I'm very new to sailing. The other day, on what appeared to be a pretty normal weather day, I noticed a boat sailing using only the jib. Is there a particular situation that calls for this? If so, what would it be and what advantage(s) would be gained? Thanks.
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I do it all the time. It's
much easier and simpler to sail with only a headsail. Of course, you give up a little speed, but not much and for a casual daysail, who cares?
much easier and simpler to sail with only a headsail. Of course, you give up a little speed, but not much and for a casual daysail, who cares?
Jerry it is easier, especially if you have a roller furling
jib and the sail is big enough. A small jib would not give you enough speed to steer well, and you would have a big lee helm (the tendency for the boat to turn away from the wind). If the sail is big enough, the center of effort is not that far forward, and you could heel just enough, so that the helm would be almost neutral. Joe S
jib and the sail is big enough. A small jib would not give you enough speed to steer well, and you would have a big lee helm (the tendency for the boat to turn away from the wind). If the sail is big enough, the center of effort is not that far forward, and you could heel just enough, so that the helm would be almost neutral. Joe S
I do it (a lot)
Jerry~ When I go out for a cruise , very often I just use the headsail only, which is on a roller furler. I never use just my main. I have a masthead rig and all the speed and power come from the headsail. I really dont notice any speed difference with the main up. although it lets me control draft, but doubles my work.
Jerry~ When I go out for a cruise , very often I just use the headsail only, which is on a roller furler. I never use just my main. I have a masthead rig and all the speed and power come from the headsail. I really dont notice any speed difference with the main up. although it lets me control draft, but doubles my work.
Hi Jerry, I frequently sail with just the genoa...
Having the main up adds about five degrees pointing ability and maybe two knots boat speed versus just the genoa. Tack changes become much easier and often I'm in no big hurry to get somewhere. OTOH, having all sails up in 20 knots NNW winds cutting across the top end of Georgia Strait with a six to eight foot sea state can be quite exhilarating. Terry
Having the main up adds about five degrees pointing ability and maybe two knots boat speed versus just the genoa. Tack changes become much easier and often I'm in no big hurry to get somewhere. OTOH, having all sails up in 20 knots NNW winds cutting across the top end of Georgia Strait with a six to eight foot sea state can be quite exhilarating. Terry
Not good for the rigging
I have always heard that is not a good thing to do, since you put to much stress on your rig. Going upwind or on a reach. Is only safe to do it going downwind. Try to put your main up with the reef point 1 or 2 in place before uphauling.
I have always heard that is not a good thing to do, since you put to much stress on your rig. Going upwind or on a reach. Is only safe to do it going downwind. Try to put your main up with the reef point 1 or 2 in place before uphauling.
I doubt you'll hurt anything, but I've never done
it either, doesn't seem any easier to tack or gybe my 150 then the main. I learned as a deckhand on the Santa Maria so may be a little old but I can remember someone shouting in my ear " It's called a mainsail 'cause it's the first one up and last one down, just like you, BOOT!".
it either, doesn't seem any easier to tack or gybe my 150 then the main. I learned as a deckhand on the Santa Maria so may be a little old but I can remember someone shouting in my ear " It's called a mainsail 'cause it's the first one up and last one down, just like you, BOOT!".
Sailing with just a jib my 2c
If the boat is a mast head rig its ok. Its basically a work saver. I dont normally do it. If it breezes up I take a reef If there is more breeze I will take the main down to reduce area. A boat with both sails up will point higher sail faster and balance better
If the boat is a mast head rig its ok. Its basically a work saver. I dont normally do it. If it breezes up I take a reef If there is more breeze I will take the main down to reduce area. A boat with both sails up will point higher sail faster and balance better
Boat design from the 80's had a preference for
masthead rigging with high aspect ratio sails (tall rigs) favoring large Genoas and small mainsails. In these boats the power is produced by the headsail and the main primarily is used for balance. There is nothing wrong with using only the headsail with a properly tuned rig. Sometimes I just want to take someone out or go out for a short ride and I do not want to bother with removing sail cover, adjusting lazy jacks, boom vang and raising the main. Another occasion is when I choose to sail DDW (slowest point of sail) and don't want to have to worry about an accidental jibe. Obviously you give up speed but when lazy sailing you can do pretty much what works for you.
