Downwind sailing goosewing

Nina Lucia

Nina Lucia

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What did we do wrong this weekend?
It was so dificult to set up goosewing on our long keel boat, sailing from Yarmouth to Portsmouth. She juts couldnt take it. Cutter rig, Jib, staysail and main.
 
As you know we have exactly the same boat, and I've frequently done what you describe. However...

It is possible in lighter airs and a relatively calm sea state to 'sail by the lee' (ie with the wind dead astern) and with great concentration for a few minutes, without having the mainsail prevented and either the headsail or staysail boomed out. I did this very thing creeping along a contour line close to Lymington Banks last week, steering with the tiller between my legs and keeping my left hand on the whole mainsheet in front of me in case the sail tried to flick over unbraked. Although I could fairly easily keep the two principle sails out on opposite sides of the boat, the stays'l was effectively doing nothing just hanging about in the middle (it was a short-term tactic and I couldn't be bothered to hand it). I certainly wouldn't continue such a method all the way from Yarmouth to Portsmouth!

On longer passages and in bumpier quartering seas (but not in crowded waters where one needs to alter course frequently), if I still wanted to sail with wind so far astern without risking a dangerous mess, I'd do one or both of the following:

1st: Rig a preventer from a strong-point near the end of the boom (there's an attachment point adjacent to the mainsheet one on most booms) forward either to a bow or midships cleat, or via a turning-block on the bow back to the cockpit so I can control the preventer from the cockpit.

2nd: Pole out the heads'l on the opposite side, using either the spinnaker pole (mine is just that bit too long for the No1 Yankee) or a boathook or some other purpose-made stick.

But what I do most of the time on shorter passages is broad-reach one way then the other (what the Muricans call 'tacking downwind'), which gives better control of the boat with less stress and more than adequate speed (ie velocity made good) to the destination.
 
On the end we dicht the satysail and went with main and jib, and even that wasnt working as good as I tought it should, now I am thinking I wish we droped the main and just used fore sails...
 
Different boats behave differently. I used to run my last boat, a Sadler 29 by the lee when goosewinging so that the air would flow into the genny and keep it pulling. My current boat, with a 110% jib just won't take this and I either have to run dead downwind or pole out the jib. I find that easing the backstay can help steady the boat if adjustable.
 
I've given up goosewinging except for short distances. It's just too stressful, and doing things with jib alone loses me little speed while increasing my zen-like aura of calm.
 
Poling out sails in the Solent just makes you a magnet for starboard tack close hauled boats. It's more faff than a spinnaker half the time.
Often better to head up a bit and play the tides with a few gybes.
 
We had a long keel boat and used a twin headsail Twistle rig with a hinge in the middle to clip the two poles in the middle so the sails are free flying. This noticeably cuts down rolling because a pole clipped to th mast ends up with the mast pushing the sail and vice versa. We didn't use the main but did use a reefed mizzen.
 
lw395 said:
Poling out sails in the Solent just makes you a magnet for starboard tack close hauled boats. It's more faff than a spinnaker half the time.
Often better to head up a bit and play the tides with a few gybes.
Click to expand...
I do a much better VMG downwind with a poled-out jib, and I can vary my course by about 30 degrees each way without causing havoc. Jib only with a fractional rig is not usually worthwhile except in quite a blow.
 
I've found the wind in the Solent the wind is quite turbulent and can be in a different direction within a short distance and wonder (if this is true and I'm not imagining it) if this makes goosewinging difficult?
 
A lot depends on the angle of the main. If sheeted in so the air flow is leech-to-luff it can spill wind into the headsail helping it to stay full. Correspondingly it is more prone to an accidental gybe. With a conventional rig I generally avoid it as it requires too much concentration at the helm. A pole is definitely the way to go. Of course it doesn't have to be that way...

sl5.gif
 
Shamaya said:
On the end we dicht the satysail and went with main and jib, and even that wasnt working as good as I tought it should, now I am thinking I wish we droped the main and just used fore sails...
Click to expand...

Depends on wind strength and sizes of sails. On mine the staysail is fairly small - with enough wind it is a good combination running with yankee, though in those wind strengths it is fine just using one headsail. It is also difficult to get enough angle on the staysail to put a preventer (it is boomed). So much more usual to stick with main/yankee configuration. This has the added advantage of being ready to sail upwind if the need arises.
 
snowleopard said:
A lot depends on the angle of the main. If sheeted in so the air flow is leech-to-luff it can spill wind into the headsail helping it to stay full. Correspondingly it is more prone to an accidental gybe. With a conventional rig I generally avoid it as it requires too much concentration at the helm. A pole is definitely the way to go. Of course it doesn't have to be that way...

sl5.gif
Click to expand...
Self satisfaction is a confection best eaten alone. On the other hand, that mast is giving a good lot of extra sail area, so I'm quite impressed.
 
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