Sail increase

[MeanMan]

I have a Hunter 290 that we use for holiday sailing. We rarely travel in wind above 10 m/s and if the wind is strong we only sail downwind.

I think it feels underriged for our application and are looking to increase the sail volume. As I see it we have two choices. Either we increase the roller jib on our existing roll from 175 sq ft to 155% at 289 sq ft, which seems to be the most commonly used on this boat model. Or do we get a gennaker. One thing I wonder about gennaker is if there is any solution where we can have it up even when not in use and do not have to sacrifice storage space.

If we change the jib so we want to have good quality, while a gennaker is fine with a cheaper one. What solution do you think is the best and where is the relative price level for these different solutions if you include gadgets around as needed?

Spinnaker is not a option because I had one on my old boat. My wife reacted like I wanted to attach a leeched dragon to the boat every time I suggested using it.

What do you guys think is the best setup?

 

[Jackdaw]

Your boat has shrouds on the hull, which makes flying large head-sails problematic. The genoa would have to fly outside all of the standing rigging. A gennaker is nice, but will only help you downwind. If you install it with a top-down furler, you CAN leave it up during sailing, and deploy it when needed. Its a nice (of somewhat costly) solution. You might need to install a small prod or sprit so the tack and luff stays clear of the bow pulpit.

 

[Benny17441]

Best? The one that came with the boat. These boats are fractional rigs with large roach mainsails allowed by the lack of a backstay. They are mainsail powered with the jib to provide balance and pointing ability. Like Jackdaw indicates it would be problematic to fly a larger headsail because of the hull mounted shrouds. In addition you would be sure to loose pointing ability and it is difficult to predict what it would do to the sail plan balance. We sail an h320 with a similar saqil plan and do not find it inadequate at all even in low wind conditions. They do have a drawback and that is that going downwind is not their strongest suit because the swept back spreaders do limit the swing arch of the sail. We take the good with the bad and sail off the beam as dead downwind is not really a good point of sail. 10m/s is about the equivalent of 20 knots and these boats move quite adequately in wind speeds of 6 m/s to 15 m/s. I would suggest reefing the mainsail in stronger winds rather than having to sail downwind. The only sail that may improve the performance of the boat overall is an assymetrical spinnaker.

 

[MeanMan]

Best? The one that came with the boat. These boats are fractional rigs with large roach mainsails allowed by the lack of a backstay. They are mainsail powered with the jib to provide balance and pointing ability. Like Jackdaw indicates it would be problematic to fly a larger headsail because of the hull mounted shrouds. In addition you would be sure to loose pointing ability and it is difficult to predict what it would do to the sail plan balance. We sail an h320 with a similar saqil plan and do not find it inadequate at all even in low wind conditions. They do have a drawback and that is that going downwind is not their strongest suit because the swept back spreaders do limit the swing arch of the sail. We take the good with the bad and sail off the beam as dead downwind is not really a good point of sail. 10m/s is about the equivalent of 20 knots and these boats move quite adequately in wind speeds of 6 m/s to 15 m/s. I would suggest reefing the mainsail in stronger winds rather than having to sail downwind. The only sail that may improve the performance of the boat overall is an assymetrical spinnaker.

Thanks for the input.

Whats best for me might not be what is best for someone else. As I practically never tack against the wind (I have an engine ) the advantage of a small jib is lost on me. You are right that at 6-15 m/s it moves adequately and I would probably reef long before I hit 15 depending on wind angle.

Its wind below 6 m/s that would be nice if I could get a little more speed in.

Lots of people seem to fly a 155% sail on hunter 290. I wonder why if it ruins the boats balance. As there already is a bow spit I probably go with the gennaker like Jackdaw suggested.

 

[Alan]

Seriously? ...never tack against the wind??? Surly you are joking? I am stunned to think that you would actually start your engine to accomplish a tack, say this isn't true!
Don Guillette has a forum "Sail Trim" on this site that would be invaluable for you. It covers all manner of sail trim questions. Sailing only in lighter air, never tacking and mostly down wind suggests that you need help with sailing skills and sail trim in particular. Your wife would be far more willing to go sailing with you in more wind if you could handle the boat. Visions of what she must have gone through with you flying a spinnaker must have been horrifying.
Please don't take my post the wrong way, EVERY sailor must start to learn to sail. If you never learn HOW you will never become a good sailor and be relegated to the sailing conditions you describe. I wish you all the best.

 

[CCHer]

If you only sail off the wind try a gennaker, assym spinnaker or drifter for light wind, not a heavy weight genoa.

 

[MeanMan]

Seriously? ...never tack against the wind??? Surly you are joking? I am stunned to think that you would actually start your engine to accomplish a tack, say this isn't true!
Don Guillette has a forum "Sail Trim" on this site that would be invaluable for you. It covers all manner of sail trim questions. Sailing only in lighter air, never tacking and mostly down wind suggests that you need help with sailing skills and sail trim in particular. Your wife would be far more willing to go sailing with you in more wind if you could handle the boat. Visions of what she must have gone through with you flying a spinnaker must have been horrifying.
Please don't take my post the wrong way, EVERY sailor must start to learn to sail. If you never learn HOW you will never become a good sailor and be relegated to the sailing conditions you describe. I wish you all the best.

The hard core sailors I know also seem to get goose bumps over my sailing mentality. There is a saying I rather like "Gentlemen don't tack"

I know how to tack even if Im not the the most skilled of sailors. It's more a question of family management and time frame than trimming the sails. Traveling for longer than 3h per day things start to get whiny. Especially if its hard to make lunch for the kids because the ride is bumpy. If I tack the distance basically get cut in half to maintain a 3h trip. The hunter 290 has a real short keel making it a pretty bad tacker. Upside is short keel enables me to go places no other sailing boats can go.

Also its not my family that comes sailing with me. Its something we do together. So if we put up a sail what is needed is that my wife needs to feel comfortable handling it or take it down (if there is a problem) herself. Every time I had the spinnaker up was when there was 3rd adult aboard. One to handle the kids and two for the boat.

Mostly we pick the next spot the day before we travel and as we know the wind direction we can just pick one in a direction that favors the particular wind. A little planing as the wind turns and we can normally get back home on the right day. So I just don't see the point with tacking.