Notes from a beginner. Im sure some of these tricks have been posted before but its valuable enough to repeat imho.
In light air, with boat speed <3 knots, the Mac is harder to bring through the eye of the wind than a keel boat due to its light weight.
I was singlehanding on the Hudson over the weekend, and finally managed to polish my order and timing of tacking while holding the boat close hauled on both tacks - if you practice this you find the magic combination of order that works for you.
I was sailing with the full main and 150 genny, winds were about 7mph
Here was my rough formula.
"ready about" - Dress the Jib sheets for the tack.
Pull main sheet in tight onto centerline
"Helms alee"
Turn across the wind and center helm and clip off wheel just as you point into the wind. Leave the job sheet attached, and let the back winded jib bring you onto the next tack.
As the speed comes back up release the sheet and quickly bring the new working sheet in, the weather helm of the back will bring you back close hauled to the wind
Unclip the helm and make sure you stay out of irons.
My GPS log showed I was straying about 10 degrees of course when I tacked, which can use some improvement but is still pretty good.
I leave a winch handle on each winch so I dont lose time moving them. For some reason my blue one winches faster.....
A quick release carabiner (taped to stop scratching) on the 21 inch wheel is my steering lock.
Tacking in Light Air SInglehanded
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Sloop John B
- Captain
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- Sailboat: MacGregor 26X
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It's hard for me to wrap a sheet three times around when the handle is in the thing. I think switching the handle over just after the preparatory wrap or leaving it off all together would be as fast overall.
Interested in your 'helm lock'. Understand the carabineer, so what is this secured to?
I use a normal bungy hooked to a welded eye on top/front of the pushpit and a horizontal near side wheel spoke with helm straight ahead. This is connected just before the dash forward to almost simultaneously release and jerk in the sheets. Get the working sheet in fast, before the wind has a chance to blow it out too far, and cleat it. Then to somehow get back without banging the middle part of your pants into something.
I have a hard time tacking because I dont know exactly how to handle the helm yet. Speed is the obvious necessity. I understand trying to get the jib back winded pulling it out as far as possible.
Do you turn hard (applying the brakes)? Or do you turn gradual (dropping speed and being pushed back off the wind)? I know this has been gone over many times, but I just dont seem to get it.
With my old Bristol, I could 'skull' the huge rudder with the tiller and turn the thing in circles. By 'skull' I mean you push out gently and jerk it in hard and the stern would leap over.
Interested in your 'helm lock'. Understand the carabineer, so what is this secured to?
I use a normal bungy hooked to a welded eye on top/front of the pushpit and a horizontal near side wheel spoke with helm straight ahead. This is connected just before the dash forward to almost simultaneously release and jerk in the sheets. Get the working sheet in fast, before the wind has a chance to blow it out too far, and cleat it. Then to somehow get back without banging the middle part of your pants into something.
I have a hard time tacking because I dont know exactly how to handle the helm yet. Speed is the obvious necessity. I understand trying to get the jib back winded pulling it out as far as possible.
Do you turn hard (applying the brakes)? Or do you turn gradual (dropping speed and being pushed back off the wind)? I know this has been gone over many times, but I just dont seem to get it.
With my old Bristol, I could 'skull' the huge rudder with the tiller and turn the thing in circles. By 'skull' I mean you push out gently and jerk it in hard and the stern would leap over.
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Catigale
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Sloop
If you dress the sheets up into a smaller loop, you can put two wraps onto the winch, which is all I do.
I have the 21 inch Destroyer wheel, and the carbiner is tied to the pedestal support, comes through spokes at 10 o/c, out at 2 o/c then clips back onto main sheet attach point. The bigger wheel might be the key here for an effective wheel brake. You have to play with the length until it clips up firmly but not too difficult to undo...
For 'dynamic loads', i.e. things being taken off and on, I always end up with "bungie hook in the palm" , so Ive purged them from the deck. Great for trailering and standing things, no contendre.
Dont turn too hard - just get the head into the wind, then center the helm, let the backwinded job do the rest. I think my early mistake was to try to helm the boat all the way to the new course, which took too much speed off, so slow and easy is the key in light air. Backwnding the job is the easy part - just dont touch it until it has pushed your nose onto the new tack.
