Hobie Cat Forums

have an outback and typically have a couple rods in the rod holders and crate in the back for fishing. not sure if that setup would work if sailing.

It will work fine when sailing however I strongly recommend that you tie everything you do not want to risk losing to your boat. There are two particular risks:
1. that the sheet (i.e. the rope you use to set the sail) gets caught under the handles of one of your reels or any other part of a rod that is sitting in a rod holder and lifts it out of the rod holder and over the side.
2. that you get knocked down or capsized by a gust of wind in which event everything that is not tied on sinks like a stone or floats off.

Can you detect that "voice-of-experience" tone in my email ?

You can spend a lot of $ on some very fancy rod leashes but most of the ones I have seen are pretty ill-conceived in my opinion being either bulky or attached to the rods (so you need one per rod - $$$$ - or need to keep moving them from rod to rod if you have lots of rods and change the rods around).

I have very simple home-made rod leashes, one at every rod holder. My leashes consist of a length of light strong line tied to these padeyes at one end and with a very small stainless steel sprung snap hook at the other (I am sure plastic would be fine as long as the hooks are reasonably secure once clipped on). On my Adventures there are padeyes (for the luggage-tray bungee hooks) near every rod holder to attach the leashes to and I think the Outback has the same. They are long enough that I do not have to do too much twisting to be able to hook and unhook the rods - I reach around, lift the rod and bring it to my lap to unhook the spring-hook.

On each rod I have a small figure 8 loop of light but strong line (I use spectra because it is flatter than the normal sheathed lines) tied with a secure flat knot (a "simple-simon" or "vice-versa" knot are both good - reef knots are not as they are not secure - and if you use spectra, which is very slippy line, you need a good secure knot) around the rod so that one loop is above the reel seat and the other below it with the x between the two over the rod at the point of the reel seat. That way I have something on each rod to attach the snaphooks to without being uncomfortable to hold when fishing or costing the earth.

When a rod is in a rod holder it is clipped on and won't fall off in the event of a capsize or a wayward sheet catching on the reel (field-tested). Depending on the rod/reel set-up, if I can I also hook a reel handle under the parcel tray bungee as an added resistance to a rod flip when I am sailing.

Personally, I never mix sailing with fishing. I consider them to be two different activities which are fairly all consuming by themselves. Even the last time I went bird watching and sailing it cost me a camera in the bay. Anytime the mast is up and the sail is unfurled, that's the only activity I'm good for. Good Luck! - Roger

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Roger
2010 Oasis
Lucie Belle

Roger,
I know what you mean by "all consuming"!
But I have had some good fun and good luck sail-trolling at my little local Sierra lake this past spring.
Combining fishing and trolling make both more intense, kind of like multi-tasking.
I must admit I only sail-troll when top lining.
Just too much going on to add the down rigger into the mix.
Makes me laugh just thinking about it.
Gotta love these Hobies!

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noproangler