Rig For Offshore Downwind Sailing?

[LadyInBed]

Two head sails but on two stays. An inner forestay is much more versatile.
You will need one anyway for a storm sail.

 

[dulcibella]

Limitations of using boom

An alternative arrangement is to use the boom as a pole.

Stow the mainsail and run one headsail sheet though a block on the end of the boom, which is then swung out, almost touching the aft lower shroud and set up on a preventer against the mainsheet. The headsail sheet should be taken to a snatch block on the rail near the shrouds and thence to the cockpit winch.

I use this approach frequently and find it simple and strong. However, an issue with this rig is that the boomed-out sail is only stable in a rolling sea if the headsail is pulled right out to the end of the boom so that the clew is fixed in position. Otherwise the leach is free to fall across and collapse the sail on each roll. This may mean putting out more sail area than one wants.

 

[ColinR]

When I rig the pole I use two downhauls going fore and aft so the pole is held rigid. Instead of passing the sheet through the pole end which is both hard to adjust and prone to chafe, I clip a snatch block on and take the sheet through that. Then it is really easy to reef the genoa. Unless changing tack the pole can be left rigged like this even if the sail is furled. Offshore when you are likely to be on the same tack for long periods its a very handy rig. I use it downwind with a preventer on the main, goosewinged for an easy to control stable rig. The preventer is taken forward to a block on the samson post then back to a cleat in the cockpit so it is easy to control. colin

 

[Chalker]

ColinR
If you run a line from the snatch block, through the outboard end of the pole and back to the mast, you can tighten the line so that there is no movement and hence no chafe. Then the headsail sheet can be attached and detached from the snatch block by releasing the block outhaul and pulling it inboard.

 

[Ex-SolentBoy]

We have two sepaate stays, so I have never tried the twin rig. If you put two sails on a single furler, as in the video, how do you cope if, for whatever reason, you have to turn to windward?

I guess both sails will fly on one side, and one can be dropped behind the other.

Is that correct?

 

[dolphin]

downwind running spar sail

merry christmas !
= = = = = = = = = = =
what about this sail

 

[Neil_Y]

We have two sepaate stays, so I have never tried the twin rig. If you put two sails on a single furler, as in the video, how do you cope if, for whatever reason, you have to turn to windward?

I guess both sails will fly on one side, and one can be dropped behind the other.

Is that correct?

They will both fly together on top of each other, we never tried dropping one at sea as we never needed to, I think it would be possible dropping the inboard sail but the twin grooves weren't really designed for that I don't think. Racing fixed twin luff grooves work but I think they may give more space.

I also had an inner forestay 20cm behind furler which took a hanked on storm sail, but with that set you needed to roll up sails to tack. The set up was perfect for that boat with plenty of drive. I the photo we're doing 6knts +

 

[Neil_Y]

Having thought about it, we never hoisted or dropped one sail on its own as they were both attached to to furler swivel at the top. Changing to one sail meant dropping both.

 

[Ex-SolentBoy]

Having thought about it, we never hoisted or dropped one sail on its own as they were both attached to to furler swivel at the top. Changing to one sail meant dropping both.

As I thought. Too much fuss for me, that's why we have to stays close together. We can fly both without poles.

 

[Calvin]

No not a good idea as you need to be able to ease the poles forward or adjust them backwards. The best way of doing this is to keep the jib sheets as lazy sheets and to rig your spinniker guys as sheets for the twin jibs. If you don't have spnkr guys then use spare sheets. If you take these down to a block on the toe rail at mid ships as you do for spnkr guys then this gives a really bullet proof rig for long distances but with plenty of flexibility to adjust to other sail plans. Despite the idea that trade wind sailing is all downwind this just isn't the case. Normally on the spnkr guys you would have plates on them which rest against the foreside of the jaws on the pole and then some leather or rubber tube going through the jaws. You will then be able to trip the pole if you need to such as the wind gets up or you need to jibe one sail onto the other if you are headed. I'm not sure you would be able to trip the poles if you have a loop of dyneema. Also you would have to completely re-rig if you had to replace the loop when the wear cuts through the dyneema which might mean taking down the sail if you can't get to the cringle.

 

[Neil_Y]

As I thought. Too much fuss for me, that's why we have to stays close together. We can fly both without poles.

It's no trouble with this set up to go from dead downwind full sail to a small reaching sail, you just roll out what you need on whichever side you need the sail. The pole is set up hard against sheet so the clew can't move, so even as it goes light there is no flogging or flapping. Single handed rolling up both sails during squals took a few minutes. I've tried a few approaches and thi was left set up for atlantic crossings both ways. Trade wind sailing for me has always been downwind or very deep reaching. We had no chafe wear on sheets, just the spinnaker halyard after about 18hours after which it was covered in leather where it went over the block.