how many people "play" their controls

[ChuckThomas]

Again thanks to Mr. Don and his guide.
Before reading the book I would make a trim change and see what would happen. Most of the time not much difference if any was seen. I did not realize at the time that I was missing the "sweet spot". I would move the controls a foot and see no difference as compared to only moving it six inches and see a significant difference. What was happening was that my changes were too large. I would skip the point of max efficiency.
After reading his book I would start to "play" the controls. Instead of making a change and locking it down, I would keep the controls in my hand and start to "feel" for the effects. It was amazing. If I started where I knew I was off a little then started gradually moving the control in the right direction, I could feel the boat approaching max efficiency. It is hard to describe the feeling. (like hitting a golf ball true). I tried all the controls - from outhaul to cunningham to halyard tension. Each control had the "sweet spot" for the wind conditions and point of sail. I could almost hear the boat giggle and take off.
Any one else do that?

 

[Stu Jackson]

Tweaking

is another word for it. We do it constantly and has payed off. I maintain, as do some others, and Don, of curse, that there is no difference between racing and cruising sail trim. It's either correct or not. I keep seeing folks sailing downwind with their booms amidships and wonder what they're thinkin' if anything.

One other part of this discussion, which I just LOVE to open up at irregular intervals, is tiller vs. wheel. There are sooo many folks out there who believe that tillers "speak" to them better. I keep maintaining that if you use the bottom spoke or alternatively the horizontal spokes of your wheel, you can get that same feel, less, of course, the mechanical issues of the quadrant between the wheel and the rudder. With the sails set preliminarily, I can find the groove with the wheel going upwind, and then fine tune the sails and even dial in that groove even better.

Have at it, me hearties, all you tiller wheel freaks...nothin' personal...

 

[Stephen K]

Hi Chuck,

Where do you keep your boat? I'm going to be in Madisonville this coming weekend and enjoy getting out to the marinas...would enjoy meeting if you are around.

Regarding the sail trim...it took me reading Don's book many times and getting out on the water to try it out and finally it all connected some time back. I had a similar revelation and now often "tweak" and inch or two sometimes. I can recall sitting to windward and playing the traveller on a shifty wind day....it brought back the feeling of sailing a dinghy. Its a great feeling with the boat in the groove....that's what its all about!

 

[ChuckThomas]

StevenK. Yep you know what I am talkng about. I am up the bayou at herrons way. on the corner. can't miss me.
Stu. I have been sailing a lugger this summer. It has a tiller. I am working on my self steering. "if you set it right, a ruber band will steer it."

 

[Stu Jackson]

Steering in the groove

I have been sailing a lugger this summer. It has a tiller. I am working on my self steering. "if you set it right, a ruber band will steer it."

Chuck,

I have an original copy of John Letcher's 1974 Self Steering for Small Craft. I used the method on our C25 within and outside of San Francisco Bay for years before I finally bought a tiller autopilot.

I am working on a cobbled together design for doing the same thing with our wheel steered C34 by employing the bottom spoke approach to steer with Letcher's tiller concept with a wheel. I figure it's easier to route the lines to the bottom of the wheel so it acts like a tiller, rather than trying to do the lines backwards to tie to the top of the wheel. My re-broken leg has put a damper on the research, more in December, aha, another good reason to use the boat - research!!!