Some opinions on telltales and Gentry tufts?

[OldCat]

With a new Genoa & since I need to set up telltales for it:

What length and material have you found to be best for the telltales? Best meaning - I think - most responsive to the widest range of wind conditions and trim.

Any difference in the above for Gentry tufts? Some of the web stuff that I read seemed to indicate usage of a shorter telltale for these.

I don't have any windows in the sail and it is Dacron, so the tales need to be visible through the cloth & red and green.

Tks,
OC

 

[LuzSD]

we've been toying with the idea of spraying something silicone on them so they don't get stuck so often.... anyone doing that?

 

[Don Guillette]

I've used everything from store bought plastic and yarn to video tape and, in a pinch, I've even used the green tape you buy at Home depot to tie up tomato plants. Actually, I used the green tomato tape a lot. When I'm invited on boats for sail trim sessions I always carry a roll of tomato tape and tape to attach them. The first question I ask the skipper is "do you have telltales" - half say NO. I don't know how skippers trim their main and jib without telltales. The answer is they don't. Telltales are how the sails talk to you and tell you what they need.

The plants in my veggie garden also talk to me - no one else can hear them except me!!

 

[mcrow33]

I've always sailed with hanked on jibs and genoas and always used telltails. I learned to sail racing so I guess I'm not sure how to steer a boat without telltails. I now have a boat with a roller furler. My 150 genoa has telltails at the luff. My question is does anybody add more telltails further back from the luff so that when you roll up the genoa say to the 130 or 100 position you have telltails there to use? Or is the foil so messed up from the roll up sail along the luff that telltails are not much good.

 

[Joe]

I've always sailed with hanked on jibs and genoas and always used telltails. I learned to sail racing so I guess I'm not sure how to steer a boat without telltails. I now have a boat with a roller furler. My 150 genoa has telltails at the luff. My question is does anybody add more telltails further back from the luff so that when you roll up the genoa say to the 130 or 100 position you have telltails there to use? Or is the foil so messed up from the roll up sail along the luff that telltails are not much good.

Can't hurt..... give it a try and get back to us.

 

[Taroona]

Growing up dinghy racing we tied wool to the shrouds

 

[RichH]

OC - I use the Davis precut tell tales and for my Gentry Tufts I simply cut the ~6" Davis tales in half,

mcrow33 - Yes you can extend the row of Gentry tufts back to ~30% SA (LP) reduction and still maintain a 'tight/precise steering groove' when furled. Since one side of the (rolled up) luff will be in the windshadow of the rolled sail .... other tales arent really that applicable; however, it is and advantage to have 1 or 2 sets of 'aux' tales on the normal rolled up reefing line - @ 120% LP & @ ~100% LP, any tighter 'roll' than 100% LP on a 150LP sail is going to be in non-broadseamed (flat) sections and will be of little effect.

If you have 'reefing patches' added to the leech,etc. for your roller reefing genoa the aux. tales would go slightly behind an imaginary line between the 'reef patches'

 

[OldCat]

OC - I use the Davis precut tell tales and for my Gentry Tufts I simply cut the ~6" Davis tales in half...

If you have 'reefing patches' added to the leech,etc. for your roller reefing genoa the aux. tales would go slightly behind an imaginary line between the 'reef patches'

Thanks Rich, that was the info that I needed.

What is a reefing patch on a Genoa?

OC

 

[RichH]

Reefing patches are triangular reinforced sail fabric thats added to the leech to prevent chafe and strain when the sail is 'rolled'/partly furled. They're usually placed at the leech at the 20-25% LP reduction shape. ;-)