I know there's been a few posts about harness line position and Cribb sh!!ts. I took the view that you adjust them until you get a balanced sail (if that's what you're after). But it occurred to me that maybe your stance (and other factors like boom height, mast foot posi) might influence this method. In other words - can you have your lines in what feels like the right place but it only feels right because you're compensating with a sub optimal stance?

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paddymac said...

I know there's been a few posts about harness line position and Cribb sh!!ts. I took the view that you adjust them until you get a balanced sail (if that's what you're after). But it occurred to me that maybe your stance (and other factors like boom height, mast foot posi) might influence this method. In other words - can you have your lines in what feels like the right place but it only feels right because you're compensating with a sub optimal stance?

yes

I struggled with the placement of my lines untill i tried the guy cribb method.

If your lines are too far forward the extra pull on your back arm will transfer through you, down your back leg and end up pushing the board side ways and may cause spinout.

A low boom will not allow you to get enough mast foot pressure as a higher % of your weight will be on your legs sinking the tail. This could lead to stance problems and make getting planing hardier.

Boom height and harness line position are critical IMHO. i ride with not much pull on my back hand. underpower(off the plane) the front hand is heavy but once planing it is nice and balanced.

If your harness lines are balanced once powered up you will find your stance should be pretty good as there wont be too much weight on iether front or back leg.

Are you using a seat or waist harness?

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Bender said...

If your lines are too far forward the extra pull on your back arm will transfer through you, down your back leg and end up pushing the board side ways and may cause spinout.

That has been an issue Bender, good to know.

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Are you using a seat or waist harness?

Both. Seat if I want to go fast, waist for B&J. Adjust boom height accordingly to around chin height, a little lower for B&J.

I reckon keep your boom up all the time.

Boom height effects how high the nose of the board rides. If you start to tail dance too much just lower it a bit.

I probalbly have my boom too high but i find you get better leverage (and MFP) and the boards flys better especially on bigger sails.

Anther thing to remember is if you slide the mast back it will make the boom feel higher and the reverse if you slide the mast forward in the track.

This is only MHO

hopefuly some of the heavies will give us some of their opinions

Welcome to finding the G Spot I've just started putting my harness lines close to Cribbys recommended position, and after a life time of habit, it does take some geting use to but I am sure its the way to go, - more power speed early planing. I found adjusting boom height up and standing more upright can help .......

I followed this advise from Bender about a year ago. Made a big difference to my sailing comfort and performance. It does feel wierd at first though

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Bender said...

I reckon keep your boom up all the time.

Boom height effects how high the nose of the board rides. If you start to tail dance too much just lower it a bit.

I probalbly have my boom too high but i find you get better leverage (and MFP) and the boards flys better especially on bigger sails.

Anther thing to remember is if you slide the mast back it will make the boom feel higher and the reverse if you slide the mast forward in the track.

This is only MHO

hopefuly some of the heavies will give us some of their opinions

Thing I dont like about higher booms is , especially at this time of year with the ****ty gusty w's , its harder to hook in & out quickly if the booms higher ( especially if your not planing.) I have weak arms so hook in 99% of the time. I've ended up in the sail still hooked in a few times lately.

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sboardcrazy said...

Thing I dont like about higher booms is , especially at this time of year with the ****ty gusty w's , its harder to hook in & out quickly if the booms higher ( especially if your not planing.) I have weak arms so hook in 99% of the time. I've ended up in the sail still hooked in a few times lately.

Persist with the higher boom. It really is worth it. Remember the day you go out and don't fall off 10 times trying new stuff is the day you will start to get bored with it.
PS I suffer from tradesmans fingers sindrone, so anything I can do to take a load off the hands is a bonus

Bender,

Great advise / observation and it makes sense well, it is nice to know how and where that force from your hands holding the boom travels along your body then to your legs and the result is as explained, I can see it really clearly, top job mate.

Tuning rigs is frigging hard even after 4 years I am still just starting to get the basics, geez gimme, caster, camber, toe-in and out any day, I aint talkin about ackerman though !!!!

So any advise that is like a finger of god touching you on the pinky and saying "Remember" Is goooood

Cheers GT

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MintoxGT said...

Bender,

Great advise / observation and it makes sense well, it is nice to know how and where that force from your hands holding the boom travels along your body then to your legs and the result is as explained, I can see it really clearly, top job mate.

Tuning rigs is frigging hard even after 4 years I am still just starting to get the basics, geez gimme, caster, camber, toe-in and out any day, I aint talkin about ackerman though !!!!

So any advise that is like a finger of god touching you on the pinky and saying "Remember" Is goooood

Cheers GT

Only to glad to help. Stoked i could help someone enjoy our unreal sport even more!!!

In an exchange of electronic messages over the internet, I found that Kevin P. keeps his boom height like I do around his shoulders or high on his chest. He stated that this was lower than most people on the tour, but he liked it. Chin High is too high IMHO. Throw the seat harness in your storage shed, too. Keep it in case you want to learn how to kite surf, but the new waist harnesses work just as well in speed as waves. I now own a number of booms so I can set the lines with a particular sail and then leave them that way. Sails differ in the placement of their COE's so you have to adjust accordingly.

Thanks all for the advice. I'll definitely be playing a little more with the position of the lines. Might even get the tape measure out I think I need to ditch the kite hook I have on the seat harness too... makes it bl00dy hard to get unhooked.

Krisiz 1 said
Remember the day you go out and don't fall off 10 times trying new stuff is the day you will start to get bored with it.
I remember back in the days when i used to sail in the surf I used to find the lake boring unless it was blowing a 40kt gale with 3 ft chop..I wish..I'm not even fit enough these days to do a decent session with jumps etc. I suppose I am 20 years older..
I think I need to ditch the kite hook I have on the seat harness too... makes it bl00dy hard to get unhooked.
Whats a kite hook? I wear an old ( early 90's) seat harness.I wonder if thats why I find hooking in & out so hard?

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paddymac said...

I know there's been a few posts about harness line position and Cribb sh!!ts. I took the view that you adjust them until you get a balanced sail (if that's what you're after). But it occurred to me that maybe your stance (and other factors like boom height, mast foot posi) might influence this method. In other words - can you have your lines in what feels like the right place but it only feels right because you're compensating with a sub optimal stance?

No. The centre of effort on a modern sail is in one place. It may move, depending on how much downhaul / outhaul you have on, but once the sail is rigged the centre of effort should not move. The harness line position is set up to perfectly counter this centre of effort. Now, depending on how you sail (i.e. if you're a speed sailor, with the "window closed", or a wave sailor with the "window open" - talking about the gap between the sail and the board here) you will need th harness lines in different positions. However, these will be for completely different sailing styles and hence completely different sails and boards.

Once you've got a sail balanced on your harness lines, your footstrap / mast foot / boom height / deckplate position should not affect it on a given set of kit for a given purpose.