In the past, Don has addressed the topic of keeping speed up through a tack. I'd like to see some more input on this, as it is definitely one of my weaknesses. Fire away, anyone...
- Status
In the past, Don has addressed the topic of keeping speed up through a tack. I'd like to see some more input on this, as it is definitely one of my weaknesses. Fire away, anyone...
Tacking
From my own experiance I find I lose the most speed when I steer to fast into the tack, which causes over steering, the boat stalls, and I must regain position to move the boat. Since, on a tack, the boat is sailed as close to the wind as possible, the flip to the other tack is not that great of a distance, but the perception is. Therefore, if I approach my steering with a softer touch and not a hard throw, I can stay in closer to the wind and the bow will fall over to the other tack and the sail luff is kept to a minimum. The boat must be making steady headway weather it is a light breeze or strong, in order to have nice momentum into this change of course position. If not,there is a lack of power to perform the task, a stall occurs. This is just my own experence with sailing, hope it helps. Come on spring - time !
From my own experiance I find I lose the most speed when I steer to fast into the tack, which causes over steering, the boat stalls, and I must regain position to move the boat. Since, on a tack, the boat is sailed as close to the wind as possible, the flip to the other tack is not that great of a distance, but the perception is. Therefore, if I approach my steering with a softer touch and not a hard throw, I can stay in closer to the wind and the bow will fall over to the other tack and the sail luff is kept to a minimum. The boat must be making steady headway weather it is a light breeze or strong, in order to have nice momentum into this change of course position. If not,there is a lack of power to perform the task, a stall occurs. This is just my own experence with sailing, hope it helps. Come on spring - time !
Losing Speed While Tacking
Bob: I may do this in 2 parts (space limitations) as I'm going to explain just about all there is to know about tacking a boat. Follow what I'm saying and you'll be able to tack with the best of them. There are 2 things I love to see and that are perfectly trimmed sails and a boat tacked smoothly. Both are pretty easy to acomplish. Correct tacking is actually a collection of things and also requires a smooth sequence of motion through out the maneuver. Let's start with the goal - to complete the tack in under 30 seconds (regardless of boat or wind speed) and you do not want to lose more than 1 knot of boat speed. In the medium wind ranges it is pretty simple to accomplish that goal but it gets a little tricky in the lower wind speeds. One of the most overlooked elements of tacking is the way you attach the jib sheets to the clew. Most guys just slap on a big old bowline. This knot is not a good choice as it will hang up on everything it comes across. A better choice is a continous line. If you have already split your jib sheet then fasten it to the clew with the smallest knot possable - a clove hitch is a good choice. The next item to consider is boat speed. Before you start the tack you want the boat to be a top speed for the wind conditions you are sailing in no matter what the wind speed is. What is involved to obtain top speed is that ALL SAIL TRIM CONTROLS FOR THE MAIN AND JIB MUST BE PROPERLY ADJUSTED for the wind conditions you are sailing in. If you don't know what those settings are just buy my SAIL TRIM CHART and your troubles are over. If you start the tack slow you will end up slower on the other tack and it will be a lot more difficult to accelerate. OK, so now the jib sheets are attached properly so they won't hang up and we have the boat at top speed. These two things, especially speed, are very important if you want to accomplish your goal - under 30 seconds and 1 knot of speed loss. What do we do next? Here are a couple of things you don't do. You do not want to "snap" the boat through the tack. You want to know the correct point to release the sheet so that it not flopping all over the place with half of it in the water. You have probably seen that happen a million times. One thing you do want to do is use the power of the jib to help you through the tack. So many sailors cut the jib way before they should. It ends up also flopping all over the place. The end result is the boat speed is rapidily going down. Part 2 is coming up in a minute. Any questions so far?
