Do you remove your head sail?

[Robert Wilson]

If it must be left on, this is probably the best way to tackle it.

Also useful even if you remove your sail, I picked up this tip on the forum only last year: Wrapping the halyard around the foil helps prevent the naked extrusion from oscillating wildly in strong winds by shedding vortices.

See the photo of the helical chimney stack strake, on this page:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vortex_shedding

It's not a great idea to loosen the backstay much either, esp if it leaves the forestay saggy

I never realised that the helical "flanges" up a chimney were to prevent vortex damage - I thought it was something to do with enhancing the exiting flow-speed from the top of the chimney to get the nasty stuff higher and more speedily.

One lives and one learns ​

:encouragement:

 

[oldmanofthehills]

OK - I have got to ask … I understand that you aren't rich enough to pay marina fees, but why does that make those of us who can afford to pay marina fees foolish?

My mooring/club fees costs me and the Navigator about £250pa per boat in fixed costs, so why pay £3000 to a marina when it can go to saving for different boat, ski holidays, climbing trips etc? IMHO marinas are where boats go to die, often owned by bosses with little understanding or care for sailors or indeed boats provided that they get their rents (though the staff often are ok). Harbour masters are almost all helpful by comparison, and boat owners with moorings need to attend all the time and thus incidentally keep up their sailorly skills in dealing with such moorings. A boat on moorings in a good spot is a thing of beauty; A boat in a marina is a piece of plastic in a "car park". No doubt when I am older and frailer I might consider a marina beneficial in the unlikely event that I can afford it but similarly I might need a commode in my bedroom and I don't look forward to that either.

 

[savageseadog]

I never realised that the helical "flanges" up a chimney were to prevent vortex damage - I thought it was something to do with enhancing the exiting flow-speed from the top of the chimney to get the nasty stuff higher and more speedily.

One lives and one learns ​

:encouragement:

It's the same reasoning that applies to overhead telephone cables, the bigger ovoid ones. When they are erected the cables aren't unreeled but are pulled off the side of the drum so there's lots of twists. It stops the cables from "dancing" in high winds.
We always twist a halyard round out Tuff Luff for the same reason. When we had a furling jib we always put extra ties on as well as spiraling a halyard round it as well. With bad forecasts the sail came off altogether.

 

[dunedin]

H

MHO marinas are where boats go to die, often owned by bosses with little understanding or care for sailors or indeed boats provided that they get their rents (though the staff often are ok). Harbour masters are almost all helpful by comparison, and boat owners with moorings need to attend all the time and thus incidentally keep up their sailorly skills in dealing with such moorings. A boat on moorings in a good spot is a thing of beauty; A boat in a marina is a piece of plastic in a "car park".

A pretty comprehensive set of un-founded prejudices - and nicely off topic too.
No point in trying to apply facts though. It’s just like the “modern GRP boats can’t cross oceans”, which I found rather amusing when surveying the fleets of modern GRB boats in the Carribean that had crossed safely from all continents

 

[oldmanofthehills]

H A pretty comprehensive set of un-founded prejudices - and nicely off topic too.

Someone asked why I don't like marinas; I answered. Did I touch a nerve? By the way I have nothing against GRP at all and would happily upgrade to some more modern boats if I had oodles of money. I just would not keep it in a marina

 

[sailaboutvic]

My mooring/club fees costs me and the Navigator about £250pa per boat in fixed costs, so why pay £3000 to a marina when it can go to saving for different boat, ski holidays, climbing trips etc? IMHO marinas are where boats go to die, often owned by bosses with little understanding or care for sailors or indeed boats provided that they get their rents (though the staff often are ok). Harbour masters are almost all helpful by comparison, and boat owners with moorings need to attend all the time and thus incidentally keep up their sailorly skills in dealing with such moorings. A boat on moorings in a good spot is a thing of beauty; A boat in a marina is a piece of plastic in a "car park". No doubt when I am older and frailer I might consider a marina beneficial in the unlikely event that I can afford it but similarly I might need a commode in my bedroom and I don't look forward to that either.

You just have to laugh at times , with some people replies .
Now what was this topic about before we got onto car parks and commode ?

 

[sailaboutvic]

This is what got me started , by the way the halyard you can see , was around the furling , it had to be removed so part of the sail that was smacking the next boat could be removed

 

[JumbleDuck]

I've seen furling jibs unfurl in storms many times, sometimes damaging more than just the sail. When I suggest to put extra ties on or take sails off prior to bad weather people often just don't believe it can happen.

My jib stays on all summer, with five turns of sheet round it and a further tie through the clew. It's taking a reasonably minimised chance ... and I have a spare jib ...

The main stays on as well, flaked and lashed down and with a sail cover on top. I don't worry about it.

 

[johnalison]

My jib stays on all summer, with five turns of sheet round it and a further tie through the clew. It's taking a reasonably minimised chance ... and I have a spare jib ...

The main stays on as well, flaked and lashed down and with a sail cover on top. I don't worry about it.

I don't suppose they get much wind up in your part of the world, but I have seen furled jibs come to grief when the wind has caught a small loose flap halfway up and found a weakness in the stitching, ripping the sail apart. This is why some of us use the spinnaker-halyard precaution.

