Launching and landing through surf

Anyone have tips on how to launch and land through surf?

My meager experience trying it without any tips long ago put me off of it. Going out we nearly flipped backwards, and coming in we nearly did an endo into the sand. Thanks.

Here ya go + lots of other good stuff

http://www.hobieclass.com/site/hobie/ih ... HobieU.pdf

Bring your boat down here to Santa Cruz and I'll show you the ins and outs of beach launching. Every beach has its own variables to consider. Wind direction, swell frequency etc. All of these things change, but you can figure out a beaches "attitude" if you sail off of it enough times.

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Thanks, Jeremy. I'll take you up on it.

Reading the Hobie U.'s disclaimer and tips made me feel better about my experience - wait for a break in the waves, rudders up, sheet in, shift the weight, then grab you nuts and go. I'll probably stick to coves and lakes.

Skipshot:

It is not as scary as you think. Just fall off it the troughs and head up as the wave hits. Main thing is keep weight forward by the mast and HOLD ON. Just repeat this process to your or clear of the surf line. When coming on I would recommend get you getting your rudders loose before you get in sallow water. OH VERY important put in plastic pins so if you do hit bottom going out you will only break pins and be SURE to tie a safety kine to tiller is case the pins do break so rudders and tiller don't go to Davey Jones locker. Good luck and enjoy the surf don't fear it.

Doug Snell
Hobie 17
Soon to be Mystere 4.3
www.tcdyc.com

Its easy if you do a couple of things. Decide on the beach which direction you will start off. Set your jib loose but close, set the main traveler and leave the main sheet loose. Be sure the water is clear, blow a whistle if necessary. Pull the boat out, as it begins to float start loading. I get on last but I don't suggest you try that until you are more comfortable. You will get on while the crew holds the bow and begin sheeting in the main until you start moving out. The crew will then board and stay at the front crossbar until you've cleared the surfline. You must turn the bows into every wave and fall off as you cross to gain speed before turning the bows into the next wave. NEVER allow yourself to get sideways to the waves. Coming in is very easy. Keep weight at back of the boat if the waves are large to keep the bows from diving, in smaller surf thats not necessary. Clear your boards if applicable. I wait until the rudders begin to drag and then lift on the crossbar to release the cam. Ride the wave to the beach. Its best to practice where there are limited people. I sail in Myrtle Beach, SC. There are so many people on the beach in season we have a hard time getting the boat from the dunes to the water. The lifeguards will help clear the water to launch but its all up to me to avoid people on the way back in.

All the scariest moments I've experienced so far on my H16 has been beach launching through Lake Michigan surf. When there is an on-shore wind and the wave are crashing in, I feel uncomfortable with my abilities. Often the crew has trouble getting on. One time I got sideways and flipped over (breaking the tiller stick and bending the main halyard pullys at the top of the mast). More often I end up in irons and the boat is rapidly pushed backwards. I then jump off for fear of the boat backing over it's rudders and snapping them off (even thought they're not locked down). I've been really bruised trying to hold the boat in the surf and to avoid hitting a swimmer.

Other local cat sailors have given me some pointers. They've suggested:

* Power up the sails while the water is still knee deep, wait for a wave to break 6' off the bow and push the boat as fast as I can into the next wave. Head up and down as indicated in the last post.

* Have the crew lay on the bow, surfer style, to keep the boat down

* Sheet in but release the main traveler halfway out. Keep the jib loose

* Opposing advice - keep the main loose but sheet the jib

What seems to work best is having other cat sailors push me through the first couple of waves but helping this way doesn't build my confidence or skill. Can some of you more experienced sailors provide some pointers & advice relative to beach launching in big surf?

Surf Launching? Here are some thoughts on sheeting.

Just like sailing off a beach with shallow water for a ways out, you will have limited use of the rudders till it is deep enough. Pulling hard on the tiller with the rudders not fully locked down can damage hardware and or blades.

Steer a bit using the sails. Sheeting the main rounds you up, sheeting the jib can help you round down, but you have to sheet out the main too. Sheet the jib and keep it powering. Sheet the main in or out to help control steering loads. At times, you will likely have to do dramatic changes in sheet tension quickly. You can even grab the boom and pull it in hard for a burst of power or force it out for quicker response in some situations.

Worst thing to do? Round up too far and stall. You have to have a crew that is on it. They can grab the jib foot and back wind to get the bow down again.

Keep the boat moving!

_________________
Matt Miller
Former - Director of Parts and Accessory Sales
Warranty and Technical Support
Hobie Cat USA
(Retired 11/7/2022)

Thanks for the ideas Matt! It sounds like I need to learn how to steer the boat without the rudders. I use to windsurf so I understand the center of effort steering concept.

Last weekend the Lake Michigan East shore beach I sail off had 4 foot surf with about a 16 knot NE wind. The beaks were about 8 feet apart (Some times the surf is the same but an East wind at only about 8 knots makes it impossible for someone at my skill level to power off the beach).

Considering these conditions, I have a question of when do I and my crew (girfriend) get on the boat? Normally I have loosely sheeted the jib and main & dropped the rudders. I Positioned my crew off the windward plyon and myself behind the boat. She jumps on and then I jump on when about waist deep. The last poster suggested the novice helmsman get on first. Another local cat sailor suggested I push and jump on from the rear windward pylon. Can you (or any of you more experienced sailors) offer any advice or proven techniques?

We sail an H-18SX in Lake Michigan from the Indiana dunes, and we do the way you wrote. We stay balanced side to side; arm paddling in front of the foreward crossbar helps; wearing a wet suit helps when taking the waves on full blast. An experienced H-16 flipped last week after they made it through the waves...they got caught by an unexpected swell that was after the waves had curled and dropped.

John:

So you have your crew laying on the bows arm paddling while you're at the helm? I didn't think you could generate enough "thrust" this way to overcome the power of the surf! Would this work on a H16 too? Does anybody need to be at the helm or can you leave the rudders up and sails unsheeted?

When the strong winds have subsided somewhat, we need every bit of power at our disposal to get through the surf. The 18's greater weight gives more momentum than a 16. Someone needs to be at the helm with the rudders not locked down, but not locked up either, so they can be used for steering.