Tri Sail setting

[Heckler]

Just bought a trisail ready for our trip across Biscay. Its got about five sliders to go in the mast track. However, looking at the main sail furled I see that I would have to undo the gate, drop 11 sliders out and tie the mainsail somehow out of the way.
Question, is there another way to fly the tri?
S

 

[TimBennet]

A separate track pop riveted to the port side of the mast. The trisail then stays bags at the foot of the mast and all ready to go.

 

[prv]

Tim's suggestion is the best one. But an alternative, depending how high up the mast your sail reaches and what other bits and bobs are mounted to it, might be old-fashioned parrel beads on strops reaching right round the mast.

Personally, I reckon a trysail is not feasible on our modern fully-battened stackpacked rigid-vanged lightweight coastal cruiser. The decks are convex, and much as I disapprove of the state of mind that uses the phrase "safety of the cockpit", the fact is that trying to re-rig a different mainsail on our boat in the conditions where you'd want it is just not sensible. On our previous gaff yawl, though much smaller, I'd have entertained the proposition as her deck felt so much more secure. Though of course the need never arose in the first place, since jib-and-jigger (actually, staysail and mizzen) served very nicely for storm canvas. Anyway, on the current boat I specified a very deep third reef, leaving about a trysail-sized portion of sail.

Pete

 

[Heckler]

Tim's suggestion is the best one. But an alternative, depending how high up the mast your sail reaches and what other bits and bobs are mounted to it, might be old-fashioned parrel beads on strops reaching right round the mast.

Personally, I reckon a trysail is not feasible on our modern fully-battened stackpacked rigid-vanged lightweight coastal cruiser. The decks are convex, and much as I disapprove of the state of mind that uses the phrase "safety of the cockpit", the fact is that trying to re-rig a different mainsail on our boat in the conditions where you'd want it is just not sensible. On our previous gaff yawl, though much smaller, I'd have entertained the proposition as her deck felt so much more secure. Though of course the need never arose in the first place, since jib-and-jigger (actually, staysail and mizzen) served very nicely for storm canvas. Anyway, on the current boat I specified a very deep third reef, leaving about a trysail-sized portion of sail.

Pete

Pete
that sounds like a plan, tape measure out this weekend. That was my thoughts, bouncing around on deck trying to get the bits out of the track to get the new one in. The popping on of a new track wont be feasible in the time scale.
S

 

[prv]

What I said about our precarious decks notwithstanding, I certainly would have a storm jib. The thought of a genoa furling line straining away, the only thing between you and a huge unwanted sail in a storm, doesn't bear thinking about. We currently have the sail (mandated by the boat's former charter-coding), but I don't find the rigging arrangements very convincing. It has strops meant to go round the furled genoa, but I doubt they'd actually slide when trying to hoist it in any wind. Obviously just meant to tick a box for the coding rules. When we had the mast down last year I added an inner forestay fitting, and at some point I will add the deck fitting and removable stay (probably in Dyneema or similar). Then the storm jib will actually be useable.

Pete

 

[pmagowan]

Can you use a dyneema spinaker halyard as an inner forestay? Perhaps it would be too much pressure on the pully?

 

[prv]

Can you use a dyneema spinaker halyard as an inner forestay?

Since a spinnaker flies above and outside everything, trying to turn its halyard into a forestay isn't going to be very "inner"

Pete