Mondays 06/20/2011 Question and boating safety tip

CaptainScott · Post by **CaptainScott** » Mon Jun 20, 2011 6:31 am

Safety Tip:
Being in a hurry when boating is not very wise. Now mind you, I'm not talking about being efficient and staying out of other boaters way. I'm talking about simply being in a hurry. Rushing through things. When you hurry, something always gets missed. One of the most common things missed is the boat plug! However, being in a hurry, you can forget your boat keys, fuel, safety items, FOOD, sunblock, etc etc. Missing any of these items can cost you way more time than slowing down and doing it right the first time! Maybe make a list of all the items needed for you boating trip! Fresh fuel, sunglasses, crew, etc. All items you do not want to forget. You will be way more relaxed knowing you have everything. This will help you to make better decisions as skipper of your boat. I had loaded Lady Jo one evening on the trailer and was hurrying to get to the wash down. You see, several powerboats were loading up and I wanted to get washed down and out of there. I was strapping her down on the stern starboard side ands still needed the stern port tie to the trailer.In a hurry I ducked and shot under her stern sinstead of walking around. The rudder was turned 90 degrees to the boat so I did not see the thing hanging. I ran square into one edge of a rudder plate with the top of my head! OUCH! Split my head open and left a very nice dent in my head! Had I slowed town a tad I could have simply walked around the stern, strapped her down, and jumped into the truck. As it was, I was in a hurry and ended up sitting for ten minutes, then waiting for all the power boats to wash down, and over all spending an extra half hour there! The price of hurrying cost me an extra 30 minutes, a head ache for days,and I still have the scar and dent in my head! So, take your time, do it right, and do not get into a hurry. It will probably save you in the long run!

Question:
Let me describe the scene for the question. You sailing a sloop on a close reach. You are making good way towards your mark. There is no need to change your heading. You are on port tack. You look up at the telltales on the luff your main. The windward telltale is is streaming straight back towards the leach of your sail. Your leeward telltale is gently fluttering as if in no particular direction. In its simplest form, what sail trim if any would you make to to the main to increase performance. Please explain WHY you woukld make this change or explain WHY you would not make a sail trim change.

Note:
This is a simple sail trim question without any trickery involved. The idea is to step up folks understanding of very basic sail trim. The using of sailing terms is intentional. If you are unfamiliar with some of the terms, please google them so you understand the question and can understand the answer when it becomes available.

J. Austin · Post by **J. Austin** » Mon Jun 20, 2011 9:47 am

If you are sailing too low, or if the sail is sheeted in too hard, a separation bubble forms on the leeward side. This is very harmul to the performance and should be avoided at all times.
My experience is to let the main out slightly. If we are talking about only having an upper and lower set of tales, and the letting out of the main fixes the lower tales til they are perfectly astern, then it's time to reshape the rest of the main using the outhaul, cunningham, and possibly the traveller to get the top shaped as well.

TravisJ · Post by **TravisJ** » Mon Jun 20, 2011 1:37 pm

Either ease the mainsheet a little bit, or head upwind a few degrees. In case you get a wind shift before your mark, if not, you could bear off before you get to the mark. Unless you're required to round to port at the mark.

lecker68 · Post by **lecker68** » Mon Jun 20, 2011 5:40 pm

I agree ease the main sheet just a little to get the leeward telltale streaming for max lift and tighten the vang a touch.

Andiron120 · Post by **Andiron120** » Tue Jun 21, 2011 6:39 pm

Those things covered above seem to have the subject well covered to me.

CaptainScott · Post by **CaptainScott** » Thu Jun 23, 2011 1:00 pm

ANSWER:
In is simplest form, you would simple let out the main until the leeward telltale is streaming like the windward telltail. On a port tack, the luff telltales should look like a clock indicating 3:15.

The idea here is your sail is a lot like a wing. You want good smooth even flow of air around this wing ( sail ) on both sides. Having one or both telltales fluttering all around indicates you have room for improvement. Try to adjust your sail trim such that the telltales all flow evening towards the back ( leech ) of the sail.

Happy sailing!

Scott

. . . . .I do not performance sail . . . . . .
. . . . .I do not performance sail . . . . . .
. . . . .I do not performance sail . . . . . .
. . . . .I do not performance sail . . . . . .