Sail Changes - Chichester

[Warren Milberg]

So, I am once again re-reading the marvelous adventures of Sir Francis Chichester in his various Gypsy Moth boats. I am amazed to read how this 65-yr old sailor managed a 53-ft boat alone around the world, through the Southern Ocean and around the Horns, in some really challenging weather and sea states. A latter day Slocum for sure.

But the question I have is how he actually managed his many daily sail changes. He often tells of hoisting or dropping his main or mizzen without seemingly heading upwind. He raises and lowers his 600-ft genoa, and some smaller staysails, also also without seemingly heading upwind or blanketing them a main -- which was often not up at these times. More amazing is that he frequently undertook these tasks in winds over 40 kts. Any thoughts on his actual technique?

 

[Ross]

I have trouble hanging sheets on a clothsline in more than 20 knots.

 

[RichH]

Chichester sailed in the days before 'furling'; therefore, most probably used piston hanks.

1. Its easy to furl a hanked-on sail when down wind:
a. keep the sheet tight, lower the halyard as you pull in the foot and fold the sail on the windward side of the rail.
b. use a 'jack-line' attached 3/4± the way up the hanks/forestay and pull in on the jackline as you ease the halyard, pull in the loose sail over the rail when 'all down'.

2. Ditto the main that uses an external mast track and 'loose' slugs/attachments
a. come directly DDW with the boom pointing to the eye of the wind. Tighten the mainsheet/vang and *Ease* the halyard in 'steps' (as the boat varies to each side of the wind) to 'fold' the sail across the boom.
I do this a lot when deep ocean sailing and dont want to risk 'coming about' across the increasing wind/waves to reduce sail area; I do have a boom gallows and once the boom is firmly affixed to the gallows then all 'sail work' is safe and relatively easy.

 

[Todd Smith]

Warren,

It really is not necessary to head upwind to drop or reef a sail. You will have to actively pull the sail down against the friction.

With crew it would be one man at the halyard and one or more pulling the sail down. Singlehanded on the main would be simple, his halyard was at the mast, and that is where he would be pulling down the sail. The headsail would require more work, but he would have had hanked on sails, let go the halyard, then go up and pull down the sail and tie it up.

How he did it in 40 knots ? By getting wet and tired, I would bet.

Todd

 

[dkdoyle]

Well in 40 knots my guess is it is a storm jib and reefed main. Not making lite of it but a storm jib will drop to the deck very fast. I would think the main would be challenging though.

 

[Warren Milberg]

Couple of thoughts on some of these responses. It is really hard for me to imagine a solo sailer bringing down a huge hank-on genoa when heading downwind by tightening the foot, releasing the halyard, bringing down the luff to the deck (with or without a jackline), and somehow controlling all that sail as it nears the deck -- all at the same time. We aren't talking about his 60-sqft spitfire, but rather his 600-sqft genny and 300-sqft staysail. Sailing downwind means the sail will still be full and drawing and I doubt releasing the halyard would result in the sail dropping to the deck -- and would be very hard to pull down at the luff, as well. I've done this in boats half the size of Chichester's and it's hard enough to get the sail down even heading directly up wind when alone and the wind is howling and the sail is flapping all over the place. How would a lone sailor keep the headsail from going overboard? Seems like this is a job for a crew of 2-3?

And trying to drop a big main when alone going DDW in a blow by centering the boom in the eye of the wind sounds like an invitation to gybe and then broach. Chichester had vane self-steering that often failed and gave him endless trouble, particularly when the winds were howling (and they were gale force or better most of the time when he was in the roaring Forties). To keep such a boat DDW would have required very precise and competent helmsmanship, which he didn't have most of the time.

So the question remains, why even attempt to drop and/or hoist sails when going downwind? What advantage is there? Chichester had plenty of sea room to turn upwind during 98% of his voyage and, while speed was important to his cause, he often found himself backwinded and going in the wrong direction when he slept. So he had to turn the boat around and retrim a lot anyway. It's possible that turning upwind to make his many sail changes may have been faster and certainly easier....

 

[Barnacle Bill]

Chichester was quite a man. Probably bionic or something. You can go to Greenwich, England and see Gypsy Moth on the hard there. Look at the rigging. Snap some photos and then go have a pint of Ale.

 

[Stu Jackson]

I read Chichester and was appalled.

I read Hiscock and was comforted in knowledge, forethought and planning.

 

[captmikem]

Warren,

You ask:
"So the question remains, why even attempt to drop and/or hoist sails when going downwind? What advantage is there?"

I take it you have never headed up into the wind in sea in much over 10 to 12 feet. It is NOT fun, sails flog, the ride that was nice is now wild, your stable deck is now pitching, apparent wind has increased like crazy and waves wash over the boat from the bow.

I sailed a Frers 80 around the world with my wife, most of the time just the two of us. We often would reef our main dead down or close to dead down. It helps quite a bit to have a full batten main with Harken cars, (I hear Strong system works good as well). you just ease it out till it is almost on the spreaders and slowly bring it down with your jiffy reefing lines, also, having everything at the base of the mast, not in the cockpit makes it easy. Nice stable deck, you can see everything and nothing trying to flog you off the boat.

A few times I remember running dead or close to dead down in 35 kts with the genny poled out and a couple of reefs in the main, surfing along having a great time, the wind would come up and it was easy to slack the halyard a bit and slowly pull in a third reef (as you are slacking the halyard), wind would ease and I would slack the main sheet and slowly shake out the reef (hoisting the main at the same time). I can not imagine heading up wind to do this task, it would have not only been dangerous but would have meant getting the pole off the jib... much easier and calmer down wind.

Putting the bow into heavy seas in a small boat is NO FUN AT ALL.. I avoid it at all costs.

Michael

 

[Todd Smith]

...
It is really hard for me to imagine a solo sailer bringing down a huge hank-on genoa when heading downwind by tightening the foot, releasing the halyard, bringing down the luff to the deck (with or without a jackline), and somehow controlling all that sail as it nears the deck -- all at the same time.

This was a hanked on genoa, which makes it much easier, because the luff of the sail is always under control. Also with the sheet tight, the foot is under control and on the deck. So most of the sail is under control and needs no intervention.

...
Sailing downwind means the sail will still be full and drawing and I doubt releasing the halyard would result in the sail dropping to the deck -- and would be very hard to pull down at the luff, as well.

This would actually help, because you can just let the halyard run and not need to tend it.

1) Head the boat downwind as much as prudent to avoid a gybe.
2) Ease the main out to blanket the jib.
3) Sheet in the jib tight.
4) Cast off the halyard
5) Crawl forward with several sail ties
6) Haul down on the luff
7) Tie up the sail.
8) Unhank the sail and drag below.

6 and 7 could be done in steps by hauling down part of the sail, then securing part of the sail, before hauling down more sail.

...
So the question remains, why even attempt to drop and/or hoist sails when going downwind? What advantage is there?

capt mikem said it well, much less wind, less water on deck, better motion, less flogging of sails.

 

[rgranger]

6) Haul down on the luff

I installed a haul-down on my genoa this year. I LOVE IT. I have ridden the bow in bucking chop in the past. No more! Now I just do as Rich H. said and pull in on the sheet, slowly let out the halyard, take up the slack in the sheet, wrap the down-haul on the winch and pull hard on the down-haull as the sail lays down on the deck.

I've been thinking of installing a "running" baby stay with my 50% jib pre-hanked. Then once the genoa is down, I could run forward and clip on the running stay and haul up the new jib.

Quick and easy????