Jon, looks like you have 4 jib halyards is that correct? Did you retrofit an updated headbox on your mast to accomadate them, or just mount blocks.
sailing aeolus - 1966 caravelle yawl
- Thread starter jon hansen
- Start date
i have not changed the mast head in any way. there are three shives, middle one for main, two outside wheels for two different length jib halyards (wire to rope). my club footed jib and my storm jib are much shorter than all the gennies. then the other two halyards you see are for the spinnakers. there are two prongs that come off the head the have blocks for such. we never rigged the second until we started racing the 'mac' races in the 90's. if we dropped the halyard during during the race we had no recourse. there is absolutely no reason to have the second spinnaker halyard still rigged for the last 15 yrs but there it still is. my bad 
When you shoot in jpeg, the camera post processes the image automatically as well as compresses the file size(0-2MB file).
The result is usually great especially for posting online. A simple photo program like Apple Preview - that can size the image - can also tweak the light levels and saturation to make a big improvement to a poorly lit jpeg shot.
I shoot in RAW setting on the camera. RAW images have all the original image data in every pixel(20-30MB files). Without processing, RAW images look 'half baked', lifeless.
Sort of like shooting in jpeg is sending your 35mm film out for processing at the drug store. Shooting in RAW is more like processing your film in your own darkroom.
i have no reef points on any of my mains. the boom has a roller boom from that era, never used it. in theory all the mains can be rolled on the boom, never have done so.
i try and use the sails to make the boat a weather vain. in a blow i'll drop the main and leave a jib up and balance the rig with the mizzen going upwind. my #1 (155) is built to 24 mph wind, my #2 (140) to 32 mph, my #3 (110) is built to 60 mph, my club footed jib (80) is good to 40 mph. by being a split rig the main mast is two feet forward of a sloop rigged caravelle. this helps to keep the bow down naturally when off the wind. off the wind my 3/4oz spin is good to 20 mph and "big blue" my bullit proof 1 1/2 oz has been sailed at the 40 knots of wind range quite a few times and has not blown. i have had the boat start to oscillate with big blue up in huge breezes. like a flag flapping back and forth as the wind trys to get around the rig. then we move the spinnaker pole forward too hide part of the sail behind the main to effectively reduce projected sail area. in 45 seasons i have never broached aeolus. i've never had blue water over the bow.
thankyou Mr. Alden
i try and use the sails to make the boat a weather vain. in a blow i'll drop the main and leave a jib up and balance the rig with the mizzen going upwind. my #1 (155) is built to 24 mph wind, my #2 (140) to 32 mph, my #3 (110) is built to 60 mph, my club footed jib (80) is good to 40 mph. by being a split rig the main mast is two feet forward of a sloop rigged caravelle. this helps to keep the bow down naturally when off the wind. off the wind my 3/4oz spin is good to 20 mph and "big blue" my bullit proof 1 1/2 oz has been sailed at the 40 knots of wind range quite a few times and has not blown. i have had the boat start to oscillate with big blue up in huge breezes. like a flag flapping back and forth as the wind trys to get around the rig. then we move the spinnaker pole forward too hide part of the sail behind the main to effectively reduce projected sail area. in 45 seasons i have never broached aeolus. i've never had blue water over the bow.
thankyou Mr. Alden
Last edited:
aeolus was designed and set up to be sailed by a crew. in the modern era we never modernized the boat to sail shorthanded. we prefer a crew on board. with the work of hand sailing a vessel set up like this the crew are quite busy. the work is the entertainment. newbe's are immediately indoctrinated to the workings of this old boat. we sail aeolus like a hotrod pilot flys a stunt biplane. we swoop past every one and every thing. i have lots of local crew and family that will always go sailing. after 45 seasons both the boat and i have a reputation for taking everyone and going everywhere. i'm always looking for more crew. fresh ears for old stories if you will. aeolus is a wonderful sailing machine.
when we tack we always backwind the jib first then have a crewman 'walk the sail across to clear the rig. sails last a lot longer i think. those big racing sails are a hoot to sail with so we take great care of them. "sails are expensive and tape is cheap" i over tape everything around the rig.
jssailem
SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John
- Oct 22, 2014
- 22,330
She sounds like a wonderful boat. I only hope I can get up near your neck of the woods when you have her in the water. Would love to see her sailing. Would really love to crew on her. But need the stars to align.
I was onboard Scott Krafts Caravelle in Stonington Conn. last season, and I think I remember the mainmast in the saloon. His is sloop rigged.
Yet the drawing Jon posted, a sloop rigged Caravelle, shows the main mast tucked up forward of Scotts. Solve the mystery for me Jon.
Yet the drawing Jon posted, a sloop rigged Caravelle, shows the main mast tucked up forward of Scotts. Solve the mystery for me Jon.
those drawings show a chart desk setup with seat and the main salon benches are staggard, that was an option. i do not have that. the sloops have the mast in the salon. my yawl has the mast in the head. my forward door might be narrower as well. in 45 years i have never seen another caravelle.
a seventh bunk/pilot berth was an option that went behind the ice box and under the cockpit. with the table out of aeolus we can use the sole as extra berth.
a seventh bunk/pilot berth was an option that went behind the ice box and under the cockpit. with the table out of aeolus we can use the sole as extra berth.
twenty years ago-ish, it's sunday night , day two, of the chi-mac race. aeolus's advantage is down wind in heavy air. aeolus is extremely strong vessel with an extra heavy duty rig. i get slammed in light air or up wind by the modern vessels in PHRF but off the wind in a blow no one can touch me with my rating. (every dog has it's day). i'm tired and was taking a nap down below. we were headed for the pass between sleeping bear dunes and S. manitou island. it's was blowing 30/35 out of the ssw with those spectacular 10 to 14 foot lake michigan swells (200 mile fetch). full main, 1 1/2 oz spinnaker flying, no mizzen. with the yawl mast more forward than a sloop and the full keel and huge rudder aeolus was tracking well. my older sister and two younger brothers were, with crew, sailing aeolus as i caught a nap. i'm in a deep sleep when my one brother shakes me hard and says. your the captain of this boat and you need to get on deck now. he says 'we are dipping both polls in the water and something going to brake'. that will get you up. i grab a water and my boom box and shoot up to the helm. the shores on both sides of the passage are 500 feet high dunes. the wind on approach started to funnel and increased to 35/40. the swells grew as well. we/aeolus were oscillating. dip the main boom then dip the spinnaker boom. to much sail area. i ordered that they swing the spinnaker boom forward and rotate the sail around the mast and hide some of the square footage behind the main and effectively reducing the projected sail area. we rotated the sail just enough that the oscillating stopped. there is a full race crew on board to handle the lines. we are rolling no slower then 9kts and riding waves to 11 and 12. we are pushing hard. this night for me is what dreams are made of. all my years of helming vessels it is all by instinct for me. it's a dance with mother nature.
i placed the boom box on the quarter locker behind the helm and turned up the volume.
Cowboy junkies/ trinity session ........... WOW
the mandolin is special while sailing along that night
i placed the boom box on the quarter locker behind the helm and turned up the volume.
Cowboy junkies/ trinity session ........... WOW
the mandolin is special while sailing along that night
racing, you never tie off the spinnaker sheet the crew are working none stop to fly it properly