Sail set-up

[Gordonmc]

Sunday saw really changeable weather and underlined some problems with the sail set up on my mastead bermudan rig.

1. Early morning... little in the way of wind, drizzly rain and low overcast. Set out and close hauled to what little breeze there was, sailed fairly well.

2. Wind picks up to 3 - 4, rain stops. Took a couple or three turns on the roller genoa and found the first problem, too much tension on the foot, leech is flapping. Have no sheet track... just two points on the side deck for the sheet block. Can't shift position without heaving to.

3. Wind picks up to force 3 - 4. and veers from SW to NW. Try to run for a while and let go the main sheet to go downwind. Problem - no kicking strap, so the boom, a lump of pitch pine, tries to rise and the whole thing scandalises. Drop the main. Genoa (now full out) keeps on collapsing as soon as we go to a dead run. Keeping it full means we are off course.

A few things come to mind. The set of the genoa obviously needs some flexibility in the position of the sheet blocks. Can I achieve this without a track? I suppose the only other way to do things is to change the block position on the windward side, tack then change the other. (clumsy)

I need a kicking strap. The main originally set up for round-boom reefing, now converted to slab. How far along the bottom of the boom should the kicker be positioned? half way, one third ?? Can I make up a simple kicker using tuffnol double blocks x 2 and a single?

The answer to the collapsing genny might be a pole (whisker - whisper ? which?)
can I make one up by putting spinnaker attachments on either end of a 2.5 inch dia. pole? How long should it be in relation to the foot/leech?

If anyone has time to ponder this post and give some advice it would be welcome. Don't tell me to flog the boat and start again. That did cross my mind but the day ended in glorious sunshine, so I'm still smiling.

 

[Chris_Stannard]

Possible answer to no track, take the sheet block as far aft as you can ever imagine you will need it. Take a second block well forward and take a line through this to a snatch block on your sheet. This will allow you to alter the sheet angle.

Running down winnd with jib collapsing, if the main is bigger than the jib put up with it. If the main is smaller double reef the main to let the jib fill. Old sailing ships used to clew up the main course to let the fore course draw for this reason.

As aan alternative you can tack down wind by sailing the angle where both sails are working and then gybing to the lay line for your destination

Chris Stannard

 

[wayneA]

Have a look at this page on the Harken site for general set-ups for your kicker, using 'off-the-shelf' blocks etc.

http://www.harken.com/rigtips/vang.php

Cheers

Wayne

 

[billmacfarlane]

Jibing downwind is a ggod tactic. In winds less than 15 kns it's probably quicker than goose-winging. When sailing directly downwind in lightish airs , with a small main and a large genny not filling , simply sheet in the main.

 

[simonjinks]

Agree with all the other posts ie. barberhaul arrangement on headsail sheet and basic 4:1 purchase on kicker. For a Pole use a proper pole with u/haul and d/haul - spinnaker type pole would be better and safer in a breeze than juggling a whisker pole.

 

[Twister_Ken]

Dead downwind, dead loss

Dead downwind the sail is acting like a parachute. Inefficient, it should be acting as an aerofoil.

Sail about 20 degrees either side of the wind and gybe over from time to time. Both sails act as foils and don't interefere with each other. And you don't get a crick in the neck from watching the wind indicator like a hawk, to prevent sailing by the lee and an accidental gybe.

 

[oldsaltoz]

G’day Gordon.
Some years back I saw a headsail rigged with double lines though two fixed turning blocks, seemed to work ok, not much good for racing though. If you have some spare sheets it might be worth a try, thread a sheet through each point and control the foot and luff tension.
Also when running downwind, have you tried running the sheet through a block from the back cleat?
When the boom was lifting, did you have the mainsheet traveller all the way out to the end stop? Do hope this helps.

Avagoodweekend Old Salt Oz……