DIY anchor riding sail?

[Tim Good]

I have managed to steal an old Jib from my father's Squib measuring Foot 2.4m, Leach 4.6m, Luff 5.2m.



I intend to make a cut from the middle of the luff down to the clew and make use of the existing hanks, luff wire, and clew reinforcement. I'd then intend to rig as per the sailrite method:
http://www.sailrite.com/PDF/Using An Anchor Riding Sail.pdf

Along the right lines?

 

[GHA]

I made a prototype one a while back from a design by a very experienced sailor on here, now sadly no longer with us >
http://www.ybw.com/forums/album.php?albumid=212&attachmentid=26203

Seemed to work OK, but stupidity prevented more testing - if the wind gen is doing a thousand revs then best to shut it down before trying to hoist a riding sail...

I'll get a proper one made up the same at some point though.

(And an easy whereisit.. )

 

[NormanS]

I think you may find that the Squib jib is very light material, and normally when you want the benefit of an anchor sail, it's because it is windy. Mine is made out of the same material as my storm jib.
I have a ketch, and my anchor sail is like a small mizzen sail, hoisted on the mizzen, and fitted with slides to fit the mizzen track. The difference is that it is a double sail, so each clew is sheeted to the aft corner of the taffrail. This means that instead of the wind hitting first one side of the sail and then the other, as the boat swings, wind is pressing on both wings of the sail at the same time, so it doesn't flap at all.

Mine also looks much bigger than the one in GHA's photo, but maybe mine is bigger than strictly necessary, who knows?
Mine is Luff 3.25m, Foot 1.83m, on a 36ft boat. It works well, but to be honest, doesn't get used a lot.

 

[Tim Good]

I made a prototype one a while back from a design by a very experienced sailor on here, now sadly no longer with us >
http://www.ybw.com/forums/album.php?albumid=212&attachmentid=26203

Seemed to work OK, but stupidity prevented more testing - if the wind gen is doing a thousand revs then best to shut it down before trying to hoist a riding sail...

I'll get a proper one made up the same at some point though.

(And an easy whereisit.. )

Is that an endurance?

 

[GHA]

Is that an endurance?

Ebbtide 33

 

[Deleted member 36384]

I'll have a go at the 'where is it', Sound of Iona.

 

[KellysEye]

I had a Sailrite riding sail on our long keel heavy displacement steel ketch, it cut the swinging angle from 45degrees to 25 degrees thereby significantly reduce snatch loads that can pull up the anchor. In six and half years of long distance sailing I never saw another one but they are the best way to keep the anchor set, in my view they are a must have.

 

[Vegable]

Have a look at this u tube clip from the States for another version which might be worth considering
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QOGMrON6Z8&list=PL09CA129E77FA723B
I got one made up this summer based on Keith Stanley's Piota version. What I did was drew the riding sail on to a sail plan of my boat so it visually matched the Piota layout. My boat is 38 foot to Keith's 33 foot and then scale measured the sizes drawn. From what I've read on other riding sail posts I don't think size is that important. On my boat the boom goes almost to the backstay so my sail has to sit above the boom.
I've not had it up in anger yet (only a F5) but found that using a boat hook like Keith used isn't big enough for my boat so I used a 7 foot length of round wooden stair handrail I had spare, with a series of drilled rope holes in it to get the right spread. I have found getting it all "tight" is a bit difficult.
Keith does/did say that simple spinnaker cloth is adequate for this sail.
Mike

 

[Roberto]

To give another example, this is mine, albeit just in fresh wind, not strong.
It s V-shaped, hoisted with the mainsail halyard or topping lift, tack at the end of the boom, the two clews go each side to the top of the stern gantry.

 

[GHA]

To give another example, this is mine, albeit just in fresh wind, not strong.
It s V-shaped, hoisted with the mainsail halyard or topping lift, tack at the end of the boom, the two clews go each side to the top of the stern gantry.

Looks similar to my brief attempt. I made it up on a domestic sewing machine from a old genoa with dyneema running down all the edges then cranked it right up on the main halyard, from memory there wasn't much flutter.

 

[dunedin]

Does anybody sell these anchor sails off the shelf? The US/Vegable one in particular looks interesting?

 

[Tim Good]

Does anybody sell these anchor sails off the shelf? The US/Vegable one in particular looks interesting?

Not that I have found. I must say, the fin delta does look effective.

 

[wully1]

I remembered reading this:


http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?198822-V-Twin-Riding-Sail

 

[geem]

We have a ketch with a heavy fully battened mizzen with a loose foot. In an anchorage with wind and swell we hoist the mizzen bar tight so it cant flap at all. It reduces rolling and keeps us pointing into the wind. We dont find we need it unless there is significant swell as being a ketch we do a pretty good job of pointing into the wind when others are sailing all around the anchorage. The natural wind resistance of the mizzen mast is useful sometimes.....

 

[dovekie]

I shall attach pictures of ours - very like Roberto above. Also inspired by Piota, a knowledgeable experienced man.
We have used delta sails on two vessels, a heavy-ish seventies GRP sloop and now a Southerly 110.
Great reduction in swing, snatch loads and noise. We have had one up in 50 knots plus of wind.
Key things seem to be:
Strong canvas, strong attachments to the boat, get the luff tight, spread the twin clews wide with a pole - a boathook is fine.