.
Inside my boat the lable states gel coat contains 3% gray can I order gelcoat like that and from who?

on occasion we have a few of them zipping up and down our launch area. they are generally nice guys and stay clear.. but don't ever count on it... their line will cut your head off.. be carefully around them..

Last year a kid was blown into power lines at out causeway (as i was try to get to shore). He was electrocuted, fell 30 feet or so and his kite melted off his harness and flew into my boat. It became entangled in my forestay (my jib was furled up) and almost took my boat down.. i had to pop the kite, then cut the lines off my boat... all while dealing with the same 30-40knot winds that caused him to fly into powerlines...

You've got a good gelcoat supplier nearby - SherFab Supply (http://www.sherfab.com/About.asp). They supply the gelcoat for Performance Catamarans and can mix to color codes. You might want to call them about getting a white base with 3% gray...but it's going to be hit or miss as no two "whites" are the same. I would just go with a standard white for repair and feather it in - it would hardly be noticeable.

Oooh, that's nice! Looks like the vertical bar has a short bungee that loops around the mast base that keeps the boat properly centered on the cradles. That correct? Thanks Jake!

Dave