Bob: I may do this in 2 parts (space limitations) as I'm going to explain just about all there is to know about tacking a boat. Follow what I'm saying and you'll be able to tack with the best of them. There are 2 things I love to see and that are perfectly trimmed sails and a boat tacked smoothly. Both are pretty easy to acomplish. Correct tacking is actually a collection of things and also requires a smooth sequence of motion through out the maneuver. Let's start with the goal - to complete the tack in under 30 seconds (regardless of boat or wind speed) and you do not want to lose more than 1 knot of boat speed. In the medium wind ranges it is pretty simple to accomplish that goal but it gets a little tricky in the lower wind speeds. One of the most overlooked elements of tacking is the way you attach the jib sheets to the clew. Most guys just slap on a big old bowline. This knot is not a good choice as it will hang up on everything it comes across. A better choice is a continous line. If you have already split your jib sheet then fasten it to the clew with the smallest knot possable - a clove hitch is a good choice. The next item to consider is boat speed. Before you start the tack you want the boat to be a top speed for the wind conditions you are sailing in no matter what the wind speed is. What is involved to obtain top speed is that ALL SAIL TRIM CONTROLS FOR THE MAIN AND JIB MUST BE PROPERLY ADJUSTED for the wind conditions you are sailing in. If you don't know what those settings are just buy my SAIL TRIM CHART and your troubles are over. If you start the tack slow you will end up slower on the other tack and it will be a lot more difficult to accelerate. OK, so now the jib sheets are attached properly so they won't hang up and we have the boat at top speed. These two things, especially speed, are very important if you want to accomplish your goal - under 30 seconds and 1 knot of speed loss. What do we do next? Here are a couple of things you don't do. You do not want to "snap" the boat through the tack. You want to know the correct point to release the sheet so that it not flopping all over the place with half of it in the water. You have probably seen that happen a million times. One thing you do want to do is use the power of the jib to help you through the tack. So many sailors cut the jib way before they should. It ends up also flopping all over the place. The end result is the boat speed is rapidily going down. Part 2 is coming up in a minute. Any questions so far?
Tiller pressure --- easy on the wheel/tiller !!!
with your 'fingers' on the tiller or wheel, aim for a steady 'pressure' from your hand/fingers when you tack. This will result in a fairly slow entry into the turn and fairly rapid turn through the wind and a fairly slow exit from the turn. If you keep in mind that rudder pressure 'bleeds' speed and power away from the 'drive' of a sailboat, then it would logically follow that the least amount of rudder pressure *you* give while tacking will result in the least amount of friction drag on the rudder; hence the boat will be faster with 'lighter' pressure on the tiller/wheel. What happens with 'constant pressure' is that the boat will automatically go from a slow turn to a faster turn when you pass the eye of the wind and just the opposite on the 'other side'. Concentrate on the *pressure* on your hand/fingers, and keep that pressure constant as you attempt to turn the tiller/wheel and the turns will be 'automatic' and will have more 'momentum' to carry through and out of a tack. The pressure will ber constant but the wheel/tiller will be kept turning ... at vary rates and angles. Experiment/practice with the 'feel' of that pressure and you will soon whats the 'correct' amount of tiller/wheel pressure to make the tack with lots of momentum and speed. If you simply 'jamb over' a wheel or tiller ... the boat will essentially bleed off speed and stop. For additional tricks to aid tacking, do a websearch for 'roll tacking'.
with your 'fingers' on the tiller or wheel, aim for a steady 'pressure' from your hand/fingers when you tack. This will result in a fairly slow entry into the turn and fairly rapid turn through the wind and a fairly slow exit from the turn. If you keep in mind that rudder pressure 'bleeds' speed and power away from the 'drive' of a sailboat, then it would logically follow that the least amount of rudder pressure *you* give while tacking will result in the least amount of friction drag on the rudder; hence the boat will be faster with 'lighter' pressure on the tiller/wheel. What happens with 'constant pressure' is that the boat will automatically go from a slow turn to a faster turn when you pass the eye of the wind and just the opposite on the 'other side'. Concentrate on the *pressure* on your hand/fingers, and keep that pressure constant as you attempt to turn the tiller/wheel and the turns will be 'automatic' and will have more 'momentum' to carry through and out of a tack. The pressure will ber constant but the wheel/tiller will be kept turning ... at vary rates and angles. Experiment/practice with the 'feel' of that pressure and you will soon whats the 'correct' amount of tiller/wheel pressure to make the tack with lots of momentum and speed. If you simply 'jamb over' a wheel or tiller ... the boat will essentially bleed off speed and stop. For additional tricks to aid tacking, do a websearch for 'roll tacking'.
