season greetings to all...please let me know your experience sailing only with the main, your oppinion and recomendations...my Genoa is damage.....thank You very much.
Sailing with the Main only...
- Thread starter silvercharlio
- Start date
- Status
I've tried with the main. Does not work well on a close reach. Boat was real slow. Downwind worked well. Problems may have been my own fault though. Wind was from 3knts to 20 so it was giving me a lot of problems. I will be trying some new techniques this summer as I am going to add a traveller which will probably help.
I've often sailed on main only and reefed main only.
typically in winds over 15knts.
its harder to tack. I don't remember trouble close reaching, just stalling if I don't tack with a lot of momentum. then its irons or sailing backwards for a bit, then gain momentum and try again.
under 8knts might be different.
typically in winds over 15knts.
its harder to tack. I don't remember trouble close reaching, just stalling if I don't tack with a lot of momentum. then its irons or sailing backwards for a bit, then gain momentum and try again.
under 8knts might be different.
I also have sailed a fair amount on the main only on a 26S for the simple reason that I was lazy (single handed sailing in a very gusty place) and it’s a lot easier to drop my hank on jib than it is to reef the main and have the same results - harder to tack and it’s considerably slower than a reefed main and a jib. It also moves the sail CE backwards making the boat more prone to rudder stall and roundup but that usually isn’t such a bad thing.
I have a non-rotating mast however and I think the OP has an M with a rotating mast?
Bob O., did you happen to sail on the main only before and after the mast mod? As you know, I have a 15 foot dingy that I pretty much cant reef the main on (way too unstable in the conditions when you need to reef) but it is easy to drop the jib so I end up sailing on the main only a fair amount (gusty windy place at high elevation and in the mountains). Before I put a rotating mast on this boat, it was just "survival" with the main only - more in control but not at all fast. The rotating mast made a big difference when sailing with the main only in that the sail was more driving the boat forward and not so much trying to tip the boat over. But I still have the issues of harder to tack and more likely to stall the rudder.
I have a non-rotating mast however and I think the OP has an M with a rotating mast?
Bob O., did you happen to sail on the main only before and after the mast mod? As you know, I have a 15 foot dingy that I pretty much cant reef the main on (way too unstable in the conditions when you need to reef) but it is easy to drop the jib so I end up sailing on the main only a fair amount (gusty windy place at high elevation and in the mountains). Before I put a rotating mast on this boat, it was just "survival" with the main only - more in control but not at all fast. The rotating mast made a big difference when sailing with the main only in that the sail was more driving the boat forward and not so much trying to tip the boat over. But I still have the issues of harder to tack and more likely to stall the rudder.
I have had a different experience than r.oril
I find my boat is a real dog with only the main. She moves some but I don't like it. It feels really slow and the feeling is just wrong. But even a very small storm jib and she really picks up. I've always assumed it was that "slot effect" thing you read about.
I find my boat is a real dog with only the main. She moves some but I don't like it. It feels really slow and the feeling is just wrong. But even a very small storm jib and she really picks up. I've always assumed it was that "slot effect" thing you read about.
I single hand a lot and I guess I'm lazy too, cause I do it all the time.
It has to changer the balance of the boat but it doesn't mother me.
I expect that it doesn't head up as well but I'm not racing, just cruising around the bay so I'm OK with it.
Sometimes I don't even rig the jib.
It has to changer the balance of the boat but it doesn't mother me.
I expect that it doesn't head up as well but I'm not racing, just cruising around the bay so I'm OK with it.
Sometimes I don't even rig the jib.
With the furler we are just the opposite and put the head sail out at times and don't put the main up. As long as we are moving we are happy and have even been happy just floating around.I single hand a lot and I guess I'm lazy too, cause I do it all the time.
It has to changer the balance of the boat but it doesn't mother me.
I expect that it doesn't head up as well but I'm not racing, just cruising around the bay so I'm OK with it.
Sometimes I don't even rig the jib.
Martin as Somerset Sails where we bought our sails from said that a fractional rig is usually better on the main more and if I remember right (sorry if I didn't Martin) gets more power off of the main and in high wind would reduce the head sail first and then start reefing the main. With a masthead rig like our Endeavour he said that it is the opposite and the power is off the head sail. There he said to reef the main first and then start bringing in the head sail (hope I got that right). We saw a lot of bigger boats in Florida with just the head sail out and so far moving the Endeavour that is all we have sailed on there.
The furler is the nicest improvement we've made to the Mac for the actual sailing part as you can have it in or out so fast and reduce it to some degree.
The first time we went out with absolutely no prior experience or training we were advised to sail only on the main at first. That was a miserable experience for a couple days in light wind as we couldn't get the boat to come about on a tack. It would go into the irons. As soon as we put the head sail up we were ok. My advice to someone like us now would be just don't sail at first on a high wind day and use both sails from the start.
