Sunday I believe I finally got "downwind" right. My only longish
offshore trip so far was all upwind coming home from Puerto Vallarta,
so I had no real experience off the wind with the Navik windvane
steering. Around home just playing with it I've never been really
pleased with the windvane performance downwind even with enough wind
to give a firm "apparent" wind. So. . .I've been day dreaming about
twin jibs on an inner forestay for some time, but making no progress
that way. Installing the inner forestay seems like a big deal and the
jibs and rigging would cost a fortune. . .
Anyway, Saturday night I had the sudden understanding that the
problem with downwind work with the vane has been the mainsail.
Obviously the accidental jibe that comes when the boat yaws too much
the wrong way is very undesirable, and with that for a start point I
convinced myself that the power of the main sticking all the way out
to the side and also right about the center of rotation for the
hull. . .was ideal to initiate yawing. Yawing one way then is over-
corrected by the vane and follows shortly the violent jibe, probably
just as you straighten up to step back into the cockpit from some
errand up front. So, thinks the dimwit, "it must be the main is the
whole problem, let's leave it down and see what happens."
Nice breeze on Sunday, ten to 15 kn early, rising later to pretty
stiff. . .lovely day. . .and no rain to speak of. Went out and tried
it. Works a treat! No main and the jib poled out to one side, wind
vane set to 170 degrees. . .almost no yawing around (10 degrees
either side of the average course from time to time, mostly less than
5 degrees. . .once in a great while 20 degrees). I left her that way
for an hour or so, rolling off downwind without touching a thing.
The jib backwinded twice for a second or two in that time. Rolling
seemed a little stronger than I'm used to, but of course. . .I
haven't been sailing her that far off the wind. Speed was pretty
constant at 4.5 kn. . .occasionally up to 5 or down to 4 or even 3.8
for a little while. . .in that 10-15 kn breeze (and maybe half a knot
of current on the nose). Not race winning speed of course, but dandy
fine for making miles. For the afternoon trip home I had one reef
and 4 rolls in the jib and actually managed to get the lee rail in
the water for a second in a big gust. . .first time for that that
I've actually seen.
Ken Preston, V-2456, Katia Sofia, Seattle area.
offshore trip so far was all upwind coming home from Puerto Vallarta,
so I had no real experience off the wind with the Navik windvane
steering. Around home just playing with it I've never been really
pleased with the windvane performance downwind even with enough wind
to give a firm "apparent" wind. So. . .I've been day dreaming about
twin jibs on an inner forestay for some time, but making no progress
that way. Installing the inner forestay seems like a big deal and the
jibs and rigging would cost a fortune. . .
Anyway, Saturday night I had the sudden understanding that the
problem with downwind work with the vane has been the mainsail.
Obviously the accidental jibe that comes when the boat yaws too much
the wrong way is very undesirable, and with that for a start point I
convinced myself that the power of the main sticking all the way out
to the side and also right about the center of rotation for the
hull. . .was ideal to initiate yawing. Yawing one way then is over-
corrected by the vane and follows shortly the violent jibe, probably
just as you straighten up to step back into the cockpit from some
errand up front. So, thinks the dimwit, "it must be the main is the
whole problem, let's leave it down and see what happens."
Nice breeze on Sunday, ten to 15 kn early, rising later to pretty
stiff. . .lovely day. . .and no rain to speak of. Went out and tried
it. Works a treat! No main and the jib poled out to one side, wind
vane set to 170 degrees. . .almost no yawing around (10 degrees
either side of the average course from time to time, mostly less than
5 degrees. . .once in a great while 20 degrees). I left her that way
for an hour or so, rolling off downwind without touching a thing.
The jib backwinded twice for a second or two in that time. Rolling
seemed a little stronger than I'm used to, but of course. . .I
haven't been sailing her that far off the wind. Speed was pretty
constant at 4.5 kn. . .occasionally up to 5 or down to 4 or even 3.8
for a little while. . .in that 10-15 kn breeze (and maybe half a knot
of current on the nose). Not race winning speed of course, but dandy
fine for making miles. For the afternoon trip home I had one reef
and 4 rolls in the jib and actually managed to get the lee rail in
the water for a second in a big gust. . .first time for that that
I've actually seen.
Ken Preston, V-2456, Katia Sofia, Seattle area.