Dinghy check valves/ running with the jib and no pole

[Hermit Scott]

2 questions.
I have an 8' seaworthy inflatable. I pump it up but have to be quick about removing the pump tube and replacing the valve cap. It looks like there is supposed to be a check valve there. If that is a check valve can you replace them if they are worn out? They are on the inside and it looks to be difficult at best or maybe not possible.

I was on a friend of a friends boat the other day, Catalina 27 1984. 4 other guys and me. Most had sailed before, 2 guys had extensively. It was a beautiful day, hardly any chop around 15 knots. We were comming back in with the wind directly on the stern. They tried to do a wing on wing with no pole. They had a main sail and a 150 jib furler. Is it possible to do a wing on wing with no pole? Is it better to bear off a little and leave both sails on one side rather than trying to split them?

The 2 that sailed the most said the vang wasn't used downwind. that you were supposed to let the sail fill up always. I was under the impression that as the wind picked up you pulled the vang down to flaten the sail to make it perform better??
That is what I was told on here when I inquired about the vang I found in a box in my boat, I think. I am checking back to get some specifics on it. At what wind speed would one want to start using the vang to flatten out the sail downwind? If that's what it's for.

 

[Manny]

Hermit - Check on the valves on the inflatable, If it's anything like my dinghy and kayak, there should be a little pin in the center that rotates. One direction it pops up and I can inflate without losing air, the other direction it depresses and locks to deflate.
As far as running, I don't have a pole but I've had good look using a dockline as a preventer on the main, the trick with mine is to keep the main at enough of an angle to help keep the genny filled.
Dunno much about using the vang.

Manny

 

[jibes138]

Vang and pole

The vang prevents the boom from lifting up when off the wind. The mainsheet does not provide much downward pull when off the wind so the boom lifts way up. Two things happen, one the sail twists dramatically spilling all the air and reducing the pressure on the sail (less speed), this also causes the sail to hit the shrouds and spreaders further hurting your shape and causing chafe. To keep the sail off the rigging you end up redusing your angle of attack by sheeting in the mainsheet and thus reducing the area of the sail exposed to the wind.
Sailing downwind without a pole is a tricky maneuver. Typically the jib will fill for a bit then collapse then refill, very difficult to keep exactly the right angle to keep the jib filled. With a pole you can sail a little higher angle than straight downwind to generate more boat speed. Straight downwind without a pole you might be better off to drop the main and just sail with the 150 that will no longer be shadowed by the main and should stay full. This will give more power than just the main alone. Keep in mind the apparent wind is a lot less downwind so if you have say 4 knots of boat speed in a 15 knot wind the apparent wind will only be 11 knots.

 

[bobtigar]

Kermit, before you begin to inflate, push the pin in the center off the valve in and turn it 90 so that it pops out abit. Then attach the pump. All the cover is for is to keep out dirt and debree. When deflating, push the pin in and turn it 890' until it locks down. Bob

 

[Hermit Scott]

Thank you Bob. I thought they were just worn out or torn. If you wouldn't have told me I probably never would have know.

 

[DougM]

I know you can wing a smaller jib without a pole by running the jib cars as far forward as they will go to keep the sheet angles forward. I don't know how well that would work with a 150. In light air the weight of the sheets becomes a problem as does chop or wave action which tends to spill air out of the sail.

You need some vang on in light air downwind just to keep the boom form moving up and down, not to flatten the sail. You definitely would want a preventer, since unintentional jibes aren't really much fun.

 

[caguy]

Kermit,
I push the center pin and turn to lock it open when filling. It allows less resistance and fills faster and easier. I fill mine with the exhaust of my shop vac in seconds. Then to top it off I twist the pin and close the check valve to achieve a higher pressure.
As far as sailing wing on wing I was demonstrated on board that if you sheet the main in a touch that it causes the wind to spill off the luff of the main more and directs it to fill the genny. It did make a big difference. Coming down wind wing on wing takes a lot of focus and constant course correction. I could be wrong but using the traveler and not using a vang has worked for me. Before I put the traveler in the boom used to raise pretty high.