How do you rig a trysail?

[petery]

Thinking about buying a storm trysail. I understand how to sheet the sail - but how/where would I attach the foot?

If I go ahead I will have to fit an external track to the mast - can anyone recommend a supplier of track - I propose to fit it myself.

TIA for any advice

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[Twister_Ken]

The foot is not attached to the boom. You lower the boom to the deck, and strap it down tight.

Two sheets are attached at the trisail clew, each being led out somewhere close to the quarter, and hauled tight.

Fortunately I've only ever done it as an exercise, never for real. After rigging it the owner decided to keep the sheets permanently attached to the sail, so it would be one less thing to worry about when times get hard.

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[qsiv]

There are any number of track suppliers - it really depends what you want.

My new boat wont have a track - as I have a smooth (no spi fittings) forward face to the mast, I've elected not to fit an alternt track, but instead have a sleeved sail. At least that way the track cant pull off the mast, and the mast isnt weakened by drilling lots of holes in a fairly heavily stressed part of the mast. If (and it is unlikely) the trysail has to be rigged in anger, I'll worry about repainting or repairing the mast afterwards - but at least day to day strength isnt compromised.

The only comment I'd make about the sheets is to be sure that wherever you fix them to is strong enough in the direction of the anticipated load. For example, the aft mooring cleats are not designed to take any upward component at all (although they will stand some upward pull). My sheets go to strop mounted blocks on the spinnaker turning blocks.

This is one application where you dont want any fancy modern materials. The rest of the boat is to be carbon/kevlar sails and spectra rope, but the storm sails are dacron and polytester rope, as I want as much stretch and give as possible to absorb the shock loads. For racing purposes you are not alowed any aramid (kevlar/spectra style) materials in the sail whatsoever.

Above all rig it and test, not just on a balmy summers day, but also give it a try in 6 or 7. I did, and found all sorts of issues that hadnt come up when I tried in the warm F2.....

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[jamesjermain]

Track is readily available from mostd harware suppliers. Contact Selden or Proctor if you have difficulties.

One of the points of a trisail is that it can be set independently of the boom in case this has been broken. It is therefore a loose footed sail sheeted to strong-points in the quarters. It is advisable to have two methods of hoisting it too, because the main halyard may also have been damaged or broken. Thr topping lift is the obvious solution but it may need to be beefed up.

However, I would question whether you really need a trisail. What sort of sailing do you do? Unless you are planning to cross oceans or need to be self-sufficient for more than a day or two, I would recommend a heavy duty main with a deep third reef which can be put in entirely from the cockpit. The last thing you want to do, if it can be avoided, is work at the mast in the sort of conditions in which a trisail might be needed. A trisail is difficult to rig unless it is set up well in advance, has very limited driving power to windward - it's really only a steadying and ballancing sail.

I carry one, but only becaause I have taken part in the Azores And Back Race. I would not consider it necessary for sailing in coastal waters or for crossings of the Channel, Irish Sea or North Sea.

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[aod]

I would endorse James view. I have raced around Britain twice, to Iceland, to the Azores and 6 Fastnets and the only time I have ever flown one was either training peole how to put one up or at the start of a RORC race when you had to fly it as part of the scrutineering both of which occured in the Solent!

My suggestion would be to fly it off the end of the boom like the Challenge yachts or if the boom is broken through the spinnaker blocks.

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[Ohdrat]

Re: Trysails in the Wilderness

Would you consider it an asset if costal cruising in North West Scotland .. I'm talking North of Skye and the Outer Hebrides with trips round the top (North Coast) where it may still be "costal" but there is a shortage of viable safe havens and what there are, are usually on a v inhospitable lee shore?

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[jamesjermain]

Re: Trysails in the Wilderness

I think you have to make your own decisions in those waters

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