I just read your book and can not wait for the winter to end so I can start sailing again. Is there a difference in how the luff reacts to the cunningham vs the halyard. On my H23, the cunningham is real easy to adjust. The halyard takes more work. Is it ok to set the halyard for the average condition or light condition and then use the cunningham for adjustments? Thanks, Bill Leathen
Cunningham vs halyard
- Thread starter Bill Leathen
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Differences ----
Because of the manner in which the (typical) sail is constructed --- bolt rope inside a luff sleeve --- and because of friction of the rope against the sleeve and the friction of the sail slugs inside the track, the halyard will better control sail shape at the head (upper half) of the sail and the cunningham will better control shape in the lower half of the sail. These forces versus friction will eventually 'equalize' over a long time (many hours) as the sail finally adjusts/moves in reaction to the forces. For short term adjustments (day sailing, etc.) the 'top' of the sail is best controlled by the halyard and the 'bottom' of the sail is controlled by the cunningham. This all depends on how clean and how well 'lubricated' the track and slugs are. BTW - occasionally rubbing a paraffin candle in the mast track and on the slugs is probably the most cost effective means of lubricating. For a sail that doesnt have slugs simply rubbing candle wax on the boltrope sleeve (and mast track) will reduce the friction. You can also buy teflon coated slugs.
Because of the manner in which the (typical) sail is constructed --- bolt rope inside a luff sleeve --- and because of friction of the rope against the sleeve and the friction of the sail slugs inside the track, the halyard will better control sail shape at the head (upper half) of the sail and the cunningham will better control shape in the lower half of the sail. These forces versus friction will eventually 'equalize' over a long time (many hours) as the sail finally adjusts/moves in reaction to the forces. For short term adjustments (day sailing, etc.) the 'top' of the sail is best controlled by the halyard and the 'bottom' of the sail is controlled by the cunningham. This all depends on how clean and how well 'lubricated' the track and slugs are. BTW - occasionally rubbing a paraffin candle in the mast track and on the slugs is probably the most cost effective means of lubricating. For a sail that doesnt have slugs simply rubbing candle wax on the boltrope sleeve (and mast track) will reduce the friction. You can also buy teflon coated slugs.
Cunningham over halyard
Bill: Thank you for buying my book. Good sailing weather will be here before you know it. Rich H is right but the average sailor (beginner to high intermediate) will not notice any difference by using the cunningham over the halyard. I prefer to use the cunningham simply because it is easier for me to deal with plus I can get a more PRECISE adjustment. My main halyard is controlled at the mast and every time I wanted to adjust it this is what would happen. I'd have to go forward, uncoil (have a whole bunch of halyard on the deck), try to adjust and the sail would drop 1' and then I'd have to fool with it and I never did get it right. After all that I'd have to coil up the line again. Sailors will do what is easy and not what is hard and that is why I never messed with the halyard because it was too much work. I could have run the halyard back to the cockpit but decide the cunningham was easier so I ran that back to the cockpit instead. What I do is raise the main to full hoist and then back off a little. I don't mess with the halyard from that point on until it is time to drop sail. A easy way to determine full hoist is to mark the halyard and mast. I attached a piece of black tape to the mast and also to the halyard at a point just short of full hoist in order to eliminate any guess work. It is also a good idea to mark the halyard at your your 1st and 2nd reef points, which makes halyard adjustment a snap when you have to reef.
Bill: Thank you for buying my book. Good sailing weather will be here before you know it. Rich H is right but the average sailor (beginner to high intermediate) will not notice any difference by using the cunningham over the halyard. I prefer to use the cunningham simply because it is easier for me to deal with plus I can get a more PRECISE adjustment. My main halyard is controlled at the mast and every time I wanted to adjust it this is what would happen. I'd have to go forward, uncoil (have a whole bunch of halyard on the deck), try to adjust and the sail would drop 1' and then I'd have to fool with it and I never did get it right. After all that I'd have to coil up the line again. Sailors will do what is easy and not what is hard and that is why I never messed with the halyard because it was too much work. I could have run the halyard back to the cockpit but decide the cunningham was easier so I ran that back to the cockpit instead. What I do is raise the main to full hoist and then back off a little. I don't mess with the halyard from that point on until it is time to drop sail. A easy way to determine full hoist is to mark the halyard and mast. I attached a piece of black tape to the mast and also to the halyard at a point just short of full hoist in order to eliminate any guess work. It is also a good idea to mark the halyard at your your 1st and 2nd reef points, which makes halyard adjustment a snap when you have to reef.
One other thought on Cunninghams
Had a sailmaker / racer friend suggest that I might want to set the main halyard tension correctly for the down wind leg, and then use the cunningham to position the draft for the upwind legs. It works kind of slick. After rounding the weather mark, off goes the cuningham allowing the sail to bag out slightly, and just before we round the leward mark, we pull the cunningham back on, and move the draft forward to the correct upwind position. This is a lot quicker and easier than re-adjusting the halyard for each leg. Based on this sailmaker's credentials (multiple national championships in the S2 7.9 class), he seems to know what he is talking about. Steve Alchemist
Had a sailmaker / racer friend suggest that I might want to set the main halyard tension correctly for the down wind leg, and then use the cunningham to position the draft for the upwind legs. It works kind of slick. After rounding the weather mark, off goes the cuningham allowing the sail to bag out slightly, and just before we round the leward mark, we pull the cunningham back on, and move the draft forward to the correct upwind position. This is a lot quicker and easier than re-adjusting the halyard for each leg. Based on this sailmaker's credentials (multiple national championships in the S2 7.9 class), he seems to know what he is talking about. Steve Alchemist
Cunningham
I agree with the above but wanted to add one thing. Since the halyard can be 100' on a medium sized boat and even a low stretch line (1%) will stretch a foot or more, I always put as much tension of the halyard going up as is practical. Usually I will end up putting cunningham on to make up for the stretch anyway. Since the cunningham is much shorter it doesn't stretch as much. I agree the halyard is difficult to effectively adjust very often.
I agree with the above but wanted to add one thing. Since the halyard can be 100' on a medium sized boat and even a low stretch line (1%) will stretch a foot or more, I always put as much tension of the halyard going up as is practical. Usually I will end up putting cunningham on to make up for the stretch anyway. Since the cunningham is much shorter it doesn't stretch as much. I agree the halyard is difficult to effectively adjust very often.
Cunningham
I would bet that if a group of sailors installed a cunningham 95% of them would never go back to using the main halyard for mainsail adjustment. In my case, the cunningham was at the mast (I never did get around to leading it back to the cockpit, which would have been ideal and give me a better view of the sail). What I did do was just knee at the mast and dial in the shape I wanted for the point of sail and conditions I was sailing in. There is so much purchase in a soft vang (cunningham) that it is an effortless adjustment. If I went to far it was a snap to get back to another setting. I could actually watch the sail change. Just thinking about it makes me want ot be out sailing!!
I would bet that if a group of sailors installed a cunningham 95% of them would never go back to using the main halyard for mainsail adjustment. In my case, the cunningham was at the mast (I never did get around to leading it back to the cockpit, which would have been ideal and give me a better view of the sail). What I did do was just knee at the mast and dial in the shape I wanted for the point of sail and conditions I was sailing in. There is so much purchase in a soft vang (cunningham) that it is an effortless adjustment. If I went to far it was a snap to get back to another setting. I could actually watch the sail change. Just thinking about it makes me want ot be out sailing!!
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