Tacking Input
One of the points that Don mentions, goes right along one of the tricks I learned when first sailing my old Hobie 16. That is to not break the jib too early and to allow 'some' backfill. This will help grab the front of the boat and pull it across the tack. Not TOO much backfill, or it will start to slow you down on the back end of the tack. Then let the jib free as soon as you've powered through the tack. When is too early and when is too late? That is something that I personally can't quantify, it's just practice, experience, and the right feel. T J
One of the points that Don mentions, goes right along one of the tricks I learned when first sailing my old Hobie 16. That is to not break the jib too early and to allow 'some' backfill. This will help grab the front of the boat and pull it across the tack. Not TOO much backfill, or it will start to slow you down on the back end of the tack. Then let the jib free as soon as you've powered through the tack. When is too early and when is too late? That is something that I personally can't quantify, it's just practice, experience, and the right feel. T J
Losing Speed While Tacking
OK, we've got the boat going as fast as conditions will permit and the skipper has decided he wants to tack. The first thing he should do is advise the crew so they can prepare their positions. The boat I'm using in this example is in the 30' to 32' range and weighs about 15,000 lbs or more. This boat generate a lot of momentum and we want to use this momentum to our advantage. We don't want to do anything that will bleed off the momemtum. You can not snap a boat this size through a tack. I guess you could but you don't want to. When the jib trimmer on the loaded winch hears that the boat is to be tacked shortly the first thing he should do is clean up his winch. He should remove the winch handle and take the sheet off the self tailer. He should have 3 wraps on the winch and is holding tension on the sheet. The trimmer on the lazy winch takes 3 wraps on the winch and has the winch handle handy but NOT on the winch. It will only get in the way for the time being. At this point the skipper asks if the crew is ready to tack and they confirm they are and then he announces he is tacking and the boat starts to turn head to wind. The lazy trimmer has taken in all the slack in his sheet. As the boat starts to come up the loaded trimmer is concentrating on watching how the sail breaks - top first, bottom first or all at once. He wants to convey that info to the lazy trimmer so he can set his fairlead. At this point things are going to happen fast. To maintain the forward momemtum obviously the sail has to be powering the boat so we want to hold the jib as long as possable as it pushes the bow over. Here's how to bleed off the momemtum - as soon as the boat starts to turn, cast off the loaded sheet and let it fall in the water and let the jib flop all over the place as the new trimmer madly tries to winch in on his side. How many times have you seen that happen? How does the loaded trimmer know when to cut the sheet? He has to experiment and he does this by practicing tacks. The skipper will bring the boat up to head to wind and at some point the pressure on the sheet will go slack. He can feel it happen. The point where he wants to release the sheet is just before that slack happens. The reason is we are trying to keep our foot on the accelerator (jib powered up)as long as possable. More shortly. We are almost done.
OK, we've got the boat going as fast as conditions will permit and the skipper has decided he wants to tack. The first thing he should do is advise the crew so they can prepare their positions. The boat I'm using in this example is in the 30' to 32' range and weighs about 15,000 lbs or more. This boat generate a lot of momentum and we want to use this momentum to our advantage. We don't want to do anything that will bleed off the momemtum. You can not snap a boat this size through a tack. I guess you could but you don't want to. When the jib trimmer on the loaded winch hears that the boat is to be tacked shortly the first thing he should do is clean up his winch. He should remove the winch handle and take the sheet off the self tailer. He should have 3 wraps on the winch and is holding tension on the sheet. The trimmer on the lazy winch takes 3 wraps on the winch and has the winch handle handy but NOT on the winch. It will only get in the way for the time being. At this point the skipper asks if the crew is ready to tack and they confirm they are and then he announces he is tacking and the boat starts to turn head to wind. The lazy trimmer has taken in all the slack in his sheet. As the boat starts to come up the loaded trimmer is concentrating on watching how the sail breaks - top first, bottom first or all at once. He wants to convey that info to the lazy trimmer so he can set his fairlead. At this point things are going to happen fast. To maintain the forward momemtum obviously the sail has to be powering the boat so we want to hold the jib as long as possable as it pushes the bow over. Here's how to bleed off the momemtum - as soon as the boat starts to turn, cast off the loaded sheet and let it fall in the water and let the jib flop all over the place as the new trimmer madly tries to winch in on his side. How many times have you seen that happen? How does the loaded trimmer know when to cut the sheet? He has to experiment and he does this by practicing tacks. The skipper will bring the boat up to head to wind and at some point the pressure on the sheet will go slack. He can feel it happen. The point where he wants to release the sheet is just before that slack happens. The reason is we are trying to keep our foot on the accelerator (jib powered up)as long as possable. More shortly. We are almost done.
