Musing about single handed sail changing

[WayneS]

The long winter days have me doing a lot of thinking about sailing and not a lot of doing and one thing that I have thought about while counting the seconds to decent weather to arrive is that of changing foresails while single handed.

Of course, any sail that has it's luff in a foil of some sort, be it mainsail or foresail, should be able to be lowered single handed by simply throwing the halyard and then simply pull it down at the luff.

But what about loose luffed foresails, chutes or spinnakers.

On my boat where I have a snuffer on the chute I can manage a single handed lowering by using my foot to allow the halyard to run/stop as needed, but how do the boys/girls do it on the likes of an Open 60.

I know that most of their loose luffed foresails are on furlers but there is still the issue of lowering the sausage without it ending up in the drink.

Am I missing something or do they have 3 hands?

Wayne

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

One common technique is to trail the halyard astern and let the drag stop the sail from just dropping like a stone or flying out the front......

 

[michael_w]

Second that MC; halyard towing works well.

Another way singlehanders take down a kite is with a "letter box takedown"

Goes like this:

Lead the lazy guy direct from the clew between the loose foot of the main and the boom and make fast on the deck.

Trail the halyard overboard, cast off the working guy and release the halyard.

Retrive the sail through the letterbox, and post below down the companionway.

Can't loose the sail.

 

[awol]

Mine ain't no Open 60 but I found myself hoisting the storm jib while out alone a couple of weeks ago. Problem came from the need to reattach the inner forestay (tied back to make genny tacking possible) to hank on the jib. Holding forestay into high field lever and getting the drop-nose pin through while bouncing and dipping the bow may be small beer but had me wondering. Just leaves me with huge respect.

 

[starboard]

I mainly sail singlehanded ( Albin Cirrus 7.8mtr) and often fly the kite. hauling up is no problem but dropping requires a well practiced technique.

I set autopilot to sail dead down wind, let the guy go so the pole is just about touching the forestay, this spills the wind from the kite and the main helps to blank it.now let the pole topping lift off so the pole dips. Take the sheet in one hand and with the other start to let the halyard go at a rate you can pull the kite under the boom as it drops....at times it would be handt to have 3 hands but have yet always coped even in 20kts of wind.....yes the wind always pipes up as you put the kite up and you then tend to keep it up too long in the hope the wind will drop...."it never does".
All my sheets and halyards are led back to the cockpit.

I really think singlehanded sailing develops your sailing skills so things happen naturally...I think now I can fly and drop the kite easier alone than with a crew!!

Paul.

 

[CalmSkipper]

How feasible/difficult is it to sail a Bavaria 36 single handed? I'm still in 'L' plates at the moment so don't anticipate doing this even being a possibility for me in the near future - just curious

 

[starboard]

Sailing single handed not a problem in 20 ft or 40ft at sea the length of the vessel makes little differance. The problem with the larger yacht is coming back alongside especially in a wind. This will always be the problem area with a larger heavier boat, but to be honest there will always be a method that each individual will devise to reduce the risk to a minimum of getting it badly wrong!!

 

[CalmSkipper]

Maybe the following season then!!

 

[CalmSkipper]

...so on that point does anyone have any tips on ho to moor a 36 footer single handed in windy/tidal conditions (assumedly as a minimum you would at least opt for the easiest rather than most conveneint (in terms of getting ashore) mooring?)

 

[Athene V30]

Plan ahead, think what you need to do, what could go wrong and how you could get out of it!

I regularly sail my 27' sloop solo - coming alongside means having the fenders & ropes rigged & ready - both sides if you don't know where you are going to berth. The key rope for me is a midship 'stopper'. Once that is ashore and tied up you can use the engine to keep the boat on the berth whilst you get the rest of the ropes ashore.

I usually try and avoid helpers ashore unless I am pretty certain they know what they are doing and will do as they are told. A sharp 'helpfull' pull one end can throw your whole plan out!

 

[TiggerToo]

often tide is actually a bonus for mooring up: the relatively constant stream can be worked to your advantage because you can effectiveky maintain steerage way without moving relative to the ground.
Wind is another kettle of fish...

 

[charles_reed]

I sail single handed, as does Paul, in a slightly larger boat (9.45m) and carry out a very similar drill, with GP spinnaker and genniker.

The secret is to ensure the main fully blankets the foresail. I also make a slip half-hitch on the shroud, with the end of the spinnaker halyard before gathering in the leech. It has to be done fairly briskly or you have a wrap round the forestay.

Steps as follows:-
1. Turn downwind on autopilot or windvane, mainsheet out.
2. Release windward (guy and lazy sheet). Ensure both run free.
3. Release pole lift.
4. Undo Rutgerson or Spinlock clamp on spinnaker halyard (I've got twin halyards) - keeping tension on, move down leeward side-deck with turtle.
5. Halyard hitched to inner shroud. Turtle attached to cabin-top handrail.
6. Sheet off winch and return to collect spinnaker into turtle, under main-boom, controlling drop by halyard.
7. Sheets/guys onto lifelines, halyard and spi-pole lift onto lower spinnaker pole ring.
8. Boat back onto course, loose ropes, poles stowed. Foresail deployed.

Interestingly the genniker is the more problematic, despite the fewer control lines, I have to lift the bowsprit and .

If no wind it's an easy dump onto the foredeck.

Usually there is no need to repack for the next lift - both sails marginally under 1000 ft2, flown about 200 hours for spinnaker and 300 hours for genniker per 12 months.
Interestingly, I spend more time under those two foresails together than on the roller genoa.

The really exciting challenge is doing the drill in the dark!! Generally wind-speed isn't too much of critical factor - I once dropped the spi in 28 knots off Hook Head, dodging pot-markers.

 

[DeeGee]

[ QUOTE ]


Another way singlehanders take down a kite is with a "letter box takedown"



[/ QUOTE ]
This seems a distinctly clever way to do it. God knows why I havent heard of it before. Is it generally in use, and are there downsides? It seems almost as if one might be able to stop in the middle to take breath, or a swig of a cuppa... it seems the spi would be well under control. Anyone any adverse comment? /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[Fergus]

requires a loose-footed mainsail - not that common surely?

 

[DeeGee]

[ QUOTE ]
requires a loose-footed mainsail - not that common surely?

[/ QUOTE ]Probably why I had not heard of it before... only late this year changed my main for a loose-footed, yippee, can't wait to try this... However, I guess it means removing and reconnecting the halyard and sheets etc. which, given my previous exp means can get led wrongly. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[Fergus]

You don't need to reconnect anything, just grab the clew, feed it through the slot between the mainsail foot and the boom and dump the lot down the companionway..

 

[DeeGee]

Hi Fergus, you intrigue me. I am missing something... surely the halyard, sheets and lazy quy will all come in that way, but they won't be going up that way????

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

No, this is just a drop technique.... you remove the halyard etc when its down the hatch, and take them to their normal resting places ready to set the sail up for its next hoist.....

 

[DeeGee]

As I thought... Ta. I love the idea, as it will be like having a spare pair of hands keeping the sail under control, and pulling it close to the main means it hardly has any chance of filling and getting out of control. Have you done this when you have the spi up, and wished you had taken it down half-an-hour ago, before that little increase kept on getting stronger??? /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

Often.... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Including a time last summer, when I thought it was perhaps just a couple of knots too windy for my smaller kite, but bravado took over, and up it went..... only to discover that i'd hoisted the larger kite...... a little hairy for a few mins..... but boy did the old gal go!