Trim of jib and staysail on a gaffer?

Rum_Pirate

Rum_Pirate

Well-Known Member
Joined
23 Aug 2004
Messages
27,971
Location
A tiny Island, Caribbean
Visit site
When going to windward on a gaff rigged boat, how should the jib, staisail and main be trimmed. (Exclude reefs)

Should the tell-tales on all sails fly parallel on each side of their respective sails?

Should the jib and staysail be trimmed as hard as possible regardless of what the tetales say?

Should the staysail be trimmed until it starts to back the main?

Should the jib be trimmed until it starts to back the staysail?

Other sugesstions?
 
Not sure there is a simple answer to this. Be interested to hear what others think. I've worked my rig like this:

Main in - how much depends on wind strength and how close to the wind I'm trying to sail. Then I adjust the staysail to try and get a "slot effect" (isn't that "increased wind speed between mast and clew of staysail"?). On my boat, that means that the staysail tends to be sheeted in more than the telltales would suggest. Main can then be trimmed again. Jib then adjusted so that windward telltales are just running smoothly (ie probably not as hard in as the staysail). Final adjustment via the speed log. By that time, it's time to go about and start all over again.
 
Going to windward, start with the jib. yank it in as tight as it'll go.

Then get the helm to sail by the jib - watching for it luffing.

Then haul the staysail in so that it is just not being backwinded by the jib.

The haul the main in so that it is just not being backwinded by the staysail.

Then get the helm to bear a way a little to power the rig up. Remember that a gaffer needs plenty of power to keep her going to windward at a reasonable speed. They will point fairly high but will lose a lot of the upwind speed in doing so.
 
Sorry, don't fully agree with fluffc.

Start with the staysail as it should be the headsail with the taughtest luff. Get that drawing nicely then sheet in the jib until it just starts to interfere with the staysail; then let it out a touch.
Then set your main for balance and speed (your choice as they won't always be compatible).
 
Assuming your boat was balanced in the first place, tell tales should fly horizontal on both sides of the sail - if they don't the sail is stalling. Stalling can be corrected by adjusting the sheet or the helm - trial and error - it's not at all difficult and is the most efficient use of your sails to windward. OF
 
Agree with last two posts.

Because the slot effect brings the apparent wind forward on the after sail, the main should be in harder than the staysail and the jib should be eased further than the staysail.

Get the mainsail about right, sheet the staysail to suit that and then the jib. The jib will be the fullest of the three - what you will normally do is to ease the staysail sheet very slightly and then ease the jib sheet quite a lot.

How far the mainsheet comes in depends on the boat, the wind and the sea state.

The commonest fault is over-sheeting the jib
 
As an aside, why do gaff rigged boats have a main sheet "horse", without adjustment, rather than the sort of traveller you'd find on a bermudan rig? It seems to me that being able to bring the mainsheet to the middle of the transom would help with getting the boat to point closer?
 
Gaffers will point high, but lose speed in doing so.

To keep enough power on to drive the (heavy) boat through the waves the sails musn't be sheeted in as close to the centreline as you would on a Bermudan. So being able to pull the traveller to windward is of little use.
 
Er no...... Gaff sails on small boats rarely need to be sheeted anywhere near the centreline - anything more than over the quarter often stops the boat. Gaff rigged boats rarely carry a kicking strap and when sailing to windward the horse/traveller enables more downwards pressure to be exerted on the boom by the mainsheet than if the mainsheet came off the centreline. This reduces twist in the sail and helps the top of the mainsail leech to continue to work effectively. Basically if you oversheet, you'll close up the leech which makes it more difficult for the wind to leave the sail - which will stop the boat. If you stand on the transom and look up at the mainsail leech as the mainsheet os tightened you can see this happening. If you're bothered about oversheeting the mainsail, use a permanent felt tip to mark the sheet near a convenient block and ensure its never in any tighter. OF
 
[ QUOTE ]
Er no...... Gaff sails on <span style="color:red"> small </span>boats rarely need to be sheeted anywhere near the centreline - anything more than over the quarter often stops the boat.

[/ QUOTE ] This boat is 40'0" on the waterline and the boom extends beyond the stern.
 
Although we have a mainsheet horse that is the width of the stern on our boat we have the mainsheet block tied off so that it's on the centerline for anything other than sailing downwind. I don't think it has a negative effect on performance because there are few boats that can beat us.
 
No hard & fast rules for "all" gaffers. I get best performance from boom over the quarter & "easy" headsail sheets. Yet a friend's Heard 29 is better with boom almost on center line... Surely it's best to try a number of set-ups, and take it from there?
 
If you're serious about going upwind then a topsail is a must really. If it's too windy for the topsail then you may want to consider setting it above a reefed main. It's important because it increases the leading edge of the main whive is really what gives the drive.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top