At 5 knots the boat spins onto the new tack - not a problem.
If you dress the sheets up into a smaller loop, you can put two wraps onto the winch, which is all I do.
I have the 21 inch Destroyer wheel, and the carbiner is tied to the pedestal support, comes through spokes at 10 o/c, out at 2 o/c then clips back onto main sheet attach point. The bigger wheel might be the key here for an effective wheel brake. You have to play with the length until it clips up firmly but not too difficult to undo...
For 'dynamic loads', i.e. things being taken off and on, I always end up with "bungie hook in the palm" , so Ive purged them from the deck. Great for trailering and standing things, no contendre.
Dont turn too hard - just get the head into the wind, then center the helm, let the backwinded job do the rest. I think my early mistake was to try to helm the boat all the way to the new course, which took too much speed off, so slow and easy is the key in light air. Backwnding the job is the easy part - just dont touch it until it has pushed your nose onto the new tack.
At 5 knots the boat spins onto the new tack - not a problem.
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Catigale
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Slamjammer - On paper, I had sketched out an idea of running a traveller forward with two jam knots, then running a block on the clew of the genoa that would self tend on the traveller.
My paper solution beats yours in elegance, but Ill grant you a couple of advantages...
cheaper
simpler
you have done it already while Im still talking and wondering if my idea works
IN light air I think this would be great - you do lose the backwinding advantage though, which is a great help in light air...
My paper solution beats yours in elegance, but Ill grant you a couple of advantages...
cheaper
simpler
you have done it already while Im still talking and wondering if my idea works
IN light air I think this would be great - you do lose the backwinding advantage though, which is a great help in light air...
I like the idea...
But, it occurs to me that the more close-hauled you get, the more this will result in poor jib shape.
You are essentially using the upwind sheet to control the jib. When the clew of the jib is well beyond the centerline of the boat, there's probably not much difference. But, as that clew is held closer to the centerline, wouldn't there begin to be a significant difference in sail shape?
You are applying tension accross the boat, rather than more directly downward and rearward...
The difference may not be worth the trouble, but just thought I'd bring it up. I too have toyed with simple self-tending jib ideas...
But, it occurs to me that the more close-hauled you get, the more this will result in poor jib shape.
You are essentially using the upwind sheet to control the jib. When the clew of the jib is well beyond the centerline of the boat, there's probably not much difference. But, as that clew is held closer to the centerline, wouldn't there begin to be a significant difference in sail shape?
You are applying tension accross the boat, rather than more directly downward and rearward...
The difference may not be worth the trouble, but just thought I'd bring it up. I too have toyed with simple self-tending jib ideas...
Last edited by DLT on Tue Jun 28, 2005 9:16 am, edited 1 time in total.
Jibs on booms
A lot of older boats have the Jib on a boom with the sheet running in some sort of adjustable triangle path so that the jib will self-tend. It's not so much a traveler as a set of blocks on either side of the foc's'le. The sheet runs from one block, up to the clew of the sail, down to the other block, and then back across to the first block - so when you tack the line just runs in a loop as the sail moves back and forth.
I'm not sure, though, how the sheet length is changed. Perhaps there is another block in the run between the two that I've already described, which can be moved back and forth on a track to take slack out of the loop.
Next time I see one of these older style rigs I'll try and get a better look at how the line runs.
Conceptually, it seems like this would work without the boom, but I bet there is a reason why you only see them with a jib boom.
- AndyS
I'm not sure, though, how the sheet length is changed. Perhaps there is another block in the run between the two that I've already described, which can be moved back and forth on a track to take slack out of the loop.
Next time I see one of these older style rigs I'll try and get a better look at how the line runs.
Conceptually, it seems like this would work without the boom, but I bet there is a reason why you only see them with a jib boom.
- AndyS
I've seen some fabricated setups that have a single jib sheet. That sheet is fed through a block on the end of the boom, which has a fixed range of motion, and then to a bock near the tack of the jib, where the boom pivots. This sheet is then led back to the cockpit.
You use the jib sheet to trim the jib, and then forget about it, until the wind conditions change.