What knot to use?
Thanks, guys, you have given me several pearls that I can toss in the bag of tricks. If I do decide to go to continuous line sheets, what are the disadvantages?
Thanks, guys, you have given me several pearls that I can toss in the bag of tricks. If I do decide to go to continuous line sheets, what are the disadvantages?
Knot
Bob: There are no disadvantages that I know of. If your jib sheet is in good condition I would not go out and buy a replacement. The knot I'd use on a continuous line is pretty simple, but I don't know what they call it. I'd find the center of the line and form an upside down "U" and then slip both ends through the "U". If your using a bowline now. which you probably are, I'd redo that with a clove hitch or some similar knot. Anything to eliminate the large know from hanging up.
Bob: There are no disadvantages that I know of. If your jib sheet is in good condition I would not go out and buy a replacement. The knot I'd use on a continuous line is pretty simple, but I don't know what they call it. I'd find the center of the line and form an upside down "U" and then slip both ends through the "U". If your using a bowline now. which you probably are, I'd redo that with a clove hitch or some similar knot. Anything to eliminate the large know from hanging up.
The Humble Bowline
It has been my experience that if you tie your bowline with the “tail” outside of the loop, then your knot has a much better chance of hanging up on a shroud when you tack. I believe that the proper way of tying this knot is for the tail to be captured entirely within the loop (that passes through the clew) when finished. When tied this way, nothing can get hung up on the rigging. I have tried the single-line-tied-with-a-hitch method and did not like it for several reasons: First, you cannot swap the line end-for-end so one end wears out faster because it is constantly getting scuffed on the winch drum. And, second; the hitch seizes tighter on the clew grommet when under a heavy load. This results in a lever arm force on the leading edge of the grommet causing it to work free from the sail (guess what happened to me). I have tried several different ways of attaching sheets to sails and have always come back to the trusty old bowline.
It has been my experience that if you tie your bowline with the “tail” outside of the loop, then your knot has a much better chance of hanging up on a shroud when you tack. I believe that the proper way of tying this knot is for the tail to be captured entirely within the loop (that passes through the clew) when finished. When tied this way, nothing can get hung up on the rigging. I have tried the single-line-tied-with-a-hitch method and did not like it for several reasons: First, you cannot swap the line end-for-end so one end wears out faster because it is constantly getting scuffed on the winch drum. And, second; the hitch seizes tighter on the clew grommet when under a heavy load. This results in a lever arm force on the leading edge of the grommet causing it to work free from the sail (guess what happened to me). I have tried several different ways of attaching sheets to sails and have always come back to the trusty old bowline.
Buntline Hitch
Mirror image bowlines are pretty good, but bulky. A Buntline Hitch (Studding-Sail Tack Bend) is a great knot for foresail sheets. Pass the bitter end through the clew from outboard to inboard. Tie a clove hitch around the standing part and haul tight. The bitter end should be facing outboard and has little tendency to foul on rigging etc. The knot is small so it is ideal for sails where the clew must be close to the deck block.
Mirror image bowlines are pretty good, but bulky. A Buntline Hitch (Studding-Sail Tack Bend) is a great knot for foresail sheets. Pass the bitter end through the clew from outboard to inboard. Tie a clove hitch around the standing part and haul tight. The bitter end should be facing outboard and has little tendency to foul on rigging etc. The knot is small so it is ideal for sails where the clew must be close to the deck block.
