Welcome aboard Tripp Gal!
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Mark Prouty
- Admiral
- Posts: 1723
- Joined: Mon Jan 19, 2004 8:52 am
- Location: Madison, WI Former MacGregor 26X Owner
Welcome aboard Tripp Gal!
I've appreaciated your input in the past and I see you're the newest registered member.
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Mark Prouty
- Admiral
- Posts: 1723
- Joined: Mon Jan 19, 2004 8:52 am
- Location: Madison, WI Former MacGregor 26X Owner
It made sense if I was going to participate, that way you are sure which kooky ideas actually came from me and not an imposter. 
Thank you all for being so gracious considering our rather odd introduction.
I was in the process of updating my crew handbook for the boat and came across this little "A Sailors Plan". These things always come up on the boat.
1. Never expect that you won't have to go to weather.
2. Never assume that your weather forecasting tools are perfect.
3. Never think that you have thought out everything that can go wrong.
4. Never consider being cheap on the important things, it will come back to you.
5. Be prepared that there is always someone who is a better helmsman, trimmer, skipper, tactician, or navigator than you.
Example:
We raced a West Sound race this weekend. Expected weather indicated a gorgeous 10-15knots in the morning easing off late afternoon (long after we expected to be done). Planned course looked to be spinnaker drag race to the mark and a nice reaching stretch home. We were short crew, OK we ran with 7 not the usual 13 so we were very short, and thought it couldn't be nicer weather for that small of a team. Here is where the above rules came into play.
1. The wind kept shifting and we ended up beating for about half the race. Of course it wasn't one leg, it was every 15-30 minutes (6hr race) we had to change sails. Every sail except the #3 was on deck, used, and soaked by the end of the race. We usually run with a headsail suite of 6-7 for any given race.
2. The weather predicting tools all said 10-15 S, SSE dying by 3pm. We got 12knots until 10am. Then it died. We sailed the next 4.5 miles zephyr to zephyer and picking the right sides of the tide rips to make headway. The weather also said small showers. It poured for 2 hours. We got to the halfway mark where 6 knots from the north showed up for 10 minutes. Then for the next 4.5 miles it was zephyr sailing, and finally a nice 6knot from the NE showed up to take us to the finish line. At 5pm (motoring home from the finish) the wind filled in from the North at 15knots.
3. We broke a winch handle. Not during a blow, but in 0knots of wind when a checkstay got wrapped around it and snapped the handhold off it. It hit the water and the main trim guy slid to the lee and tried to grab it as it went by. He slid so hard he slid off the boat, and the only thing holding him was a slackened line that his foot caught. When could you ever expect a winch handle to break in 0 wind?
4. We keep the boat pretty lean in weight and so when the race lasted longer than we thought all we had onboard to eat was a bag of trail mix and water. Yes we were cheap with the amenities and at the mark rounding we all considered motoring into the town nearby for nachos.
5. Self explanatory. We have a pretty talented team, and it's always great to learn from each other's strengths. And when you think you are pretty good as a team, some little boat from the back of the fleet may go to school on you and beat you boat for boat. It happend to my friend on the same race. There is nothing that burns more when a boat you are supposed to beat by 30 minutes beats YOU by 30.
Thank you all for being so gracious considering our rather odd introduction.I was in the process of updating my crew handbook for the boat and came across this little "A Sailors Plan". These things always come up on the boat.
1. Never expect that you won't have to go to weather.
2. Never assume that your weather forecasting tools are perfect.
3. Never think that you have thought out everything that can go wrong.
4. Never consider being cheap on the important things, it will come back to you.
5. Be prepared that there is always someone who is a better helmsman, trimmer, skipper, tactician, or navigator than you.
Example:
We raced a West Sound race this weekend. Expected weather indicated a gorgeous 10-15knots in the morning easing off late afternoon (long after we expected to be done). Planned course looked to be spinnaker drag race to the mark and a nice reaching stretch home. We were short crew, OK we ran with 7 not the usual 13 so we were very short, and thought it couldn't be nicer weather for that small of a team. Here is where the above rules came into play.
1. The wind kept shifting and we ended up beating for about half the race. Of course it wasn't one leg, it was every 15-30 minutes (6hr race) we had to change sails. Every sail except the #3 was on deck, used, and soaked by the end of the race. We usually run with a headsail suite of 6-7 for any given race.
2. The weather predicting tools all said 10-15 S, SSE dying by 3pm. We got 12knots until 10am. Then it died. We sailed the next 4.5 miles zephyr to zephyer and picking the right sides of the tide rips to make headway. The weather also said small showers. It poured for 2 hours. We got to the halfway mark where 6 knots from the north showed up for 10 minutes. Then for the next 4.5 miles it was zephyr sailing, and finally a nice 6knot from the NE showed up to take us to the finish line. At 5pm (motoring home from the finish) the wind filled in from the North at 15knots.
