Alan - Maybe either my question or my understanding of what is being done wasn't clear. I assumed that with the lines always attached to the chute that it wasn't possible to dog down the forward hatch. If that's the case, then on the upwind (not downwind) leg you must occasionally get water over the deck and consequently down the hatch. My crew's experience has never let them believe me when I tell them the J is a "dry boat". If the hatch can be dogged down with either lines sticking through into the boat or chute corners hanging out through the hatch, isn't it hard on the lines and/or the chute? Or am I just missing the whole point and all lines are disconnected?