Gettin' hitched
Thanks again guys, even more pearls. A couple of comments: I'm always jumpy about using a clove hitch on something like the sheet attachment to a clew, because it doesn't seem secure enough if the sail does any flogging - in other words, it strikes me as a knot that can untie itself under cycles of severe tightening/loosening/shaking. Is this an unfounded concern? Also, the idea of keeping the tail within the loop of the bowline makes good sense, possibly even to the point of adding a wrap of tape to keep it there. In fact, on halyard shackles I sew it in place with a few stitches. In the past we have used relatively long loops on the sheets so that it's easy to attach the whisker pole - the bowline allows this, whereas the other knots and hitches mentioned don't. But it does seem somewhat large, bulky, and heavy on light air days. And Don, if you use the inverted U-hitch on a single line sheet set-up, how do you keep the whisker pole from riding aft along the sheet? Finally, one of the best accessories on my boat is a roll of "gaffer's tape" my daughter donated from her job as stage manager. It is very strong, sticks well, comes off easily without leaving residue, and is great for bridging those gaps and crevices that seem to attract a loose sheet. We don't get many hang-ups (sheet-wise, at least) anymore since we started using that stuff.
Thanks again guys, even more pearls. A couple of comments: I'm always jumpy about using a clove hitch on something like the sheet attachment to a clew, because it doesn't seem secure enough if the sail does any flogging - in other words, it strikes me as a knot that can untie itself under cycles of severe tightening/loosening/shaking. Is this an unfounded concern? Also, the idea of keeping the tail within the loop of the bowline makes good sense, possibly even to the point of adding a wrap of tape to keep it there. In fact, on halyard shackles I sew it in place with a few stitches. In the past we have used relatively long loops on the sheets so that it's easy to attach the whisker pole - the bowline allows this, whereas the other knots and hitches mentioned don't. But it does seem somewhat large, bulky, and heavy on light air days. And Don, if you use the inverted U-hitch on a single line sheet set-up, how do you keep the whisker pole from riding aft along the sheet? Finally, one of the best accessories on my boat is a roll of "gaffer's tape" my daughter donated from her job as stage manager. It is very strong, sticks well, comes off easily without leaving residue, and is great for bridging those gaps and crevices that seem to attract a loose sheet. We don't get many hang-ups (sheet-wise, at least) anymore since we started using that stuff.
Don's knot and Bob's whisker pole
Don - my boat came with the single line attached as you describe. Some people call this a "luggage tag" knot, but surely there's a proper name for it somewhere. It works for me, and I don't intend to change. I have seen it discouraged, but it was without any explanation so I dismissed the comment for the time being. Bob - I posted the following about a month ago when somebody said they replaced their clew ring with a bigger one so the whisker pole end would fit. I know you aren't doing this, but you are attaching it between the clew and the bowline know so it can't move very far. I'm no expert, I'm just quoting this info from Forespar in case it is useful to some readers: Forespar's web site mentions to clip the whisker pole to the jib sheet but doesn't enphasize the point: "Set the sheet into the end fitting being sure it is allowed to run free". This is from: http://www.forespar.com/resources2/techTips/whiskerPoleSeminar.shtml This more detailed quote is from the link shown below: 10. Tips on Use The jib sheet should be set thru the end fitting without any twist or loops around the end of the pole. Do not attempt to set the end fitting jaws directly into the clew of the sail (the grommet or eye of the sail itself). This will cause a twist in the sail which could damage the end fitting and sail as well. The sheet should run freely thru the end fitting. Do not attach it to the bowline at the jib clew. The reason is that if you need to turn the boat in an emergency or to avoid an object in the water, the sail must be allowed to blow out around the headstay. If the sheet is not allowed to run freely thru the end fitting, the pole could be forced against the stay and bent. ...RickM...
