Headsail Question

[Lee Y]

Is it better to sail with a reefed main alone in 20 knot winds or with only the jib? Does it put excess stress on the rigging when only sailing with the jib? It has been very windy this summer on Lake Michigan. It's not unusual to have 15 to 20 knot winds. The lake changes very quickly. Is it better to have a second set of reef points and then reef the jib?

 

[Chris]

Option 3

An extra set of reef points and a furling/reefing jib or a small hank on if you don't have a furler/reefer are the best options. Sailing with main alone will produce quite strong weather helm. If you are a young guy that might be OK, but an old f*rt like me finds it tiring! Jib alone will produce lee helm, ditto the previous comments.We have the original sails only: single reef main and hank on 110% jib. If reefing the main is not enough, I drop the jib and use the reefed main and live with the weather helm, knowing that I am sailing unbalanced and loosing speed to the rudder.15 kts: reefed main and full jib.If it's 25kts or more, we stay in.Good sailing and fair winds!

 

[Dave19333]

Depends on point of sail

I have been caught in many squals on the Chesapeake. If you need to beat up wind to get home use the main alone with a reef. If you are on a broad reach or run, I use just the jib. It is ok to let the sail luff a lighting in heavy air. The main thing is to have steerage and control. Waves are aonther consideration. The h23 is very light. Make sure you point into the waves, and not expose the beam to the waves. We have seen 7 foot swells with 40 knot gusts. Good luck, the sail maker discouraged me from putting a second reef point in.

 

[Steve677]

H23 in 20 knot winds...

If I had to chose one or the other I'd go with the reefed main. You can't point as high but she is easier to handle. I don't know about stress on the rig, easier to handle works for me. I have a single reefing point on my H23's main but it is a little higher up than the OEM sail had it. I'd be reefed long before I got hit with 20 knot winds if I knew they were coming. I don't have a furling head sail so I would also un-hank my head sail and hank on my small sail. I bought a small head sail that was actually designed for a smaller boat a couple of years back on eBay for next to nothing. It is pretty tiny... I put a tack pennant on it to give the sheets the right angle of entry into my fixed blocks and I fly it when the winds are in excess of 15-20 knots or gusting in that range. It gives me better balance and control and pretty much equals a roller furled headsail with about 2/3rd furled but with a cleaner leading edge.