We still have a hard time getting the boat to tack with just the main. Places like Florida where you can be on very long tacks it isn't big deal. If you are trying to sail on a narrow canyon lake where you tack ofter it is,
Sum
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]============================[/FONT]
Our Endeavour 37
Our MacGregor 26-S Pages
Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida
Mac-Venture Links
I'm with Sum. If you're going with one sail, a roller furling genny is the way to go. My 26s does ok under main only and it's better balanced but it can only broad reach or run, not go upwind at all. Under genny, it can close reach and even tack but if I were going upwind, both sails would be up, for the slot effect.
The only reason you have one sail up is for ease of handling/furling. Nothing's easier in that respect than an r/f genny. Even a hanked on genny isn't any harder to deal with than the main.
The only reason you have one sail up is for ease of handling/furling. Nothing's easier in that respect than an r/f genny. Even a hanked on genny isn't any harder to deal with than the main.
except... if you rig the boat a lot - i.e., really use it as a trailerable. I’ve had both roller furling and a hank on jib and the hank on jib is a lot easier for setup and take down. I’ve kept mine hank on for the reduced setup time. My 26S is all around fast to set up (like 30 minutes), that is the tradeoff I chose.
It might be because my Genoa is pretty old and worn out but I don’t think I get any extra speed compared to the hank on working jib so mostly just use the working jib. My sequence as the wind goes up: 1. Working jib plus main. 2. reefed main plus working jib (where I get my peak speed). 3 drop the jib, sail on the reefed main. 4. drop all sails, fire up the outboard or drop the anchor. Some people like several reefs on the main sail, I only have one an its once again the tradeoff is for the fast setup.
However, when I was sailing a lot at 8600 feet, the wind would come up strong for maybe 15 minutes. I would just drop the hank on jib (easy to do) and sail on the main. Then 15 minutes later, pop the jib back up.
I have also sailed on just the Genny, very pleasant.. Somewhat the nice thing about this type of rig, lots of options overall work fine.
FYI, one of the points that R Oril and I were making earlier is that the rotating mast works a lot better than a non rotating mast when used without the jib. Ie, the slot effect is more important with a non rotating mast. My 26S does not have a rotaing mast (but I somewhat wish it did)..
Walt - I don't remember sailing much on the main only before the RM was installed. I do remember that learning how to handle the main and jib was a challenge for my mate and I. After building my PVC furler it became allot easier for us. I could spot the incoming gusts and roll in the jib before it got to us.
The RM has been the best single mod I have installed for performance and speed. The furler has been the best mod for our ease of control in windy conditions. The RM also makes it real easy to ghost along when everyone else is dead in the water.
Happy New Year!
The RM has been the best single mod I have installed for performance and speed. The furler has been the best mod for our ease of control in windy conditions. The RM also makes it real easy to ghost along when everyone else is dead in the water.
Happy New Year!
I think we would argue about what is the best color to use on halyards..
This is one of my favorite forums, great group! Happy New Year to everyone.
Probably correct... but I didn't read this as an argument. The take away I got was that different boats with different sails will act... well... differently. Go figure.
Oh yeah and it is white with blue stripes for the main halyard and white with red stripes for the jib halyard...
Oh comeon!
Probably correct... but I didn't read this as an argument. The take away I got was that different boats with different sails will act... well... differently. Go figure.
Oh yeah and it is white with blue stripes for the main halyard and white with red stripes for the jib halyard...
Blues for main sail lines greens for head sail lines - everbodie no dat!
comeon!
I prefer headsail only vs main only. It's usually in heavy weather and I can furl faster than I can get the main down and stowed. Also lets me keep the Bimini at max height (adjustable for sailing vs anchored) and the boom out of the way.
Just a lot simpler in my mind...
Chris
Just a lot simpler in my mind...
Chris
^if you have a roller furling head sail, it is easier. no doubt.
-I don't and that's why I use just the main, when I'm over canvassed. (walt doesn't either. IIRC).
since the OP doesn't have a head sail for now... he could use just the main, and go sailing!
if you didn't have a RF genoa, you'd probably use the main too.
-I don't and that's why I use just the main, when I'm over canvassed. (walt doesn't either. IIRC).
since the OP doesn't have a head sail for now... he could use just the main, and go sailing!
if you didn't have a RF genoa, you'd probably use the main too.
rake of mast
I had the same problem until I discovered, every year I was lengthening the rake of the mast to get it up. So I started re-raking it every year to correct, huge difference in tacking and speed.
Ahhh reefing is for sissies, that's why we have main sheets, put em both up and enjoy the ride!
Haha
Haha
- Status