New Owner H23.5

Mike Howell · Oct 14, 2008

Congrats!!!!

Sounds like you found a great boat.:dance:

Did you drive downhill the whole way?

The best milleage I can get is 11 mpg.

Seriously Congrats!!!!

Mike Howell

allend · Oct 14, 2008

Nice boat. I have one, too, same year, and love it. My 1998 Plymouth Grand Caravan gets 30MPG (Canadian gallons) normally on the highway, but about 15 pulling the boat. Pulls well, sails well.

jbmayer · Oct 19, 2008

I got just over 15 mpg pulling mine with a BMW X3, with plenty of pulling power..

Rick Webb · Oct 21, 2008

Exactly

There should be a tang on the pin for the vang. It is part 561 on the diagram.

http://www.usspars.com/model.asp

The rams head is for reefing I reef with the jib up first and then take down the jib if necessary.

VT Fitz · Oct 22, 2008

Heaving-to for reefing

Mark,

If I need to reef while under sail, I most definitely do not drop the jib because I want to use it to heave-to. This maneuver allows you to reef in comfort.

To heave-to, you tack into the wind, but don't release the jib sheet. As soon as the jib is backwinded, you push the tiller over in the opposite direction & lash it securely. The force of the jib pulling to leeward is offset by the rudder steering to windward. The net effect is you just bob along, the jib blankets the main & you can calmly reef without the main flogging furiously. The first time we did this it was a dream-come-true!

If the wind is strong enough that flying the jib is too much even with a reefed main, then by all means douse it. The adage, "Less is more," is always a great approach to the 23.5. When the winds blow hard, keep on sailing, but don't stress the rig... or your crew!

Moreover, the best rule of thumb I've heard for deciding to reef or not to reef: if you are wondering if you should reef, it's already too late.

Apropos of the vang, yes, it's shackled to the boom at that first attachment point. As you identify, the vang helps pull down the boom on a run so you are presenting as much sail as possible to the wind, but it's equally, if not more, important in sail shape upwind. In heavy winds, we want to depower the sail by flattening it. We do so by cranking down on the vang. Conversely, in light winds, we want a deeper shape to create more power, so we ease the vang.

Recently, I have started using the vang as a preventer on downwind runs in light, twitchy air. I release it from the base of the mast & attach it to the leeward stanchion base. I have some concerns about putting too much strain on the stanchion, so I just tighten it enough to remove play from the boom. Sometimes the sail will backwind on the backside of a wave & it snaps back afterward; the preventer helps eliminate this action and, naturally, an accidental jibe, which is its #1 job. It's a bit of a PIA to rig, especially if you wind up jibing to a new course, but that's the crew's job anyway!

VT Fitz · Oct 22, 2008

Ramshead

Rick Webb said:
The rams head is for reefing I reef with the jib up first and then take down the jib if necessary.

I messed this up the first time I put on the boom. I had the horns going down. I went to reef & finally realized the mistake!

Just to be sure you're clear, when putting on the boom, make sure those horns are going up so it looks like, well, the horns on a ram's head... duh! When reefing, you ease the main halyard enough so you can hook the cringle (large grommet) at the reef point on either side of that head, doesn't matter which side. Re-tighten the halyard & tie off the excess sail around the boom with small lines that go through the other grommet points along the reef. Our main has those lines there permanently to make this easier & also to secure the main when we flake it; we've pretty much dispensed with all sail ties now!

Also, you may want to tighten/secure the topping lift to start so the aft end of the boom doesn't dip too far & fall to the deck or smack someone in the head! Ditto when dousing the main!

VT Fitz · Oct 23, 2008

Pressure cleat under gooseneck

Mark H said:
Is the reef line running along outside of the boom ran through the crinckles on reefing points of main sail, and then tied off..? If so where do you tie the reefing line bitter end off at?.... there is no cleat on boom, and only one on the starboard side of mast.

Maybe we can speak to the outhaul line too..?

Mark,

All the lines remain inside the boom & there is a pressure activated cleat underneath the boom right at the gooseneck. If you look, you'll see where the line comes out of the gooseneck, there is a serrated, curved piece of metal. If you push up on it, that cleat grabs the line & is pulled back into the opening from which the line is emerging & holds it there... Did that make sense?!? The bitter end of all the lines come out on the gooseneck side.

