There are a lot of different approches to chocks out there. I haven't been using mine much just dropping my stearns on the sand at the beach without any problems long enough to get the wheels under the back lifting the back up a few inches, tie it off behind the back cross beam and lift the boat off the bunks roll back a few feet and let the hull down to the sand then re-position the wheels just ahead of the daggerboard wells and tie them off at the striker so I can roll forward to the water. My boat came with blocks fiberglass like the cradles with a thin felt on them. I've already replaced that felt on the dolly with a thicker carpet I had left over from re-covering the bunks. Liquid nails worked way better than contact cement. Repadding the chocks with the same next.

This weekend I'm entering my first race with the ABYC turkey day regatta w/dinner included looking forward to eati.. I mean competing. I saw a couple guys with A2's yesterday I was doing 8 to 10 knots but couldn't keep up with them. I guess carring another person really slows a boat like this down. One of the race requirements is having a painter at least one boat length. I presume thats a towline. If so has anyone got a suggested attach point or type of rope?
I was thinking of using a ski rope because it floats and making a bridle with a yoke that can go to the righting line attach points on the front beam with a couple of shackles. My tramp has a pouch just behind the mast I can keep stuff like that in nothing bigger than a fist can get thru the zipper.

I broke my hiking pole as I was getting off in the surf last week. Its 8 feet long the closest replacement I can find is 6 feet and it telescpopes down to 4 feet. Tryed it yesterday and it was nice not having all that extra pole to deal with but it may be too short for hiking. I've got some carbon bidirectional cloth I'm going to wrap it with. Resin alone didn't hold long. Since it only flexs a little at that spot the repair should be enough.

I've been making a new yard cover for the boat the origional is falling apart. Sewing that blue tarp material is going pretty well. I have replaced the ropes and eyelets with velcro and am wrapping the hulls completely.

Cattail:

We had waves about like yours at the Texas City Dike. Trick I always used was put the boat at water edge and pull the wheels out. With the rudders locked up I would push the boat out from the front crossbars and jump on one of the bows. With the sails loose the boat will back itself out AS long as you stay on the bow and keep the sterns out of the water. WHEN you are far enough out, just go back and put the rudders down and fall of the wind and head out. Works great.

Doug

Charlie,
You can add a step to your mast stepping routine thats add a little more safety and peace of mind.

Tie a short piece of line inside each side of the front beam (it lives there forever) and when you raise or lower your mast, you can tie off the trap lines with this line. This way the mast only will go in one direction, you dont have to worry about wind catching it or having it go sideways at all.

I use this method for the HT mast and the Acat mast. The HT mast is much heavier than the Acat mast and longer, it helps with both.

Jake,
I like the stand on the wheels, thats a great idea.

Thanks Doug, IS that with the wind blowing off shore backing the boat out? With onshore wind I don't think the boat has much of a reverse upwind, I've been able to launch nose into the waves and hop on the windward side when I'm knee deep and start sheeting in dropping my closest rudder and daggerboard part way until I can get it down all the way. They have these bouyies they want us to go between leaving the beach I'm not always able to in lite air 1 to 2 knots but I try. With the kiteboarders pounding the shoreline I tend to head for open water first tack. Landing I come by the area first instead of bee lining it for the shore from out of nowhere.

Bvining, great suggestion using the trap lines as preventers. That transition over the top and into my hands goes pretty well as long as I keep her nose into the wind but its still like trying to brush a high ceiling with the end of the broom handle. I have a lot of 1/8th braided line I can cut a couple of pieces and give that a try next time. Last time when I was going up one of the forestays desided to go around the nose preventing me from getting over the top so I had to bring it back down until it freed itself.
I have been sailing a deserted beach this month almost no other cats sailing so my learning curve has been bigger than expected. A lot of the regulars stop by for a chat but don't stay long. Only one H16 came out last Friday but he had never heard of an A cat and he couldn't beat away from the beach in the lite conditions.

First race today I launched with the Hobies the rest of the A's like to launch from the beach next to the YC and sail out the channel to Alamitos Bay, I've been in that channel its a nightmare for cats. We were posponed almost an hour as we rafted waiting for wind. The A's went first and by the time we had made one lap the fog rolled in leaving a lot of sailors (mostly me I'm sure) wondering were the marks went! I didn't mark them on my GPS first time around I didn't think it would be a problem since I was bringing up the rear in 9th. They called it after everyone finished we only completed one race today.
Jay Glaser took first today. http://www.abyc.org/upload/2008_Turkey_Day_Regatta.html
I was shocked at how many Lasers were entered in the race. The line for dinner took over an hour to get fed there were close to 500 people that showed up to eat Turkey!