I have been sailing into the slip at my marina (a windward slip) by mainsail but a sailor at the dock said I should be using my jib instead. That the jib can be easily de-powered by letting go of the jib sheet and to slow down you zig-zag. I learned by using the mainsail on my C-30 and I can reach the end of the boom while at the helm or with a quick steep or to so I can power it up or de-power by tossing the boom leeward. My wife can stopslow the boat by pushing the boom into the wind. The jib seems like it would be easier to de-power and I would not have to worry about a swinging boom but how to back fill it to stop seems like it would take more time to handle the jib sheets when time is a factor and the jib would not reach as far into the wind as the mainsail. I guess I could try the jib to see however I would like to practice one way to get good at it. We had a good landing this last weekend when and we sailed into the slip using the mainsail, before that while practicing I have had some not so good landings. Any Ideas? Thanks Chip
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Experience counts
If you've gotten this far without crashing, more power to you (no pun intended). The jib is preferred and the theory is obvious, but you seem to have mastered the mainsail tactic.
If you've gotten this far without crashing, more power to you (no pun intended). The jib is preferred and the theory is obvious, but you seem to have mastered the mainsail tactic.
Balance
I would think that sailing in with just the jib (upwind) would be more difficult because the pull of the sail would tend to push the bow off to leeward. To compensate, you'd have to turn the rudder over further to keep on course. This would slow you down, and lead to increased leeway --- and problems. Using the main alone puts the center of effort of the sail more in the middle of the boat so you can steer more efficiently, since the boat is better balanced. Backwinding the main slows and stops the boat and because it's balanced, the boat maintains it's heading . Backwinding the jib slows and stops the boat, but because it's force is forward, it will throw the bow off to the side. If there's another boat there... that's why Bill B's glad he's not your next door neighbor.
I would think that sailing in with just the jib (upwind) would be more difficult because the pull of the sail would tend to push the bow off to leeward. To compensate, you'd have to turn the rudder over further to keep on course. This would slow you down, and lead to increased leeway --- and problems. Using the main alone puts the center of effort of the sail more in the middle of the boat so you can steer more efficiently, since the boat is better balanced. Backwinding the main slows and stops the boat and because it's balanced, the boat maintains it's heading . Backwinding the jib slows and stops the boat, but because it's force is forward, it will throw the bow off to the side. If there's another boat there... that's why Bill B's glad he's not your next door neighbor.
Upwind or downwind?
Seems to be some confusion which way the wind blows at your slip. If you dock the boat and the bow is pointing into the wind, the main works just fine. If the wind is at your stern, use the jib.
Seems to be some confusion which way the wind blows at your slip. If you dock the boat and the bow is pointing into the wind, the main works just fine. If the wind is at your stern, use the jib.
Dangerous behavior
Sailing into your slip is cool but you might get fined for reckless behavior. But when sailing to drop an anchor the main works best for me. Heading directly into the wind the jib just seems to get into the way and it takes effort to drag it across the bow. The main when sheeted in is self tending.
Sailing into your slip is cool but you might get fined for reckless behavior. But when sailing to drop an anchor the main works best for me. Heading directly into the wind the jib just seems to get into the way and it takes effort to drag it across the bow. The main when sheeted in is self tending.
Before engines... everyone did it that way.
I do it all the time with the main on my big scow. On my heavyweight cruiser I have to be quite careful of 'momentum' and usually use only a staysail. And if all else fails .... rapidly shifting the tiller/wheel violently back and forth (over-sculling) will help to slow you and drain the energy from the 'momentum'. 'Stop-sculling' and backing sails was how the old-timers without engines did it all the time.
I do it all the time with the main on my big scow. On my heavyweight cruiser I have to be quite careful of 'momentum' and usually use only a staysail. And if all else fails .... rapidly shifting the tiller/wheel violently back and forth (over-sculling) will help to slow you and drain the energy from the 'momentum'. 'Stop-sculling' and backing sails was how the old-timers without engines did it all the time.