Don - my boat came with the single line attached as you describe. Some people call this a "luggage tag" knot, but surely there's a proper name for it somewhere. It works for me, and I don't intend to change. I have seen it discouraged, but it was without any explanation so I dismissed the comment for the time being. Bob - I posted the following about a month ago when somebody said they replaced their clew ring with a bigger one so the whisker pole end would fit. I know you aren't doing this, but you are attaching it between the clew and the bowline know so it can't move very far. I'm no expert, I'm just quoting this info from Forespar in case it is useful to some readers: Forespar's web site mentions to clip the whisker pole to the jib sheet but doesn't enphasize the point: "Set the sheet into the end fitting being sure it is allowed to run free". This is from: http://www.forespar.com/resources2/techTips/whiskerPoleSeminar.shtml This more detailed quote is from the link shown below: 10. Tips on Use The jib sheet should be set thru the end fitting without any twist or loops around the end of the pole. Do not attempt to set the end fitting jaws directly into the clew of the sail (the grommet or eye of the sail itself). This will cause a twist in the sail which could damage the end fitting and sail as well. The sheet should run freely thru the end fitting. Do not attach it to the bowline at the jib clew. The reason is that if you need to turn the boat in an emergency or to avoid an object in the water, the sail must be allowed to blow out around the headstay. If the sheet is not allowed to run freely thru the end fitting, the pole could be forced against the stay and bent. ...RickM...
Whisker Pole
Mates: Follow Rick's advise on whisker pole attachment. Probably 80% of the sailors clip the jaws to the bowline, which is not correct. Additionally, when you hook the whisker pole jaws onto the jib sheet be sure the jaws are FACING UP. That way, when you release the jaw the pole just falls down. Now that you know the correct way to attach the pole you can see that attaching the pole with the jaws facing down presents obvious release problems.
Mates: Follow Rick's advise on whisker pole attachment. Probably 80% of the sailors clip the jaws to the bowline, which is not correct. Additionally, when you hook the whisker pole jaws onto the jib sheet be sure the jaws are FACING UP. That way, when you release the jaw the pole just falls down. Now that you know the correct way to attach the pole you can see that attaching the pole with the jaws facing down presents obvious release problems.
Hmmm, whisker pole jaws up or down...
Don - I've never sailed a spinnaker and just got the whisker pole near the end of last season, so again, I'm just quoting Forespar's material. Both links below say to place the whisker pole jaws down, unlike a spinnaker pole which goes jaws up. I think this may explain it: whisker poles are under a great deal of compression loading, so you can't detach it under load. As soon as you release the sheets to release the load, the pole will slide aft down the jib sheet until it rests on the lifeline. At that point, having the jaws down makes it easier to release the sheets, which tend to fall out and down. Here are the two quotes: "Do not attempt to retract or telescope a pole under load. You will not be able to handle any pole under load and can injure yourself. Be sure all sheets are slack before setting, telescoping or taking down a pole. Whisker poles are flown with their jaws facing down. Unlike spinnaker poles, having the jaw down does two things: it allows for proper attachment to the topping lift and easier detachment of the jib sheet. On a whisker pole the sheet tends to fall down and out. Whisker poles do not have bridles. The topping lift should always go directly to the outboard end. Whisker poles also do not have full length trip lines (unless they are fixed length). Trip lines on a telescoping pole get in the way when the pole is used at any position short of its full length". "Whisker poles should be flown with the jaws facing down. When taking down a whisker pole, the jib sheet usually wants to drop down-and-out of the end fitting. Spinnaker poles are flown jaws facing up, as the spinnaker sheets usually want to lift up-and-out of the end fitting. The pole won’t know the difference but you may find it easier to set and take down with the ends in the proper orientation." ...RickM...
Don - I've never sailed a spinnaker and just got the whisker pole near the end of last season, so again, I'm just quoting Forespar's material. Both links below say to place the whisker pole jaws down, unlike a spinnaker pole which goes jaws up. I think this may explain it: whisker poles are under a great deal of compression loading, so you can't detach it under load. As soon as you release the sheets to release the load, the pole will slide aft down the jib sheet until it rests on the lifeline. At that point, having the jaws down makes it easier to release the sheets, which tend to fall out and down. Here are the two quotes: "Do not attempt to retract or telescope a pole under load. You will not be able to handle any pole under load and can injure yourself. Be sure all sheets are slack before setting, telescoping or taking down a pole. Whisker poles are flown with their jaws facing down. Unlike spinnaker poles, having the jaw down does two things: it allows for proper attachment to the topping lift and easier detachment of the jib sheet. On a whisker pole the sheet tends to fall down and out. Whisker poles do not have bridles. The topping lift should always go directly to the outboard end. Whisker poles also do not have full length trip lines (unless they are fixed length). Trip lines on a telescoping pole get in the way when the pole is used at any position short of its full length". "Whisker poles should be flown with the jaws facing down. When taking down a whisker pole, the jib sheet usually wants to drop down-and-out of the end fitting. Spinnaker poles are flown jaws facing up, as the spinnaker sheets usually want to lift up-and-out of the end fitting. The pole won’t know the difference but you may find it easier to set and take down with the ends in the proper orientation." ...RickM...
