Hoisting a storm jib

[Guest]

There were two separate discussions of mounting inner forestays which are still visible on the PBO forum, 18th and 19 March.

For an interesting but brief description of storm sail combinations generally and use of an inner forestay by Willy Kerr (Arctic sailor whose boat, Assent, skippered by his son was the smallest to finish the 1979 Fastnet) see the Contessa 32 Association discussion group board at http://www.co32.org/CO32BB_frm.htm (posting of 24 Jan. 2001 by David McMullan under the heading "How best to heave to").

 

[Guest]

Re: Hmm ... doubts about some of this.

Could I ask the stupid question please? What is a 'tri', and how do you rig it?

 

[Guest]

Trysail

Replacement for the mainsail. Triangular, small, cut very flat.

The main is dropped completely (and put below in my view), and the outboard end of the boom is lowered and lashed to the deck. The trysail is hoisted, usually in a separate track which runs parallel with the mainsail track (though I have seen a system which used 'points' to feed the trysail into the main track above the lowered mainsail).

The trysail has two sheets attached to the clew which go to blocks near the quarters. Both are made up hard, then the windward slacked an inch or two to put the tiniest bit of shape in the sail.

Fortunately, I've never done this in anger, only for familiarisation.

 

[Guest]

Re: Trysail

Thanks for that, Ken. So where does the advantage lie over a fully reefed main? Is the tri yet smaller, or is it do with the shape?

 

[Guest]

Re: Storm Jib without a forestay?

The Code said that vessels should carry storm sails capable of taking it to windward in heavy weather. Make what you will of that, but when I was a Code inspector we expected to see the storm foresail set on a stay. In December 1962 I spent 60 hours hove to off Malta in a 45 foot gaff schooner using the fore stays'l reefed on a self tacking boom. With about 100 miles to leeward to the coast of North Africa we reckoned on about a week before we fetched up on it. Luckily it stopped blowing enough for us to return to Valetta where we were told by the RAF met office that it had been blowing Force 11 for much of the time. Happy days!

 

[Guest]

Re: Trysail

Smaller than a three reefed main. Not set on boom, so centre of effort is lower. Cut very flat so almost no camber and less drive. Boom is on deck and lashed so won't dunk into passing waves,