Tasmania in 2013

[SeaLady]

Rob you are braver than me.

Give me a 10-15 knot steady breeze, 25-30 deg C, calm seas, chilled bubbly and a deckhand to peel grapes.



Ooops.
Yawn... I just woke up.
Must have been dreaming.

[storm petrel]

Rob,

Would be interested in what your thoughts are about going to windward in a 'strong' breeze. I also use a furler but the thought of pulling my 130% down in 25+ knots in a seaway is not a happy one. I have a storm sail for the furler and I have used it but only when I could bend it on in the lee of a headland or before the wind piped up. I am seriously thinking about adding and ATN style galesail which I think I could manage to bend on with crew in a blow. Mind you would not be pleasant but do-able I think. Interested in your thoughts

Cheers,
Mark

[rob.lovelace]

I've had discussions with my sailmaker and I wanted him to make me a gale-sail same as ATM my view was the genny started getting a bit high above the deck when furled down to hanky size. Be discouraged me from it. I went to the rigger and asked about an inner forestay and he said it would need running backstays for it to work even though I only wanted to put it about 400mm above the lowers. He suggested a wire luff storm sail with a dedicated spectra halyard to get tension on it . After this trip I revisited the sailmaker telling him I couldn't point in over 25kts without slowing down to a speed of 1kt he said I should be getting better than that, and suggested I had too much weight forward. After looking at my waterline before I unloaded I think he may be right. the pointy end was about an inch or two lower than the blunt end which he reckons would hinder it from lifting over the seas. So I'll arrange my weight more amidships as suggested and give that a try. When it's time to use a storm sail it's also the time I don't want to go forward. In future if I'm not making headway I will just heave to or bear off a bit I think. If I roll up the headsail and have the main on third reef she just sits there nice and cosy.

[storm petrel]

Rob,

I also find that my Top Hat tends to 'hove to' when I only have a heavily reefed main up in a strong breeze, but it would still be good to know you could move to windward if needed.

What was your sail makers concern about the galesail? It seems such a simple solution to the furler dilemma.

I agree running backstays would be a pain. The only other thing I can think of, is a removable Solent Stay? You could leave it attached to a chainplate until needed and it would not require running backstays (or go with the wire luff storm sail set up as a solent stay) . But I guess this is all probably over complicating things on such a nice simple little yacht.

Cheers,
Mark

[rob.lovelace]

It's funny, I just wanted to give him money to make something I could probably get cheaper from the states. He said he knew someone who tried one without much success, and in the end it's like you say we are over complicating a very simple little yacht.

[bearmcnally]

Hey guys
Give Brian Shilland of Shilland Sails a buzz he quoted me $1500 cash for a main .He has done my family sails for the past 40 odd years , and knows Top Hat sails as he made them as an apprentice back in the 60's under L J Mitchells sails .And I still have Mitchell gear on Egret II

PS Laurie is now 90 plus years .but not making sails !