Genoa Covers

[rhc21]

I have a genoa cover that came with the boat when we bought it. It is in perfect condition and as we do not have a UV strip on the sail it seems a good idea. It zips up and is tightened with cords so it fits the sail snugly. I also tie the roller off to stop any rotation.
Now to the point! I was told the other week that it is not advisable to use one of these as in strong winds it causes the rig to shake. Personally I cannot see why it is any different to just the sail rolled up but am I missing something?
What is the general opinion on genoa covers or is there one?!

Thanks

Richard.

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[Jools_of_Top_Cat]

I have found in this sailing lark that what ever you do there will always be someone who is doom, gloom, rape, pestilence and famine. If you had said you take the sail down and pack it at the end of the day someone would chip in that that adds too much wear to the boltrope, or creases the sail damaging the semi-precious coating.

If you had a UV strip it would be the stitching, if you took the whole mast down, took it home and put it in the loft in a temperature controlled environment protecting the sails and standing rigging it would be excess wear to the turnbuckles or mast foot.

In this hobby nothing you will do is right, everything is bad and will damage your boat, best selling your headsail and leave the boat on the mooring.


Or am I wrong /forums/images/icons/smile.gif

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[southchinasea]

You are so right! Each time I walk out of the chandlers with a purchase, I dread bumping into one of the "you haven't bought that have you? It'll destroy the GRP/teak/sail/sheets/plumbing etc..." brigade.

Latest one was some boat cover tie downs I bought from from West Marine. Rubbery things, hook on each end, allegedly UV/salt etc resistant. Have reduced the time taken to put the cover on (50ft boat) by over 50%; absolutely brilliant. "Ahhh you'll stretch the material..."!



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[LORDNELSON]

No, do not leave your boat on the mooring it will wear out the mooring lines.

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[Neraida]

I am assuming that you keep your boat in water?? Sea water at that!!!! Tut tut tut, that will never do...

On this point, never have a rigger come and see your boat, by the time he's finished with you, you will be running away from the boat expecting the mast to come crashing down within a nanosecond. I think this is a sales ploy, but i'm probably wrong...

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[rhc21]

Thanks for the replies. I deduce from the replies that the comments are *?%&~!'s.



Richard.

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[alan]

At last a sensible answer ........... maybe!!

I have a sailcover on my genoa and at the beginning I did have problems in high winds (40 + knots). It seems to act like a small sail, and because the roller-reefing is not fixed (even though I tie it off) the cover rotates from side to side as the wind hits it. This causes an alarming vibration in the rig - and I am not joking!!!

I have found that the tighter you can wind the retaining rope around the cover the better it is, and have discovered that it is best to continually tighten the rope every metre of so as you raise the cover and then give it as much welly as you can when the cover is fully up. (Just tightening when the cover is fully up does not really work very well.)

My cover is of a stiffish plastic type material, and I have a friend who has a cover made of normal cover type material and he suffers less vibration than I do, 'cause it seems with the softer material he can get the retaining rope tighter.

I now take my sandwhich type genoa off in the winter and put up the old dacron sail with the UV strip - that way I sleep easier at nights and don't keep running down to the boat when the wind pipes up !!!!!

Don't give up on the cover - just try and get it tighter!

Alan.
Nettuno, Italy.

<hr width=100% size=1>Alan Cloke

 

[jerryat]

Hi rhc21!

Use it, they're excellent at protecting the sail both from dirt and UV. Used one for years especially in the Med. where the fairly regular 'red dust' (see very recent thread) was a real pain if you didn't hose the sails down immediately. We got caught once, as we were a bit too lazy to put the cover on at the end of a day sail, and the ensuing hard work made sure we never made the mistake again.

I advise it's use ONLY on the assumption that (as you indicate) you have the type of criss-cross method of lashing that pulls the cover very tightly around the sail. If you have, then the genoa will not 'vibrate' even in high winds and, FAR more importantly, will not thrash about the sail causing, as I have seen, quite severe chafing of the stitches and cloth. This is a common problem with those designs that are left loose.

Hope this helps

Good sailing!

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[rhc21]

It is a canvas type and has the criss-cross tightening. I think the first time I used it I probably didn't tighten it enough and that's probably why I got the comment. Last time I made sure the cord was tight, it was pulled up tight and I tied off the roller.

Thanks again.

Richard

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[Oldhand]

I agree with "alan". Get the diagonal ties very tight. The cover produces more wind wake turbulance than a cylindrical rolled sail. This turbulence can start to shake the forstay and if it hits resonance, then the whole rig shakes. When I had one, I had to find a backstay tension which prevented the resonance occurring (had an adjustable ram). From my experience the backstay had to be tighter than I would normally have left it when not sailing in order to minimise vibration in high winds.

As to most of the other responses, in my opinion, ignore them.

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[Mudplugger]

Used one for the last few years, did not have any problems in any wind strengths, but always used a spare spinnie halyard as an outside lashing, approx 6 turns. HTH. tw.

<hr width=100% size=1>Tony W.

 

[Peppermint]

On the downside there is slightly more noticeable vibration.

On the upside Your sail is secure, which if like me you live a bit of a drive from your boat is great. The sail is cleaner, suffers less UV and weather wear and your sheets can be slack or in the washing machine as mine are at the moment.

The rig is able to stand a bit of vibration and if you fit the cover tightly thats all you'll get. God knows rigs get plenty of stresses in use and I'm yet to find loose bits of rig fastening on deck.

Mines made out of ripstop parachute type material and I wouldn't be without it.

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