We don't see as many jib-covers these days. They can flog like mad if not tightened sufficiently, and even then they may oscillate alarmingly. I devised my halyard system when I used a cover, later abandoned.

 

[JumbleDuck]

The mitigation is as others have said - furl well so not even a corner is sticking out.

I am constantly surprised by the number of people who leave their boats in marinas and on moorings with a foot of headsail unfurled in a triangle. Where did this idea come from? It's traditional on the Clyde to use a triangle of headsail as a proxy for a motoring cone, but that's under supervision and under way.

 

[JumbleDuck]

It seems an odd thing to pick out as a 'needless extravagance' - I have loads of needless extravagances - and if I didn't pay marina fees I wouldn't use my boat as much. If I can afford the fees I still don't see why it's foolish.

I'm with you. I have my boat on a swinging mooring because I take her out three or four times per year and each return trip by dinghy to the mooring therefore saves me somewhere between £500 and £700. If I was using her weekly then by golly I'd have her on a pontoon and to hell with the cost.

 

[JumbleDuck]

I don't suppose they get much wind up in your part of the world, but I have seen furled jibs come to grief when the wind has caught a small loose flap halfway up and found a weakness in the stitching, ripping the sail apart. This is why some of us use the spinnaker-halyard precaution.

You are right - the West of Scotland is noted for the almost eery calms which prevail year round. That said, I am willing to take a chance with my jib.

 

[graham]

Tightly rolled headsails with several wraps of sheet rarely unroll in storms .If you can reach pass a tie through the clew and tie off as double protection .

Put some tension on the sheet as you roll it up and a much tighter roll is possible making it much safer.

My boat is in commission 11 months /year .I always remove sails ,when the boat is stored ashore ,for safety in the cradle .sprayhoods and Dodgers should also come off for storm proofing .

 

[[70521]]

You are right - the West of Scotland is noted for the almost eery calms which prevail year round. That said, I am willing to take a chance with my jib.

There was that wee Hurricane Bawbag in 1968, but not a puff of wind since then.

 

[Praxinoscope]

Even if a furled headsail doesn’t unfurl in a strong wing, I don’t really understand the resistance to taking it off over Winter, after all why subject the UV strip or worse if no UV strip to 6 months of extra weathering and wear when dropping it at the end of the season doesn’t really take that long. Your sails are your engine, so isn’t it sensible to give them a service during the time the boats out of the water rather than just leaving them to suffer ice, sno, wnter gales etc?

 

[Biggles Wader]

Having looked at the latest weather forecast Im really glad my genoa is in its bag in the cabin.

 

[savageseadog]

Tightly rolled headsails with several wraps of sheet rarely unroll in storms .

People can believe that if they want, I've seen it happen too many times.

 

[RupertW]

Even if a furled headsail doesn’t unfurl in a strong wing, I don’t really understand the resistance to taking it off over Winter, after all why subject the UV strip or worse if no UV strip to 6 months of extra weathering and wear when dropping it at the end of the season doesn’t really take that long. Your sails are your engine, so isn’t it sensible to give them a service during the time the boats out of the water rather than just leaving them to suffer ice, sno, wnter gales etc?

The issue is where to put it - cockpit lockers already full with smelly stuff I wouldn't like in the cabin and having once been foolish enough to put main and genoa in the cabin I don't want to spend huge amounts of time and some money getting all beds and towels and cabin linings cleaned of mould and smells instead of being sweet smelling. New strip every few years (or new sail if it gets baggy) is much less hassle and not much more cost.

 

[Praxinoscope]

The issue is where to put it - cockpit lockers already full with smelly stuff I wouldn't like in the cabin and having once been foolish enough to put main and genoa in the cabin I don't want to spend huge amounts of time and some money getting all beds and towels and cabin linings cleaned of mould and smells instead of being sweet smelling. New strip every few years (or new sail if it gets baggy) is much less hassle and not much more cost.

Where to put them? Take them home and store them in the loft, better still drop them off at the sailmaker get them washed and valeted, it really does extend their life.

 

[sailaboutvic]

The issue is where to put it - cockpit lockers already full with smelly stuff I wouldn't like in the cabin and having once been foolish enough to put main and genoa in the cabin I don't want to spend huge amounts of time and some money getting all beds and towels and cabin linings cleaned of mould and smells instead of being sweet smelling. New strip every few years (or new sail if it gets baggy) is much less hassle and not much more cost.

I think this happen when people put it away before dealing with it first .
We fill our dinghy up with a mix of vinager and wool light , we let it soak in if for some time then hang it up and give it a good wash with fresh water , let it dry then pack it away , it's them put in our front berth with every thing else we not going to use , next time we pull it out it smell fresh and it has nice soft cresses just like a new sail.
It stands to reason if your useing the boat over winteryour not going to do all that ,
Lots of people here say it's never happen to then and fingers cross it never will , but the once that it has happen too , I bet before they had the problem they would had said the same .
What ever everone doesn't , hope your boat stay safe be it in a marina or no the hard .