masthead rigging with high aspect ratio sails (tall rigs) favoring large Genoas and small mainsails. In these boats the power is produced by the headsail and the main primarily is used for balance. There is nothing wrong with using only the headsail with a properly tuned rig. Sometimes I just want to take someone out or go out for a short ride and I do not want to bother with removing sail cover, adjusting lazy jacks, boom vang and raising the main. Another occasion is when I choose to sail DDW (slowest point of sail) and don't want to have to worry about an accidental jibe. Obviously you give up speed but when lazy sailing you can do pretty much what works for you.
Lee Helm
Jerry, The use of the jib moves the center of lateral resistance forward and creates lee helm. A sailboat is set up to create a little weather helm so that if you release your sails, you will round up into the wind. Lee helm is just the opposite, an unbalanced rig, more heel and a light boat could get knocked over. I don't recommend it for a new sailor.
Jerry, The use of the jib moves the center of lateral resistance forward and creates lee helm. A sailboat is set up to create a little weather helm so that if you release your sails, you will round up into the wind. Lee helm is just the opposite, an unbalanced rig, more heel and a light boat could get knocked over. I don't recommend it for a new sailor.
Barry, you have your terminology confused.
Lateral resistance is created by the hull shape, the keel and the rudder. The sails combined form the center of effort. Properly balanced the center of effort is just a little behind the center of lateral resistance. Thus with no hand on the helm the boat will round up. Dropping the main sail moves the center of effort forward of the center of lateral resistance and will cause the boat to run off with no hand on the helm.
Lateral resistance is created by the hull shape, the keel and the rudder. The sails combined form the center of effort. Properly balanced the center of effort is just a little behind the center of lateral resistance. Thus with no hand on the helm the boat will round up. Dropping the main sail moves the center of effort forward of the center of lateral resistance and will cause the boat to run off with no hand on the helm.
Sailing on one sail alone
I personally do not believe you will damage a rig by sailing on a single sail, either main or headsail. I also think it useful to experiment with your boat and get an idea of what kind of performance and handling you get with only one or the other sail up. My H28.5, for example, will sail quite well with either sail alone when the wind is over 10 kts. I sometime just use the genny when the wind is really blowing, I'm alone, and I'm not looking for a struggle. The only potential problem I've encountered is not maintaining enough boat speed (my fault) when starting to tack in order to get the bow through the eye of the wind. If that happens, you can just fall off, build speed, and try again, or -- if you are lazy like me -- you can "wear ship" and go 270-deg around the other way to come up on the heading you want. Whatever works, works.
I personally do not believe you will damage a rig by sailing on a single sail, either main or headsail. I also think it useful to experiment with your boat and get an idea of what kind of performance and handling you get with only one or the other sail up. My H28.5, for example, will sail quite well with either sail alone when the wind is over 10 kts. I sometime just use the genny when the wind is really blowing, I'm alone, and I'm not looking for a struggle. The only potential problem I've encountered is not maintaining enough boat speed (my fault) when starting to tack in order to get the bow through the eye of the wind. If that happens, you can just fall off, build speed, and try again, or -- if you are lazy like me -- you can "wear ship" and go 270-deg around the other way to come up on the heading you want. Whatever works, works.
This comes up on a regular basis
Lee helm, schmee helm - maybe in light winds, in which case you'd raise both sails. We do it all the time, it's easier for a short sail, and is a tremendous asset when it's really piping. The jib on a masthead rig is the engine, and we've talked many times about it being much faster that just the main - but one sail will move the boat with more "control" in heavy winds - consider it to be a heavy weather TACTIC as well as an easier way to sail if you want to be "fun & lazy." We can and have discussed this until the cows come home. Why not just TRY it and see how it works for YOU and YOUR boat? You will NOT break anything.