Wind direction
It all depends on which way the wind is blowing. On an upwind berth, mainsail works just fine. Ours is generally a downwind to beam reach into the slip. The jib works MUCH better. I woudl even prefer a jib for an upwind slip because of less to conk you on the head. Plus you can furl the jib if you have a furler. Stu
It all depends on which way the wind is blowing. On an upwind berth, mainsail works just fine. Ours is generally a downwind to beam reach into the slip. The jib works MUCH better. I woudl even prefer a jib for an upwind slip because of less to conk you on the head. Plus you can furl the jib if you have a furler. Stu
I use my main
We sail our O'Day 25 into the slip about half the time we take it out. I always use the main, but I do it a lot differently. We sail almost to the slip, then drop the main, and coast in. Barely moving when we pull in, so we don't hit anything. I have a spring line ready, and grab it. That stops what little forward momentum is left.
We sail our O'Day 25 into the slip about half the time we take it out. I always use the main, but I do it a lot differently. We sail almost to the slip, then drop the main, and coast in. Barely moving when we pull in, so we don't hit anything. I have a spring line ready, and grab it. That stops what little forward momentum is left.
Wow I am impressed!!!
Of course I would sail my daysailors into a slip but a Catalina 30 is impressive. My Pearson 323 weighs 12500 not including stuff. that's a lot of momentum. We are third in from the end and even with the engine I have to use reverse to make the corner into the slip. We are in a tidal creek so there is usually a current one way or the other and the trees and buildings along the shore cause the wind to shift a lot. With all of the dinghys hanging from davits and bowsprits sticking out from both sides I've never considered sailing into my present slip. What do you do if someone comes out of their slip just as you get into tight quarters??? I've had to stop and back up when someone pulled out unexpectedly. Would my insurance pay if I ripped off someones bowsprit while under sail??? I guess that I'm getting chicken in my old age!! Another reason that I start the motor is that a diesel's biggest enemy is lack of use so motoring for 30 minutes at the start and end of a sail charges the batteries and drives water out of the oil etc. Tom
Of course I would sail my daysailors into a slip but a Catalina 30 is impressive. My Pearson 323 weighs 12500 not including stuff. that's a lot of momentum. We are third in from the end and even with the engine I have to use reverse to make the corner into the slip. We are in a tidal creek so there is usually a current one way or the other and the trees and buildings along the shore cause the wind to shift a lot. With all of the dinghys hanging from davits and bowsprits sticking out from both sides I've never considered sailing into my present slip. What do you do if someone comes out of their slip just as you get into tight quarters??? I've had to stop and back up when someone pulled out unexpectedly. Would my insurance pay if I ripped off someones bowsprit while under sail??? I guess that I'm getting chicken in my old age!! Another reason that I start the motor is that a diesel's biggest enemy is lack of use so motoring for 30 minutes at the start and end of a sail charges the batteries and drives water out of the oil etc. Tom
why?
I agree that sailing into a slip looks cool (until you screw up or the wind shifts at the wrong time) but why not use your engine? Like p323ms, I must be getting old.
I agree that sailing into a slip looks cool (until you screw up or the wind shifts at the wrong time) but why not use your engine? Like p323ms, I must be getting old.
