Advice please on this puzzlement regarding trysails

[Becky]

Well, we have this trysail that is about 7 or 8 feet at the luff, and long enough to go back past the end of the boom. Obviously designed to be sheeted to the toe rail in a heavy blow, while the boom is lashed down.
BUT
we have an add-on mast furling arrangement with a track on the aft surface of the add-on housing. Which in my opinion isn't strong enough or designed to take the load of a sail in a gale.
On top of this is the fact that the rod that is our kicker isn't easily dismounted such that the boom can be lashed down anyway.
We have taken the trysail to Arun sails for a re-cut. I would like it tied down to the boom. Richard thinks that as it is designed to be tied down to the deck we won't have the inertia of the boom banging around.

So........
What do the Forumites think we should do? /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[webcraft]

A trysail is designed to be loose-footed so he boom isn't thrashing about. If you are going to sheet it to the boom youwould probably be better getting a deep 3rd or 4th reef put in the main.

A separate trysail track is usually recommended, as then you don't have to take the main off to hoist the trysail. However, if you have a behind the mast extension the only way to do this would be to have two trysail tracks on the mast, one each side.

 

[William_H]

I note youu have a in mast furler. If this was tough enough then the easiest solution would be to use the main with only a little out of the mast and still using the boom.
A loose footed trysail sheeted to the deck would be difficult if a boom was still in situ as the boom would get in the way when tacking or jibing. So would have to get the boom down on the cabin top ie get rid of rod vang or use the boom.
Besides the weight of the boom would be a problem swaying around even without a sail attached.
One last thought which may be impractical is that if you use the main mostly furled you could get a reefing eylet fitted at a point which would be near the gooseneck when the sail is furled to a suitable amount. This would enable a lashing around the mast and also down to the boom to aleviate load on the furler. Now the tricky part is that you would idealy have a similar eyelet at a point in the sail where the head if the sail meets the mast when suitably partially furleed. This point would need to be lashed to the mast again to alleviate the furler loads. Fine but that point is probably out of reach. Note on a standard slab reefing main there is a lot of pressure to pull the head out of the sail track when reefed (when pulling the boom down) because it is not supported into the mast by the halyard.( only the slug in the track)
So if you relied on the deep furling it would have to be very robust. So I havn't solved your problenm at all and you may never get to practice any ideas in really strong winds so it is all difficult. good luck will

 

[brianhumber]

Trysail must have free end and not be tied to the boom. Idea is to have it high enough for seas to sweep across and over the boat under the trysail and not be trapped in the sail.

Boom should be completely lowered and lashed onto the deck.

When practicing I use sheets turned on the rear spinny blocks onto the spinny winches, but have never been caught out in enough wind in NW Europe to use for real.

 

[Mirelle]

I agree with you.

It's not unheard-of to secure the clew of the trysail to the boom. Indeed, in the Victorian era, when racing yachts and pilot cutters cruised under their trysails, it was the normal way to do it.

The advantage of course is that you use the mainsheet in the usual way.

This approach became unpopular long ago, in the days of gaff rig, because the inertia of a long gaff boom, with the gaff and sail made up on it, is shall we say, considerable!

With a light, short, allow boom with no sail on it, because it has furled in the mast, I reckon the situation is quite different; I would secure the clew to the boom and use the mainsheet.

Much less clobber and much quicker to set. It is amazing how much of a tangle "headsail-type" trysail sheets can get themselves into, in a moment, in a blow.

 

[TonyTitch]

Re: I agree with you.

I've never seen a trysail advertised. Who makes them?

 

[Becky]

Sound advice as far as it goes. The sail came with the boat, and off-hand I don't know who made it. But anyone will make one if youcan work out how to use it.
My point is that in the circumstances that would require the use of a trysail, the wind would be probably F8+, and we would be drawing this sail up the track on the back of the mast., in fact mounted on the in-mast housing. Now I would feel dubious in sheeting in the sail enough to be of any use, because the strain on the genoa sheets in ordinary conditions yields a middle C when you twang the sheet. So how much more strain will be present in serious conditions. I am afraid of damaging the mast, or at least the bit of it that covers and protects our mainsail.
Probably the best thing is to leave it and if we get caught out, just use a drogue over the stern, or our parachute anchor off the bow.
Unless somebody knows better?? /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif