I bought 1/2 interest in an O'Day 27 foot sailboat last summer. The previous owner had apparently been a conscientious record keeper and sailor, judging from the logs, etc., but the other 1/2 owner, whom I know personally, and who has co-owned the boat for 12 years, is not an especially knowledgable sailor. Our boat slip is near Annapolis, and we sail on the Chesapeake.
I recently took the Maryland School of Sailing ASA 101, and did well, and now I'm eager to practice my new skills. I thought the other 3 people who sail with me (from the other 1/2 owner's family and friends) were very enthusiastic about my lessons, but yesterday's jaunt was a disaster. They cannot really tell me why or how they use the "preventer" but it is not consistant. This is fastened toward the front of the boom with a block and tackle leading to travelers on either side of the cabin, both port and starboard side. There is just one set which must be moved across the cabin. The only reason I can imagine for a preventer's use is to keep the boom from racing to the other side in an accidental jibe. It seems reasonable that it should be fastened on the leeward side, where the main sail is at the time. But then do you have to move it across the deck every time you want to jibe or even tack? That requires someone to go on deck all the time, and so these 3 just say they only want to sail straight out and straight back...obviously they sail a lot with the engine on to get where they want to go.
I was hoping to find some manuals on the O'Day, which they said is a 1988. However, I cannot find an 88 on line that looks anything like ours. Nor can I see enough detail to see if we even have the preventer attached correctly. I saw one set of manuals that are retyped from old ones, but the sample shows no pictures. If I could alternatively talk to someone who has a boat near this age, we could compare some sailing notes and perhaps I would have more creds when I try to explain to them that sailing with the preventer on the windward side doesn't help and may be dangerous, and that keeping the mainsail really tight (thus only using a close haul and by the way never even tacking then) is not a lot of fun, and probably pretty hard on the rigging.
HELP!
Merilyn
I recently took the Maryland School of Sailing ASA 101, and did well, and now I'm eager to practice my new skills. I thought the other 3 people who sail with me (from the other 1/2 owner's family and friends) were very enthusiastic about my lessons, but yesterday's jaunt was a disaster. They cannot really tell me why or how they use the "preventer" but it is not consistant. This is fastened toward the front of the boom with a block and tackle leading to travelers on either side of the cabin, both port and starboard side. There is just one set which must be moved across the cabin. The only reason I can imagine for a preventer's use is to keep the boom from racing to the other side in an accidental jibe. It seems reasonable that it should be fastened on the leeward side, where the main sail is at the time. But then do you have to move it across the deck every time you want to jibe or even tack? That requires someone to go on deck all the time, and so these 3 just say they only want to sail straight out and straight back...obviously they sail a lot with the engine on to get where they want to go.
I was hoping to find some manuals on the O'Day, which they said is a 1988. However, I cannot find an 88 on line that looks anything like ours. Nor can I see enough detail to see if we even have the preventer attached correctly. I saw one set of manuals that are retyped from old ones, but the sample shows no pictures. If I could alternatively talk to someone who has a boat near this age, we could compare some sailing notes and perhaps I would have more creds when I try to explain to them that sailing with the preventer on the windward side doesn't help and may be dangerous, and that keeping the mainsail really tight (thus only using a close haul and by the way never even tacking then) is not a lot of fun, and probably pretty hard on the rigging.
HELP!
Merilyn
