In small boats, such as the MC-Scow, you sometimes have to hike to leeward to keep the proper angle of heel. The hiking straps are adjusted for hiking to windward with the typical 15 degree angle of heel, and thus are not comfortable for hiking to leeward. Some sailors hook their calves under the deck to hike, but this is also uncomfortable, and not possible in the newer style MC-Scows. A better solution is to add add toe straps to the backbone on the cockpit floor. You can stick your toes under the straps and hike comfortably and with control.
I used 1″ strapping material and secured it to the backbone with three screws and washers to make two loops. Measure your feet with the footwear you normally use to determine the size of the loops. My strap has a total length of 26″ with the three screws spaced about 7″ apart. I used 1/4″ screws.
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3 comments
Brilliant
Interesting idea, but I’ll pass. I’m convinced that it’s a tripping hazard for me. Perhaps a toe hook rail alongside the thwart would work better for me. Like the concept, but I need a different approach given my, likely, less elegant footwork..
The straps are flexible and don’t stand up very high, so I haven’t had any issues with tripping.