Tell Tail positioning

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DR007

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My open dayboat is 17ft and has a fractional rig of Bermudan style and I would like to stick on some tell tails to the foresail which is a cross between a jib and a genoa, which furls on a Wykam Martin No1 system. The sail does come back behind the mast. At present I have not installed tracking and a car either side. How do I determine where to place the tails on the luff of the sail. I have been told different things by different people and would like to get this right. I look forward to some practical answers, thanking you in anticipation.
All the Best
Kevin /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif
 
Usually I have placed the tell tales between 6 - 12 inches back from the leading edge of the sail. with the one you look at most often about 1/3rd up from the bottom of the foresail. I usually find one placed in the upper third of the sail handy too for working out hom much twist you have / need in the sail. the main thing is to get it looking right, if it looks right then it probabally is. main thing is that you can easily see the tell tails from where you are in the cockpit!!!
 
Thank you Scruff, I can now proceed, though I have noticed on some boats, where the lowest one is fitted, sometimes people put a second around 4 to 6 inches further in from the luff and on the same plane as the first, others put another above the first, any special reason for that?
Kevin
 
Lawrie Smith in his now rather ageing book 'Tuning Your Dinghy' suggests they should be at 1/3, 1/2 and 2/3 of the luff length and about 6" in. Looks right to me.
 
After you attach the first telltale to the sail I suggest that you attach the second telltale on the other side of the sail slightly above or below the first one so that you can see how they both 'fly' when viewed from eitherside.
When you are sailing with the sun behind you it will be more difficult to see the telltale behind the sail from your view point than it will when sailing with the sun shining behind the sail.

Mind you, I am talking from a Caribbean viewpoint rather than a <span style="color:#666666"> dull grey overcast UK </span> situation. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
I think the norm is to go above on the Stbd side like sail numbers, that way, you can tell which ones you are looking at, in bright sunshine, when the colours are not clear.
 
Thank you gentlemen for your advice on the Tell Tails, tomorrow I will have a go on fitting them.

You know, this is what the Classic Boat Forum is all about, am I to understand that our friendly, helpful, often fascinating forum is to close? Please don't do this, we as members have many things to share both informative and often humerous. Most of us have classic boats and most I am sure are very proud of their acquisitions even if they are slower, require more attention for upkeep, have quaint problems and need constant maintenance. We owe it to future generations as custodians of these fine ships to keep them in good order and to keep the old skills alive.

This forum over my short time of being a member has given me a great deal of information and I feel as this recent query of mine that people out there are more than happy to share their knowledge. Please think seriously before you close this fine and useful site, thank you

All the best for now

Kevin Mitchell
 
As I have always understudy them to be 4 or 5 sets of a length of heavy wool placed about 8" to 10" abaft the luff and though the sail secured with a close made figure of eight on ether side of the sail some place a small red circular peace of spinnaker repair tape over to hold them (Makes them look professionally done) and made up to be about 5" long.
The sail is said to be set and performing well when they fly horizontally in unison on each side of the sail.
 
Stick a few down the leech of the main too. When they are straight you have laminar flow off the sail - it is pulling well when beating. Too tight a sheet & you get turbulence that pushes the tell tales back off the sail. Too loose, & the turbulence is off the front & tell tales blow off the leech into the wind. Or is it the opposite way round?! Hee hee!
 
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