How do you sail slowly?
- Thread starter Nostrodamus
- Start date
Poignard
Well-known member
Not much choice where you sail
- W
Oh - that's unkind!
snooks
Active member
Reduce sail to as little as possible....Simples
By as little as possible I mean reduce your sail area so you still have enough water passing over the rudder to give you steerage.
If you still have too much speed, drag warps to give you the minimum speed.
Sail just under the smallest amount of sail you have whether that's triple reefed mainsail, trysail or storm jib.
snooks
Active member
Robin
Well-known member
Yes, I just looked. Sailing westbound along the North Brittany coast where you are shortening the time available to get in somewhere is a PITA compared to eastbound where the HW times helpfully get later the more you go east. It is like getting road directions in Ireland when I was once told if I wanted to get 'there' then it was best not to start from 'here'. As you found there are waiting buoys outside Trebeurden and a few nice spots to anchor too. You can also anchor off Sept Isles on the way which is very pleasant, even take a tour around the lighthouse.
The last time apart from when fishing I wanted to go slower under sail was 25 years or more back when we sailed our Liz 30 from Salcombe to St Peter Port in company with a 26ft Centaur. Despite them motor sailing we still had to switch to a small headsail (no roller) and even then drop the small headsail from time to time to allow them to catch up. Bummer was having dawdled all night in decent winds to suit them, when they smelled land and were happy on their own they blasted off at full chat under engine whilst we by then were down to a gentle 4kts under spinnaker as the wind had dropped.
It has to depend on the wind direction and if downwind genoa only and rolled some if necessary. Upwind on our last boat we could still use the genoa only and often did for short trips out of laziness, so same answer. Otherwise a heavily reefed main and part rolled genoa I guess. With a free choice of departure time the same trip could be planned to go against the tide for as much of it as needed to arrive with water for entry on arrival.
Then again, furl all sail and get the fishing tackle out whilst drifting on the tide and sort out dinner for when you get in.
Poignard
Well-known member
With a bit of the inboard end looped around the engine control lever to remind yourself to take it in before using the engine!
Woodlouse
New member
Modern boats don't really allow enough control of the sails to drain speed in the more traditional manners (tricing and scandalising the main for example). So your only real option as already pointed out is to reef right down. If you're still going a bit fast for your liking I'd suggest towing a stout bucket. That should knock another knot or so off your speed.
Twister_Ken
Well-known member
Trail a bucket.
Searush
New member
Can't depower the sails on a modern rig!!!
FFS, why not?
Roll a chunk of genny up, that's dead simple, then just slack off the main halliard & outhauls. If that's not enough pull up the topping lift or extend the Barton Kicker to scandalise the main. Spill a bit of wind & slack the main sheet a bit. Lots of tricks, all simple, try 'em out & see what works. I can't understand why you just didn't try a few things to see what happened on a longish passage. It's not as if you were in a hurry is it!!!
In fact, just look at any cruising boat you overtake & copy his sail settings. Oversheeting seems to be a common technique used to kill speed by novice cruisers.
I have a ketch & can simply stow the main to cut my speed, rolling up the Genny progressively to really slow down without losing steerage. These are basic skills you may need one day to sail into a harbour or marina when your engine dies. Please practise them, they may one day save you an embarrassing call to the CG cos your engine didn't start.
FFS, why not?
Roll a chunk of genny up, that's dead simple, then just slack off the main halliard & outhauls. If that's not enough pull up the topping lift or extend the Barton Kicker to scandalise the main. Spill a bit of wind & slack the main sheet a bit. Lots of tricks, all simple, try 'em out & see what works. I can't understand why you just didn't try a few things to see what happened on a longish passage. It's not as if you were in a hurry is it!!!
In fact, just look at any cruising boat you overtake & copy his sail settings.
Oversheeting seems to be a common technique used to kill speed by novice cruisers.I have a ketch & can simply stow the main to cut my speed, rolling up the Genny progressively to really slow down without losing steerage. These are basic skills you may need one day to sail into a harbour or marina when your engine dies. Please practise them, they may one day save you an embarrassing call to the CG cos your engine didn't start.
dylanwinter
Active member
buy a Mirror Offshore
problem solved
Dylan
problem solved
Dylan
bbg
Active member
How to sail slowly?
I can't really tell you my secret, but as soon as the start gun fires I seem to find a way.
I can't really tell you my secret, but as soon as the start gun fires I seem to find a way.
alant
Active member
Worked for me in a Sigma 38.
Release mainsheet + release kicker, so boom rises (use topping lift if you've got one.
Benefit is, that you can de-scandalise quickly if needed.
PS, now I'm worried, Searush is agreeing with me!
Last edited:
Touchwood
New member
I can remember a dinghy sailing class many years ago during which we were required to sail a figure of eight course in convoy, strictly no overtaking and nudging the stern of the boat ahead attracted "penalty points" (buying the instructor a pint in the bar after the lesson) as did drawing too far ahead of the following boat. With a mixed fleet of Mirrors, Toppers, Enterprises, GP 14s, Wayfarers and Lasers it was quite a challenge.
Bosun Higgs
N/A
Come racing with us and I'll show you how. It's effortless. Comes naturally - or so the crew say.
Searush
New member
That's cos you're talking sense for a change.
Boom Boom! You set 'em up & I'll knock 'em down.