The boom just swings to the downwind side, as you tack. It swings fully, unless you have a more complicated system whereby you can adjust the boom's travel.
But, the clew end of the boom is held down, close to the deck and each end of travel puts the clew block real close to where the jib sheet blocks are located. Thus, you get similar angles as you would with the standard jib blocks.
I've seen these rigged using broom handles for the boom. It can be done relatively cheaply.
You need to attach the boom and a block near the tack of the jib, such that the boom can rotate. It doesn't have to be frictionless rotation. The boom just needs to rotate...
You need a block attached to the other end of the boom.
The biggest issue is fabricating something at the clew end of the boom to allow it to travel side to side, while keeping it down near the deck. A lot of designs I've seen just use a track (with stops) and car.
The boom itself is just there to force the block at the clew away from the block at the tack...
The problem with these setups, at least in my mind, is that your fordeck becomes a dangerous and crowded place to be... But, you could fabricate something such that all that remains, when the sail is stowed is the track and car...
Andy26M,
My jibsheet blocks are hollow, i.e. you could run a line through the middle of the sheave. So, I've thought about doing just what you mentioned. Just running the jib sheet from the clew to the starboard side of the starboard jibsheet block, through the hole in the block, straight to the other block (exiting on the port side of the port jib sheet block, and then back to the clew. This would form that one big loop.
I haven't tried it yet, but I'd think I'd have the same problem. The two lines coming from the clew would likely find a tension equalibrium well inboard of the ideal clew position... Ideally, you only want the downwind jib sheet to tension the clew. But, in this case, the upwind jibsheet would have tension too...
You use the jib sheet to trim the jib, and then forget about it, until the wind conditions change.
The boom just swings to the downwind side, as you tack. It swings fully, unless you have a more complicated system whereby you can adjust the boom's travel.
But, the clew end of the boom is held down, close to the deck and each end of travel puts the clew block real close to where the jib sheet blocks are located. Thus, you get similar angles as you would with the standard jib blocks.
I've seen these rigged using broom handles for the boom. It can be done relatively cheaply.
You need to attach the boom and a block near the tack of the jib, such that the boom can rotate. It doesn't have to be frictionless rotation. The boom just needs to rotate...
You need a block attached to the other end of the boom.
The biggest issue is fabricating something at the clew end of the boom to allow it to travel side to side, while keeping it down near the deck. A lot of designs I've seen just use a track (with stops) and car.
The boom itself is just there to force the block at the clew away from the block at the tack...
The problem with these setups, at least in my mind, is that your fordeck becomes a dangerous and crowded place to be... But, you could fabricate something such that all that remains, when the sail is stowed is the track and car...
Andy26M,
My jibsheet blocks are hollow, i.e. you could run a line through the middle of the sheave. So, I've thought about doing just what you mentioned. Just running the jib sheet from the clew to the starboard side of the starboard jibsheet block, through the hole in the block, straight to the other block (exiting on the port side of the port jib sheet block, and then back to the clew. This would form that one big loop.
I haven't tried it yet, but I'd think I'd have the same problem. The two lines coming from the clew would likely find a tension equalibrium well inboard of the ideal clew position... Ideally, you only want the downwind jib sheet to tension the clew. But, in this case, the upwind jibsheet would have tension too...
Great links
Those are great links, Moe. Now I know that the right term is "club-footed jib".
To me, the operative phrase is probably "limits you to 95% max jib size", along with the realization that if you wanted to do this with a roller-furler you'd have to go up and attach the job to the boom after unfurling it...
On the other hand, if you are not a roller-furler type of person, there would be nothing stopping you from having a 95% jib for beating which you rig club-footed, and a big fat genny for reaching or running which you rig conventionally (i.e. genny is not self-tending).
- AndyS
To me, the operative phrase is probably "limits you to 95% max jib size", along with the realization that if you wanted to do this with a roller-furler you'd have to go up and attach the job to the boom after unfurling it...
On the other hand, if you are not a roller-furler type of person, there would be nothing stopping you from having a 95% jib for beating which you rig club-footed, and a big fat genny for reaching or running which you rig conventionally (i.e. genny is not self-tending).
- AndyS