Get fined for sailing into a slip, if that
is true then that is sad for any reason, but it is probably true, I’ll check. Well the reason I did it is because I lost the engine, I re-built the water separator and put in a new fuel filter and a couple of fuel lines but then could not bleed the fuel system so I had a mechanic come down and fix it. The engine ran great out to the buoy and then we popped the jib (we had the main up) and went sailing, when we furled the jib I went to start the motor and it only would run for a few seconds and die. No don’t beat up on the mechanic yet as he went to the boat to see what happened and I have not heard back, also he comes highly recommended. He did ask me if I had the engine stop up and I am almost sure I did not (all most). So anyway we sailed in. Our slip is facing west and the wind is almost always coming from the North West when we return in the late afternoon. My wife and I go sailing almost every weekend. I have been practicing sailing into the slip now and then with the motor running incase I needed to sail in some day and that day came. I could have called Vessel Assist but preferred to use my skills. We have a finger pier on each side of our slip and we are about half way down. I have figured it takes about 2.5 knots coming down between the slips to have enough momentum to get into my slip. For my wife I put some large fenders in the water at my slip at about where the life lines are and some smaller ones the corners of the finger piers and a couple of big ones up forward, got’em at Minnes. Any way my wife does not have to put fenders in or out when we leave or arrive and we leave a set of dock lines at the slip so she just tosses them off the cleat and we are off. It makes it easy on here and also I found when I come into the slip the two fenders sitting in the water by the life lines act as a pinball machine in that the boat usually hits one then the other and then stops (there is only about a foot of free space on each side of the fenders when tied up) so that most of my forward momentum is stopped. I do sail out also, pop the main ant the dock and it is easy, most of the time I have the motor running because we would need to tack a lot to get to the open bay after we leave or marine and we prefer to sail in the harbor or sail on out to the ocean but not in the channel to our marina. There is also a racing boat almost at the end (the dead end) which has no motor (about 30 foot) and it sails in and out all the time. I have seen boats come in with Vessel Asset and one came in with people jumping over boats passing lines over because they lost their motor. I raced with Todd from Mission Bay YC and he sails his Olsen 30 in and out of his slip (has an outboard motor which it not on board) and he even backs into his downwind slip using his main. If a person backed of their slip while I am sailing in I could easily spin the boat out of the way I believe and if they backed into me would it not be their fault, just like backing out of your driveway? Also I am under sail if the motor is off. Also every person I have met at our marine is friendly and nice, that may change quick if I hit their boat but I am considerate and I would make good on anything that would happen. I am confident I can make it into my slip; however I could broach, and have or hit the finger pier or whatever. Long story but any way I think I will continue to practice with the main. So far from what I have read it seems it is a wind direction-sail choice. I admire the sailors who can sail into their downwind slips!
is true then that is sad for any reason, but it is probably true, I’ll check. Well the reason I did it is because I lost the engine, I re-built the water separator and put in a new fuel filter and a couple of fuel lines but then could not bleed the fuel system so I had a mechanic come down and fix it. The engine ran great out to the buoy and then we popped the jib (we had the main up) and went sailing, when we furled the jib I went to start the motor and it only would run for a few seconds and die. No don’t beat up on the mechanic yet as he went to the boat to see what happened and I have not heard back, also he comes highly recommended. He did ask me if I had the engine stop up and I am almost sure I did not (all most). So anyway we sailed in. Our slip is facing west and the wind is almost always coming from the North West when we return in the late afternoon. My wife and I go sailing almost every weekend. I have been practicing sailing into the slip now and then with the motor running incase I needed to sail in some day and that day came. I could have called Vessel Assist but preferred to use my skills. We have a finger pier on each side of our slip and we are about half way down. I have figured it takes about 2.5 knots coming down between the slips to have enough momentum to get into my slip. For my wife I put some large fenders in the water at my slip at about where the life lines are and some smaller ones the corners of the finger piers and a couple of big ones up forward, got’em at Minnes. Any way my wife does not have to put fenders in or out when we leave or arrive and we leave a set of dock lines at the slip so she just tosses them off the cleat and we are off. It makes it easy on here and also I found when I come into the slip the two fenders sitting in the water by the life lines act as a pinball machine in that the boat usually hits one then the other and then stops (there is only about a foot of free space on each side of the fenders when tied up) so that most of my forward momentum is stopped. I do sail out also, pop the main ant the dock and it is easy, most of the time I have the motor running because we would need to tack a lot to get to the open bay after we leave or marine and we prefer to sail in the harbor or sail on out to the ocean but not in the channel to our marina. There is also a racing boat almost at the end (the dead end) which has no motor (about 30 foot) and it sails in and out all the time. I have seen boats come in with Vessel Asset and one came in with people jumping over boats passing lines over because they lost their motor. I raced with Todd from Mission Bay YC and he sails his Olsen 30 in and out of his slip (has an outboard motor which it not on board) and he even backs into his downwind slip using his main. If a person backed of their slip while I am sailing in I could easily spin the boat out of the way I believe and if they backed into me would it not be their fault, just like backing out of your driveway? Also I am under sail if the motor is off. Also every person I have met at our marine is friendly and nice, that may change quick if I hit their boat but I am considerate and I would make good on anything that would happen. I am confident I can make it into my slip; however I could broach, and have or hit the finger pier or whatever. Long story but any way I think I will continue to practice with the main. So far from what I have read it seems it is a wind direction-sail choice. I admire the sailors who can sail into their downwind slips!