When the clew of the genny is cut high ...
off the deck I find it easier to use jaw up as you can drop off the sheet a lot easier. We use that technique in cruising racing gibes ... as you gibe ... the wisker pole just drops down to the deck ...out of the way once it is released ... and then reattaches on the other side. we keep the pole attached at the mast. easy program for one bowman. Now if you have a deck sweeper ... different story. Vic "Seven"
off the deck I find it easier to use jaw up as you can drop off the sheet a lot easier. We use that technique in cruising racing gibes ... as you gibe ... the wisker pole just drops down to the deck ...out of the way once it is released ... and then reattaches on the other side. we keep the pole attached at the mast. easy program for one bowman. Now if you have a deck sweeper ... different story. Vic "Seven"
Hmmmmm!!
Rick: Who am I to argue with Forespar. Forum listers - forget what I said and go with what Rick published from Forespar.
Rick: Who am I to argue with Forespar. Forum listers - forget what I said and go with what Rick published from Forespar.
Good points, guys
I was aware that Forespar recommended downward facing jaws, and also had a dim recollection that they advised to clip the pole directly to the sheet rather than the bight at the clew, but didn't remember why. We had been having lots of trouble with the end of the pole working its way back down the sheet toward the genoa block and so we started clipping it into the bight and that problem went away. Always bad, though, to be worse prepared for an emergency - so we will have to re-think our attachment. What I can't figure out is why the pole wants to work back aft - it seems to me the geometry of the layout would keep the pole forward when the sail is sheeted and held or cleated. Have there ever been restrictions (racing wise) in how far back the foresail can be and still be whiskered out - for example, is it generally OK on a close reach?
I was aware that Forespar recommended downward facing jaws, and also had a dim recollection that they advised to clip the pole directly to the sheet rather than the bight at the clew, but didn't remember why. We had been having lots of trouble with the end of the pole working its way back down the sheet toward the genoa block and so we started clipping it into the bight and that problem went away. Always bad, though, to be worse prepared for an emergency - so we will have to re-think our attachment. What I can't figure out is why the pole wants to work back aft - it seems to me the geometry of the layout would keep the pole forward when the sail is sheeted and held or cleated. Have there ever been restrictions (racing wise) in how far back the foresail can be and still be whiskered out - for example, is it generally OK on a close reach?
Bob - pole sliding aft
I only got to use mine two or three times at the end of last season, but I decided right away that I liked the idea about running the lazy jib sheet up around the bow cleat (see the diagrams in the link below) to act as a downhaul. I don't remember exactly why. Either the pole slid aft as you describe or maybe the pole bounced up and down spilling air. At any rate, with the lazy sheet as described the whole arrangement is rock solid and nothing moves. My jib sheets are in Spinlock Powercleats which can be released instantly. The link below also mentions how boats over 30 ft need to be set up different (topping lift and fore-guy) from smaller boats. Mine is only 23.5 ft, so I was happy not to have to figure out what a heck a fore guy is! ;-) ...RickM...
I only got to use mine two or three times at the end of last season, but I decided right away that I liked the idea about running the lazy jib sheet up around the bow cleat (see the diagrams in the link below) to act as a downhaul. I don't remember exactly why. Either the pole slid aft as you describe or maybe the pole bounced up and down spilling air. At any rate, with the lazy sheet as described the whole arrangement is rock solid and nothing moves. My jib sheets are in Spinlock Powercleats which can be released instantly. The link below also mentions how boats over 30 ft need to be set up different (topping lift and fore-guy) from smaller boats. Mine is only 23.5 ft, so I was happy not to have to figure out what a heck a fore guy is! ;-) ...RickM...
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