Hobie 18 rigging help

I will be going on vacation for a week and will be taking the boat. How do you guys recommend I store this boat on the lake?

I will tie the boat up to the dock with the mast up and take the sails down but should I also take the jib blocks and mainsheet off? Or if possible, would the boat be better off stored on a beach?

Store it on the beach! 100x better than storing it on the water - these are BEACH cats afterall.

Stored on the beach you don't have to worry about issues with the hull sitting in the water for an extended period of time (algae growth, stains, water causing problems with the gelcoat/fiberglass). There are no issues with the rig banging around from waves. The boat is easier to rig and launch from the beach as well.

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That's kind of what I was thinking. I'll have to make sure with the groundskeeper that it's alright if I store it on the beach and also make sure there aren't any kids there that will mess with it.

I'm also thinking about purchasing a trapeze harness for no more than $100, does anyone have any recommendations? I was specifically looking at the Hobie skippers trapeze because it looked more comfortable than the others and cost much less then the full auto harness.

Unless you plan on spending hours on the trapeze, you don't need the full auto harness or even the convertible harness.

To be honest, even the skipper's harness feels bulky and uncomfortable on the trampoline. If you're going to wear it, you're best off on the wire. I think I prefer the "old style" or "economy" harnesses, made from a single piece of fabric. They're cheap ($40-50) and easy to wear, and work fine if you're not spending great lengths of time on the wire or are in decent shape.

However, I don't race, or sail from the trapeze much. It's a bit complicated to try and get out on the wire while holding the mainsheet, traveller sheet and tiller, so I leave the trapeze work to my crew.

_________________
Mike

'79 H18 standard 'Rocketman II' sail #14921 RIP
'78 H18 (unnamed) sail #14921
'08 H16 sail #114312
'97 H21SC sail #238

Do you know what brand those $40-50 harnesses are by any chance? Or maybe some retailers that sell them? I was watching one cheap harness on eBay that was going for $30 but I let it slip by.

Do your yourself a favor and make sure your harness is crotchless, which is probably not the case with the economy harness.