In the attached picture, ignore the children & look at the gooseneck. In profile, you can see the teeth on that first cleat, for the reefing line, which isn't actually engaged in that shot. Right behind it, you can see one that is engaged, for the outhaul.

You can also see 3 lines. The green flaked line is the reefing line. The red flaked line is the outhaul. The white line -- it actually has a light blue flake in it -- is the topping lift. There seems to be some controversy about this last line. For me, it's clear that it's used for the topping lift. I attach one end to the top of the mast & it comes down to the aft end of the boom, goes over the sheave, through the boom, & out the gooseneck end. The pressure cleat holds it to the right length/boom height. I know some folks just shackle off a line to the aft end of the boom, but that defeats the ability to alter its length. Some people use that third sheave for a second reef, but since the first reef on the stock mainsail is actually where a second reef would "normally" go, a single reef is sufficient for most people.

The grommets (little holes) along the reef are used for short, thin lines that go through the grommet & wrap around boom to tie off the unused sail when reefing to keep it from flogging. As I wrote before, we have lines there permanently that serve double duty to secure the main when we drop it. I don't have a picture of that, unfortunately. To reeve a line through those grommets while underway & reefing in heavy winds would not be fun or easy!

As for the cleat on the starboard side of the mast, I don't actually know what the design purpose is. I use it to tie off the jib halyard when stepping the mast. I also installed a lazy jack system for the main & I now use that cleat to secure that line. Finally, I use it to secure both halyards when preparing the boat for trailering.

I'm wicked lazy about the outhaul. I'd be delighted for someone else to chime in on this subject, but I understand that it too is used to help with sail shape. In heavier winds, it should be tight as possible; in light winds, ease it to help make a deeper shape. In practice, I crank it down & forget it... Bad captain, bad captain!

VT Fitz · Oct 23, 2008

A few more things

Since I posted that picture, I might as well make a few more observations for you...

You can see the ramshead in its correct position.
The green flaked reefing line is bundled up in a small bunch for a few reasons. One, you can actually grab on that bunch when first hauling on it. Two, it demarcates the end of the fully extended working line, so it doesn't need to be any longer. Third, it keeps the spaghetti in that area less messy. My normal practice is actually to do that for all the lines there. Don't know why the outhaul & topping lift weren't cleaned up... Bad captain, bad captain! I also tie a figure-8 stopper knot into the topping lift at a point which keeps the boom from dropping too low, i.e. onto the deck. It's actually placed so the boom can only drop a few inches below parallel to the deck.
You can see the boom vang attached to the base of the mast & a rough idea of the angle to the boom. I'd say it's 60-65 degrees off the mast. I have beefier blocks there & heavier line to get more purchase/power when cranking down. It's also easier on the hands to pull on a thicker line. It has snap shackles on both ends, which makes it much easier to attach, especially when converting it to a preventer.
That very thin blue flaked line by my son's ear is the lazy jack line which is tied off on that starboard mast cleat.

I'll also note that the kids are in PFDs. An absolute requirement even if it weren't a Coast Guard regulation.

The only problem I see is my son doesn't have the binoculars neck strap on... That's worth 20 lashes with the cat!

It was also a beautiful day on LI Sound! This was shot during our cruise from Milford, CT to Mystic Seaport. The kids went to the week-long Joseph Conrad Sailing Camp. They learned to sail Dyer Dinghies & berthed aboard the old whaling ship, the Joseph Conrad. My wife & I were jealous!

VT Fitz · Nov 6, 2008

You can see it the picture, kinda

Mark H said:
Thanks for the pic Kevin...I see the vang attached to the mast base.Where doe it attach to the boom?..txs mark<><

Is it attached to the small sliding bail on bottom of boom?

If you look at the picture (the one where it's turned sideways), you get an idea where it attaches. Unfortunately, since the boom cover is on, it's not a completely helpful picture.

I don't think it's a sliding bail; I think it's fixed. Since the boat's put away for the season, I can't easily check it.

I mean the picture in this thread: http://forums.sbo.sailboatowners.com/showthread.php?t=102924

George H260 · Nov 6, 2008

Mark:

All good advice. The H23.5/240/26/260 are all very similar so I suggest you browse the HOW knowledgebase for these models and check out this link for more info on sailing this class boat: http://h260.com Lots of good tips.

New Owner H23.5

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