First sail of the season.
Posted by timeport-0@reddit | sailing | View on Reddit | 28 comments
Was a bit gustier than we were comfortable with. The gusts were heeling us over 20+ degrees at times, so we wound up reefing halfway through.
After that, though, we were underpowered.
I think the new headsail may just be a little too small. It’s closer to a 110%, whereas the old one was around a 150%. In the heavier gusts, once the autopilot could no longer keep up, I’d take over manually, and even with hard rudder to the leeward side the boat was barely maintaining heading. I’d have to ease the mainsheet a bit to regain control. I'm thinking too much pressure on the main vs not enough on the headsail was spinning the stern around.
And yes, I know the main halyard needed more tension too — something was preventing it from going fully up, so I just sailed with it as-is. The main halyard is really undersized anyway and needs to be replaced.
Italian_c0mb0@reddit
Heaven
Constant_School_330@reddit
Good on you. Loved reading "just sailed with it as is". Sounds like you're really enjoying life my friend. Isn't that what it's all about?
timeport-0@reddit (OP)
Yep. Not going to fret over the 0.25kts that cost me and besides all this fret over trim when the hull is the major limiting factor in speed.
Seems in most sailing conditions there's more than enough power to get near hull speed on most displacement vessels.
So all the fret over trim perfection etc...is just pedantry unless you're racing
primeight1@reddit
Were you having to counteract a tendency to turn upwind (weather helm) or a tendency to turn downwind (lee helm)?
timeport-0@reddit (OP)
It was turning upwind. Which then made it worse because the boat heeled over more as it turned more into the wind
nicholhawking@reddit
Imo the main halyard being so loose does not help. A flatter main is less likely to overpower.
otoh and idk yout boat obviously but why did your jib shrink? Was it so bad you tossed it?
timeport-0@reddit (OP)
Yea I've only had the boat a year. The one it came with the PO had it furled the wrong way so the sun cooked it. It had more tape on it than sail.
The one on it now is for an Able 20 but was what I could get on short notice and got a good deal on it. It's a little shorter too so it gives me more clearance on the foredeck for the dinghy that I don't need.
The previous one was really perfect for size, don't remember having this problem with it.
nicholhawking@reddit
And I don't know the answer re if your jib is too small if you want it as low or as high as possible? I'm sure someone knows.
Have you browsed used gennys online?
timeport-0@reddit (OP)
That's where I got this one -- ebay. It was brand new and I paid like $175 w/shipping.
A decent one will turn up eventually.
nicholhawking@reddit
175 is insane my 150 was 2k canadian
timeport-0@reddit (OP)
I have a quote from Direct Sails for a 135% in the $800 range for a basic dacron up to about $1700 (USD) for a DP Carbon Sport.
The $175 was just an outfit looking to get rid of it and take what they could get.
nicholhawking@reddit
Yes on a small boat there is a constant struggle of dinghy on foredeck or towed or what. Our 7' inflatable (too small, really) barely fits up there with the baby stay loose and not at all with it tight - it is usually collapsed, in a bag, and on our last trip I inflated it like twice on the forehead at anchor. There's no perfect solution, but I understand why people have Kayaks and SUPs now
timeport-0@reddit (OP)
We kept it on the fore deck until the first time we needed it, then towed it thereafter.
Really didn't see a huge impact in speed. maybe 0.5kt. The sails have plenty of power it's the hull that's really the limiting factor and that's a physics problem not a shape problem. So in that regard there's more than enough extra 'power' to overcome the added drag of towing it in most normal sailing conditions.
I couldn't imagine having to make the trip from the mooring ball to the dinghy dock at the Key West marina on a kayak/SUP. It was almost a 2 mile ride.
It fit on the fore deck almost perfectly, just made access to the anchor locker pretty much impossible. Flying the spinny wasn't too easy either.
nicholhawking@reddit
Yeah we usually leave our light wind sails at home on a journey and bring them out / leave the dinghy at dock for a daysail.
Dragging is probably 1/2 kt for us
The worst part is that my motor for the inflatable Is a tohatsu 6hp and weighs like 60lb. It is terrible
timeport-0@reddit (OP)
I made a little bracket for mine. It wasn't too bad bringing it up/down. DF6A \~52lbs.
primeight1@reddit
Yeah that can be caused by main too powerful and jib not powerful enough. Excess force behind the center of mass of the boat tends to turn it upwind.
port-left-red@reddit
As per the earlier comments you can't really gauge your setup and trim with a main so severely short on luff tension.
It is common however to have to ease a little main sheet (or traveler but looks like you don't have one?) in the gusts as you get towards the upper end of your setups wind range. Before then just letting the boat come up a little can be enough.
That jib sheet setup also looks off. The jib car appears to be way to far aft, and possible putting load on a staunchion? Is the car able to move forward, or is there an inboard track available? Your just position will be different for a 110% than a 150% genoa.
timeport-0@reddit (OP)
I do have an inboard track but tbh it seems too much inboard(and forward) and not really good except upwind.
And the rear track is too far rear.
On my list is adding a track at the midpoint between them pretty much in line with the stanchions.
port-left-red@reddit
Yes forward and inboard more would sound good for upwind. Off the wind a little bit forward (and obviously outboard) of that upwind position. I like rigging a dedicated outboard sheet when reaching so I have options and am ready to go upwind if needed.
Correct jib lead position makes a huge difference to boat handling and helped my fairly lively boat feel a lot more manageable. A badly set jib can round you up from heel alone!
Naive_Adeptness6895@reddit
More main halyard tension needed.
timeport-0@reddit (OP)
Yep
skyzac@reddit
Lifting that out-board motor up will give you another knot or two.
Bad_Idea_Generator@reddit
Start by fixing the halyard issue. And any other malfunctioning equipment. One often can't trim optimally due to gear problems so start there.
Some_Turn_323@reddit
So jealous my friend.
steveos_space@reddit
Ugh... I miss it so much!
Frank-Costanza1@reddit
Miss it ?? I'm just getting started
timeport-0@reddit (OP)
I love just listening and watching the water churn behind the boat.
I always try to capture that in my videos.
Now if I can just figure out how to quiet down the AP
StatisticalMan@reddit
Yeah sounds like the change in sails might have altered the balance too much. Either that or you just needed to be reefed. Sometimes especially when it is gusty you can be in that weird range where you are overpowered running full and underpowered when reeefed. It might have still happened even with the 150.