Tell Tales, not working!

[macd]

And consider spraying with a dry silicone lubricant to prevent them sticking to the sail when wet.

You'd better spray the tell-tales before they're installed. Any over-spray onto the sailcloth will mean no tell-tale (or anything else, including sail repair tape) will ever stick to it again.

 

[Birdseye]

If you use red and green wool or red and green strips of spinnaker cloth it helps to identify which tack you are on etc

saves painting "port" and "starboard" on the boom

I achieve the same result with red and green socks.

In one fun race / club regatta I did call starboard on another boat when we were on port. The owners girl friend on the helm tacked their boat before the owner appeared out of the cabin with a very red face and a definite humour deficit

 

[ghostlymoron]

Where should you place them on main and Genoa? I've seen tapes on the trailing edge of mains, is this useful?

 

[Birdseye]

To the OP

Dont forget the tell tales on the main, but in this case they need to be at least 12 inches behind the mast as well as on the leach. The air flow immediately behind the mast stalls and detaches but re-attaches a bit further into the sail. Which is also why the curve of the main needs to be a bit further aft thasn that of the jib

 

[VicS]

Where should you place them on main and Genoa? I've seen tapes on the trailing edge of mains, is this useful?

20cm or so back from the luff at 1/4, 1/2 and 3/4 of the length. Further back perhaps if you have a furler. Avoid the stitching as they will get caught on it. ( I have two sets fitted one set further back to use when reefed. but sail shape goes to pot then so not so useful)

On the batten pocket ends of a main sail. I dont have those


Google for Sail telltales and you'll find all the info. Far more than anyone will want to reproduce here. Good looking article at http://www.wb-sails.fi/Portals/209338/news/95_11_Tellingtales/Tellingtales.html

 

[chewi]

Thanks, some good tips there, along with another use for dry silicone lubricant that I didn't know of! I think i'll re-position them, try the lube and install a second set for the partially furled sail. If that doesn't work, I'll try the spinnaker nylon approach.

Now if I can just remember that "If the top telltales flutter before the bottom, the sail is twisted too much. Move the lead forward to pull down on the clew, increase leech tension and reduce twist. If the bottom telltales luff first (or the top ones stall), the sail needs more twist. Move the lead aft to relax leech tension". I'll know that I am getting somewhere!

Cheers.

"Tiller to spiller" is how I remember it, so if the windward one spills, tiller to the wind, (ie bear away) and vice versa.

 

[LadyInBed]

I've seen tapes on the trailing edge of mains, is this useful?

I read that that is where they should go, so I have them there and they work well. I adjust the main so that they are streaming.
I don't think they work on the luff of the main, due to the funneling effect from the genoa.

 

[TimBennet]

If you have an overlapping headsail, then telltales on the luff of the main are only of very limited use. The ones on the leach (batten ends) are far more important (especially top batten) as it stops you over sheeting the main and increasing its drag.

Although the three spaced up the headsail luff are conventionally thought of at 25/50/75% of the luff, it's most important to get the lower ones where you can see them from you normal helming position.

 

[corbu]

Thanks again for all the replies. I really like "tiller to spiller", even I can remember that!

On the question of tells on the leach of the main, I have had good success with those. I found them useful to illustrate to me that I was generally over trimming the main. (Solving the excessive weather helm I was experiencing into the bargain.)

Another example of me reading the books, thinking I had understood the theory on sail trim, but miss-applying it in the flesh!