Hi--What do you know about how well anchor riding sails--i.e., sails hosted up the backstay and sheeted forward--work? What kind of design features are best?
Anchor riding sails
- Thread starter Dave Mehan
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Anchor riding sail in archives
Dave The Forum Archives are very helpful. Here's a link to search on your topic. Stu
Dave The Forum Archives are very helpful. Here's a link to search on your topic. Stu
Riding Sails
Dave, We build riding sails for all kinds of boats even powerboats. Basically they are a totally flat triangle built of relatively heavy cloth. They attach to the backstay or other vertical wire or mast(mizzen)in whatever way practical. If they are set on the backstay we usually use hanks. One line or sheet goes forward to the mast or mast base and set tight. I have very little personal experience with riding sails aside from building them but apparently they work quite well. Thanks, Bill C. Doyle Sails
Dave, We build riding sails for all kinds of boats even powerboats. Basically they are a totally flat triangle built of relatively heavy cloth. They attach to the backstay or other vertical wire or mast(mizzen)in whatever way practical. If they are set on the backstay we usually use hanks. One line or sheet goes forward to the mast or mast base and set tight. I have very little personal experience with riding sails aside from building them but apparently they work quite well. Thanks, Bill C. Doyle Sails
Riding Sails
Dave, I built a delta riding sail a couple of years ago and wrote some thoughts about it. A boat sailing on her rode involves dynamics that can include several influences. Length to beam ratio, bow chock locations, freeboard, parking of the rudder and other variables all playing a part. The delta had minimum area sail, (built for safety against thunder head straight line high winds, I didn't want to create or add to the problem) makes no noise (this was a prime goal), and yielded an estimated 40% reduction in anchor rode hunt at 20-25 mph. It helped, but wasn't enough. Another 40% reduction was gained by using a single bowline in a bite in the anchor rode and creating a bridle that keeps the anchor load on the leeward bow chock, which has the effect of always checking the bow as it is want to sail off. Combined, sailing on the rode was reduced 80% which made worlds of difference in sleeping as prior to setting the the bridle, when the boat reached the end of the hunt and came beam on the swell it would roll bad enough to throw me against the hull. http://www.stewartfam.net/arlyn/riding.html
Dave, I built a delta riding sail a couple of years ago and wrote some thoughts about it. A boat sailing on her rode involves dynamics that can include several influences. Length to beam ratio, bow chock locations, freeboard, parking of the rudder and other variables all playing a part. The delta had minimum area sail, (built for safety against thunder head straight line high winds, I didn't want to create or add to the problem) makes no noise (this was a prime goal), and yielded an estimated 40% reduction in anchor rode hunt at 20-25 mph. It helped, but wasn't enough. Another 40% reduction was gained by using a single bowline in a bite in the anchor rode and creating a bridle that keeps the anchor load on the leeward bow chock, which has the effect of always checking the bow as it is want to sail off. Combined, sailing on the rode was reduced 80% which made worlds of difference in sleeping as prior to setting the the bridle, when the boat reached the end of the hunt and came beam on the swell it would roll bad enough to throw me against the hull. http://www.stewartfam.net/arlyn/riding.html
Sailrite
Hi Dave - Sailrite sells a kit for making your own anchor riding sail. I bought it and made one for my Catalina 36. Fun project and it seemed to help keep the boat from sailing around at anchor. They recommend you hank the sail on the backstay and sheet forward to port or starboard to keep the boat pointed in one direction. See Related link below. Trevor
Hi Dave - Sailrite sells a kit for making your own anchor riding sail. I bought it and made one for my Catalina 36. Fun project and it seemed to help keep the boat from sailing around at anchor. They recommend you hank the sail on the backstay and sheet forward to port or starboard to keep the boat pointed in one direction. See Related link below. Trevor
Anchor Sails
I built one for my C 22. At anchor it does help keep the bow turned toward the wind. However if the wind is real shifty, so is the boat. Dick
I built one for my C 22. At anchor it does help keep the bow turned toward the wind. However if the wind is real shifty, so is the boat. Dick
Another Way
is to use the Pardey's idea of an anchor bridle, similar to Arlyn's idea. Theirs is to run another line from your anchor line with a rolling hitch back to midships or further aft. Use the tension on that to cock to the boat to one side and it won't hunt. Stays more stable, too. We've used it and it works, and avoids having to rig a riding sail. Stu
is to use the Pardey's idea of an anchor bridle, similar to Arlyn's idea. Theirs is to run another line from your anchor line with a rolling hitch back to midships or further aft. Use the tension on that to cock to the boat to one side and it won't hunt. Stays more stable, too. We've used it and it works, and avoids having to rig a riding sail. Stu
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