Question about staysails
Posted by uss_arkensas@reddit | sailing | View on Reddit | 8 comments
I have seen many pictures of sailing ships and their is a question i have hand i never had an answer too how does multiple stay sails work like wouldn't they get in the way of each other? I can't understand how they don't when the wind shifts from one side to the other could some one help explain it?
uss_arkensas@reddit (OP)
This how dose this not interfere with everything
uss_arkensas@reddit (OP)
No the other line i cant figure out how to download an image to show you what i mean
KStieers@reddit
Your perception of where the wind is in relation to the sails is wrong...
The sails are an airplane wing, stacked like an old bi-wing plane, from the top they are overlapped, but the wind the plane makes going through the air sees the edge of the wing, not the flat of the wing.
Sailboats just turn the wing on end and stack them front to back
ppitm@reddit
You're going to need to elaborate. Staysails rarely overlap.
uss_arkensas@reddit (OP)
The stay sails at the front that are typically found connected to the fore mast and the bowor the bow spirit in every single ship that i have seen that has multiple of them they overlap
Bigfops@reddit
Are you talking about a cutter rig with two foresails? If so then there’s no magic really. When tacking, the outer foresail goes first and will move over the inner. The sheets are run outside of the inner forestay so they can move around it. Once that’s done, the inner foresail can move. That can either be the same method (and easy because now it is back winded) or some cutters have self-tacking for that sail.
Keep in mind it is the wind that does most of the work of moving a sail. I suspect you are imagining someone pulling a sheet to force the jib to the other side, but what’s actually happening is that the wind changes relative to the boat and the sail moves when you release the tension on the working sheet. People hauling lines are actually keeping the sail from going too far.
uss_arkensas@reddit (OP)
It's more how dose the line to the deck not interfere with the deck
Bigfops@reddit
The line from the top of the mast to the deck you mean? That’s a forestay. All sailboats have at least one (well, not square riggers but you get the idea). It’s usually a permanent feature and steel cable. In the case of a cutter you have two and one may be attached to a point in the deck. But what do you mean when you say “interfere?” In those boats they are just… there.