Don I enjoy both cruising and the occasional weekday races. As a result of the racing I find myself wanting to watch both the jib and main tell tails as an indicator of sail trim. Our cruiser however has both the furling main and jib. (I know I've given up performance but for my wife and I it's the right compromise.)My question is that the main has no tell tails. I expect this is the case because of either the larger mast cross section or because the tails would simply 'scrap off' as the sail is furled. Does it make sense to add tell tails on an in-mast furled main and if so can you offer suggestions on the placement ie distance aft of the luff, heights along the luff and leach. Thanks
Tell Tails
- Thread starter FrankT
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No problem .....
Most importantly add tell tales to the leech .... and a 'row' of tell tales in the mid-cord section so that when either fully exposed or partly reefed you will have tales in the most advantageous positions. The 'rows' can have tales spaced about 1.5 - 2 ft. apart. Use the 'commercial' tales as the adhesive is quite good and they 'probably' wont scrape off when furling.
Most importantly add tell tales to the leech .... and a 'row' of tell tales in the mid-cord section so that when either fully exposed or partly reefed you will have tales in the most advantageous positions. The 'rows' can have tales spaced about 1.5 - 2 ft. apart. Use the 'commercial' tales as the adhesive is quite good and they 'probably' wont scrape off when furling.
Thanks Rich
Appreciate the response. The sails will be back on the boat in another 6 weeks and without much to loose I'll give it a try this season.
Appreciate the response. The sails will be back on the boat in another 6 weeks and without much to loose I'll give it a try this season.
Furling Main
Frank: I'm really more of a cruiser than a racer. I enjoy both but I like cruising better because it is something both my wife and I can do together. I never have officially raced my boat because my wife had me install every convenience known to man! The boat is just too heavy. I race on other boats and my wife does not go with me. I've only sailed on one boat with furling main and it was a Hunter (over 40'). I wasn't expecting very much in the way of performance but boy was I surprised. Unfortunately, the wind was light that day but if a sailor can get a sail to perform in light air he can sail in anything. I found I could shape that mainsail as well as a conventional sail. When I left the boat I wished I could afford a in mast or boom furling system. As far as telltales are concerned I think you should add them and I don't think they will scrap off. Divide the sail in quarters and attach them to the leach. I also like to see a set (one on each side) added to the center of the mainsail. Some sailors think that the mast blocks the flow and it does a bit but if it totally blocked the flow the sail would not work. I don't know how sailors trim their main and jib without telltales. I can't and I know what I'm looking for. Telltales give you that extra final inch adjustment edge it takes to get 100% efficiency. The problem with telltales is how to read the info they are giving you and then adjust accordingly. I devote 7 pages to telltales in my book The Sail Trim Users Guide. As a point of info - did you know there are 5 pieces of trim info that you can get from your telltales and they are pinching, pointing, full speed, accelerate and foot? Beer can racing with a furling main - I would not hesitate for 1 minute to race a furling main boat. Not sure if you would end up in the top 3 (maybe you might surprise yourself) but if you trim your sails to 100% efficency I guarantee you will be in the high end of the pack (4,5 or 6). I'm curious as to what you are sailing?
Frank: I'm really more of a cruiser than a racer. I enjoy both but I like cruising better because it is something both my wife and I can do together. I never have officially raced my boat because my wife had me install every convenience known to man! The boat is just too heavy. I race on other boats and my wife does not go with me. I've only sailed on one boat with furling main and it was a Hunter (over 40'). I wasn't expecting very much in the way of performance but boy was I surprised. Unfortunately, the wind was light that day but if a sailor can get a sail to perform in light air he can sail in anything. I found I could shape that mainsail as well as a conventional sail. When I left the boat I wished I could afford a in mast or boom furling system. As far as telltales are concerned I think you should add them and I don't think they will scrap off. Divide the sail in quarters and attach them to the leach. I also like to see a set (one on each side) added to the center of the mainsail. Some sailors think that the mast blocks the flow and it does a bit but if it totally blocked the flow the sail would not work. I don't know how sailors trim their main and jib without telltales. I can't and I know what I'm looking for. Telltales give you that extra final inch adjustment edge it takes to get 100% efficiency. The problem with telltales is how to read the info they are giving you and then adjust accordingly. I devote 7 pages to telltales in my book The Sail Trim Users Guide. As a point of info - did you know there are 5 pieces of trim info that you can get from your telltales and they are pinching, pointing, full speed, accelerate and foot? Beer can racing with a furling main - I would not hesitate for 1 minute to race a furling main boat. Not sure if you would end up in the top 3 (maybe you might surprise yourself) but if you trim your sails to 100% efficency I guarantee you will be in the high end of the pack (4,5 or 6). I'm curious as to what you are sailing?
H33
Don Thanks for the response, the boat is a H33 and we love it. My wife and I went back and forth on the furling main. As usual she was right. For our situation and the type sailing we do I would not trade it for anything. I don't give much thought about furling / unfurling the main should the wind die and then later pick up. We do lose quite a bit without the roach and battens but the ease of use far outways the downside. The weekday racing is on a Catalina 27 and occassionaly a J22. Thanks a lot for all the advice / tips you provide on the forum. They are really helpful. I'm working my way through a few other books at the moment but the sail trim guide is on the list. Many thanks
Don Thanks for the response, the boat is a H33 and we love it. My wife and I went back and forth on the furling main. As usual she was right. For our situation and the type sailing we do I would not trade it for anything. I don't give much thought about furling / unfurling the main should the wind die and then later pick up. We do lose quite a bit without the roach and battens but the ease of use far outways the downside. The weekday racing is on a Catalina 27 and occassionaly a J22. Thanks a lot for all the advice / tips you provide on the forum. They are really helpful. I'm working my way through a few other books at the moment but the sail trim guide is on the list. Many thanks
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