Lee helm, schmee helm - maybe in light winds, in which case you'd raise both sails. We do it all the time, it's easier for a short sail, and is a tremendous asset when it's really piping. The jib on a masthead rig is the engine, and we've talked many times about it being much faster that just the main - but one sail will move the boat with more "control" in heavy winds - consider it to be a heavy weather TACTIC as well as an easier way to sail if you want to be "fun & lazy." We can and have discussed this until the cows come home. Why not just TRY it and see how it works for YOU and YOUR boat? You will NOT break anything.
Jerry, I think I should expand a little on my post because
no one has talked about the weather couple. Ross is correct. The center of lateral resistance is the center of the underbody as viewed from the side, and the center of effort is the center of the sail areas viewed also from the side. If you sail on the main only the center of effort is aft of the center of resistance so the boat wants to turn into the wind (weather Helm). If you sail on only a small jib the opposite is true. The center of effort is forward of the center of resistance and the boat wants to turn away from the wind (Lee Helm), and that is what everyone has told you. What hasn't been said, is that all boats are designed with Lee Helm, a center of effort of the combined sail plan to be forward of the center of resistance by as much as a foot . The reason is that there is another force that is considered referred to as a weather couple. A weather couple is the force caused by the center of effort (the forward drive of the sails) offset to the side of the center of the boats forward resistance as the boat heels. This force always makes weather helm. The more the boat heels, the bigger the weather couple and the more weather helm the boat has. The boat designers try to balance the designed lee helm of the sail area with the weather helm of this couple to provide a slight weather helm (for both safety and handling reasons). So as you sail on both sails and continue to sail on ever increasing size jibs, the center of effort continues to move further aft, so that if you were sailing with a 170% genoa you would be floating your main to prevent too much weather helm. On the same theme if you had a standard cruising genoa like a 135% jib and no main the center of effort of the one sail would be still forward of the designers center of effort but when combined with the weather couple the helm would be only slightly Lee or almost neutral with reasonable sailing performance. Still though not as good as with both sails. I hope that helps. Joe S
no one has talked about the weather couple. Ross is correct. The center of lateral resistance is the center of the underbody as viewed from the side, and the center of effort is the center of the sail areas viewed also from the side. If you sail on the main only the center of effort is aft of the center of resistance so the boat wants to turn into the wind (weather Helm). If you sail on only a small jib the opposite is true. The center of effort is forward of the center of resistance and the boat wants to turn away from the wind (Lee Helm), and that is what everyone has told you. What hasn't been said, is that all boats are designed with Lee Helm, a center of effort of the combined sail plan to be forward of the center of resistance by as much as a foot . The reason is that there is another force that is considered referred to as a weather couple. A weather couple is the force caused by the center of effort (the forward drive of the sails) offset to the side of the center of the boats forward resistance as the boat heels. This force always makes weather helm. The more the boat heels, the bigger the weather couple and the more weather helm the boat has. The boat designers try to balance the designed lee helm of the sail area with the weather helm of this couple to provide a slight weather helm (for both safety and handling reasons). So as you sail on both sails and continue to sail on ever increasing size jibs, the center of effort continues to move further aft, so that if you were sailing with a 170% genoa you would be floating your main to prevent too much weather helm. On the same theme if you had a standard cruising genoa like a 135% jib and no main the center of effort of the one sail would be still forward of the designers center of effort but when combined with the weather couple the helm would be only slightly Lee or almost neutral with reasonable sailing performance. Still though not as good as with both sails. I hope that helps. Joe S
jib only
I was out this morning. It was blowing about 30kts and I only had the jib up. The boat handles better in heavy air with just the jib as opposed to just the main. The water was very choppy and we still managed 6kts SOG upwind on my H260.
I was out this morning. It was blowing about 30kts and I only had the jib up. The boat handles better in heavy air with just the jib as opposed to just the main. The water was very choppy and we still managed 6kts SOG upwind on my H260.
Some days I'll use just the jib also
It's a lot easier since it is on a furler, and it saves time back at the dock not having to deal with properly flaking the main and putting on the cover. Funny thing is, I still get weather helm using the jib only!!!!! Manny
It's a lot easier since it is on a furler, and it saves time back at the dock not having to deal with properly flaking the main and putting on the cover. Funny thing is, I still get weather helm using the jib only!!!!! Manny
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