sailing into slips/ walking barefoot
Mahatma Gandhi, as you know, walked barefoot most of the time, which produced an impressive set of calluses on his feet. He also ate very little, which made him rather frail and with his odd diet, he suffered from bad breath. This made him... A super calloused fragile mystic hexed by halitosis.
Mahatma Gandhi, as you know, walked barefoot most of the time, which produced an impressive set of calluses on his feet. He also ate very little, which made him rather frail and with his odd diet, he suffered from bad breath. This made him... A super calloused fragile mystic hexed by halitosis.
Pun?
William, remember the sailor who sent 10 puns out to his friends hoping one of the puns would make them laugh? No pun in ten did!
William, remember the sailor who sent 10 puns out to his friends hoping one of the puns would make them laugh? No pun in ten did!
We have no other choice
Our lake is the water supply for the Coty of Calgary (1 million pop) and as such, motors are not allowed. We handle all functions completely under sail (with the occasional paddle assistance) Wicd direction is the key.
Our lake is the water supply for the Coty of Calgary (1 million pop) and as such, motors are not allowed. We handle all functions completely under sail (with the occasional paddle assistance) Wicd direction is the key.
Hmmmm....I wonder if the Pardey's would
...be fined for sailing into their slip... 30 plus years of cruising, many circumnavigations, a spectacular Cape Horn rounding, countless articles and books on sailing, all without a motor. If they run out of wind, they pull out the oars and row it in.
...be fined for sailing into their slip... 30 plus years of cruising, many circumnavigations, a spectacular Cape Horn rounding, countless articles and books on sailing, all without a motor. If they run out of wind, they pull out the oars and row it in.
Sometimes
My marina is in a very sheltered cove, and most of the time there isn't enough air moving there to do much of anything. However, if I'm bringing the boat in at night, the breeze is there, and no one is around, I'll take her in under the genoa, furling the sail when I know I can make it, and never cranking up the motor. It's sort of a sweet punctuation to another great day on the water, uspoiled by any internal combustion sounds ('til I fire up the truck to drive home.)
My marina is in a very sheltered cove, and most of the time there isn't enough air moving there to do much of anything. However, if I'm bringing the boat in at night, the breeze is there, and no one is around, I'll take her in under the genoa, furling the sail when I know I can make it, and never cranking up the motor. It's sort of a sweet punctuation to another great day on the water, uspoiled by any internal combustion sounds ('til I fire up the truck to drive home.)
Really...
Yo, coward. I REALLY don't like people that don't have the guts to use their real name. Unfortunately for you, I do not take advice nor criticism from cowards. So that you know, the web site knows who you are, no matter what name you chose to hide under. r.w.landau
Yo, coward. I REALLY don't like people that don't have the guts to use their real name. Unfortunately for you, I do not take advice nor criticism from cowards. So that you know, the web site knows who you are, no matter what name you chose to hide under. r.w.landau
im suprised after all these years
I think that being able to sail the boat home is a prerequisite to being able to call yourself a sailor. I have done it for about 30 years. I find that alot of practice helps. but my 37 i will admit can be a handfull. Alot depends on where you sail from and too. but its an excellent way to learn your boat. When you think about it thats what you do on a mooring every time. nobody fusses about that. its call putting the boat where you want it when you want it there!
I think that being able to sail the boat home is a prerequisite to being able to call yourself a sailor. I have done it for about 30 years. I find that alot of practice helps. but my 37 i will admit can be a handfull. Alot depends on where you sail from and too. but its an excellent way to learn your boat. When you think about it thats what you do on a mooring every time. nobody fusses about that. its call putting the boat where you want it when you want it there!
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