3. We broke a winch handle. Not during a blow, but in 0knots of wind when a checkstay got wrapped around it and snapped the handhold off it. It hit the water and the main trim guy slid to the lee and tried to grab it as it went by. He slid so hard he slid off the boat, and the only thing holding him was a slackened line that his foot caught. When could you ever expect a winch handle to break in 0 wind?
4. We keep the boat pretty lean in weight and so when the race lasted longer than we thought all we had onboard to eat was a bag of trail mix and water. Yes we were cheap with the amenities and at the mark rounding we all considered motoring into the town nearby for nachos.
5. Self explanatory. We have a pretty talented team, and it's always great to learn from each other's strengths. And when you think you are pretty good as a team, some little boat from the back of the fleet may go to school on you and beat you boat for boat. It happend to my friend on the same race. There is nothing that burns more when a boat you are supposed to beat by 30 minutes beats YOU by 30.
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Sloop John B
- Captain
- Posts: 871
- Joined: Sat Jan 03, 2004 2:45 am
- Sailboat: MacGregor 26X
- Location: Florida 'Big Bend'. 02x Yamaha T50
Most of us with narrow aspect masts use three types of stays that run aft of the mast.
The Backstay- Just like a standard backstay, by bending the tip back we flatten the sail and open the leech up.
The Running Backstays- These are usually attached at the point where the jumpers terminate on the forward section of the mast. These are used for several different functions. They hold the mast upright, as the masts are so narrow they require additional supports when under sail. They also control forestay tension and mast rake. We crank them on more and more as the wind increases, and we keep them just snug when going downwind to allow the mast to lean forward.There is a runner for port and a runner for starboard. You tension the windward one and ease the leeward one (so the sail can fly properly) When you tack the runner tensions are swaped. If you don't have them on in a blow expect to buy a new mast.
The Checkstays- a secondary set of control lines about halfway down the mast. These are lines used to control the mast bend. When at rest our mast has quite a bit of pre-bend. When you pull on the checkstays it straightens the mast which in turn adds draft to your sail. Our checkstays run from halfway up the mast aft to a junction point with the running backstays.
In lighter (under 5 knots) we release the runners/checks so they stay out of the way. We don't have enough pressure under 8knots to worry about dropping the mast when under sail.
I have a photo but don't know how to post it. If anyone can help me out, I can share it with Sloop John B.
Currents are one of the best pieces of competitive sailing in an area where tidal changes are large or where water flows are strong. There are always two directions to a tide rip and a seam inbetween. So if you see an area of churning or swirling water, take a minute and watch the surface of the swirl. You will start to see one side of the water is going one direction while the other side is going another. In no air you can see pure water movement, but other indicators to help make these rips more easy to see include wind. When the wind is going with the current the water is smoother than it should be at that wind speed. If the wind is blowing against the flow of current, the seas will be rougher. To pick the correct side, it's a matter of your intended direction of sail.
If the wind is behind you and you see a rough area ahead that is not a known shoal. I would look closer, as that is an area where the current is a thwarting current. Try to stay away. If the wind is coming at you and you see rough water, you can expect the current is a helping push. Take it!
The Backstay- Just like a standard backstay, by bending the tip back we flatten the sail and open the leech up.
The Running Backstays- These are usually attached at the point where the jumpers terminate on the forward section of the mast. These are used for several different functions. They hold the mast upright, as the masts are so narrow they require additional supports when under sail. They also control forestay tension and mast rake. We crank them on more and more as the wind increases, and we keep them just snug when going downwind to allow the mast to lean forward.There is a runner for port and a runner for starboard. You tension the windward one and ease the leeward one (so the sail can fly properly) When you tack the runner tensions are swaped. If you don't have them on in a blow expect to buy a new mast.
The Checkstays- a secondary set of control lines about halfway down the mast. These are lines used to control the mast bend. When at rest our mast has quite a bit of pre-bend. When you pull on the checkstays it straightens the mast which in turn adds draft to your sail. Our checkstays run from halfway up the mast aft to a junction point with the running backstays.
In lighter (under 5 knots) we release the runners/checks so they stay out of the way. We don't have enough pressure under 8knots to worry about dropping the mast when under sail.
I have a photo but don't know how to post it. If anyone can help me out, I can share it with Sloop John B.
Currents are one of the best pieces of competitive sailing in an area where tidal changes are large or where water flows are strong. There are always two directions to a tide rip and a seam inbetween. So if you see an area of churning or swirling water, take a minute and watch the surface of the swirl. You will start to see one side of the water is going one direction while the other side is going another. In no air you can see pure water movement, but other indicators to help make these rips more easy to see include wind. When the wind is going with the current the water is smoother than it should be at that wind speed. If the wind is blowing against the flow of current, the seas will be rougher. To pick the correct side, it's a matter of your intended direction of sail.
If the wind is behind you and you see a rough area ahead that is not a known shoal. I would look closer, as that is an area where the current is a thwarting current. Try to stay away. If the wind is coming at you and you see rough water, you can expect the current is a helping push. Take it!