Anything better than tell tales?

[scalvo]

Hi there,

Is there any kind of system to control having the right sailing position better than the tell tales? Anything digital maybe?

I am tired of tell tales not working when they get wet or when its dark (besides the fact of having to look up). Am I the only one thinking that there should be a better solution?

[JomsViking]

There is no better solution - at least within my budget. Larry Ellison have some stuff they used in the AC
It is a great solution IMHO an they seldom hang when there's any real wind?
Except maybe when using recycled cassette tape for tell-tales

[sailingdog]

Why go digital... doesn't make much sense when the system as a whole is analog. Telltales on the sail, nylon spinnaker material for the main's leech and acrylic yarn for the genny... and you're good to go.

[Minnewaska]

When I can't see or use the telltales on a sloop, I use the speedo. Start with easing the foresail until it luffs and trim in to stop the luff. Then trim in a little and wait, then a little more. Back off when speed starts to drop again, then match the main to the foresail. This is hard in rough or gusty conditions.

Sometimes, if its a familiar boat, you can just feel the right spot.

[bubb2]

Anything better than tell tales?

Experience.

As a former full time sailing instructor I always wished to cut the tell tails off the boats, but the owner of the sailing school would not let me. Knowing wind direction and how it is flowing over the sails is a learned skill. Tell tails allow you to cheat the learning curve. Knowing the wind direction should come as second nature and you can speed up the learning curve by every time you exit you home or car that you spend 15 sec's with your eyes closed feeling which direction the breeze is coming from. Before long you will know with out thinking about it where the wind is.



When it comes to sail trim, Experience also is your best tool. If you sail the same boat long enough you can feel by the "pull' of the sheets if you have the boat in trim or not, just by feel. I understand using tell tails when racing, but for the average cruiser they make us lazy.

[Boasun]

Originally Posted by bubb2

Anything better than tell tales?

Experience.

As a former full time sailing instructor I always wished to cut the tell tails off the boats, but the owner of the sailing school would not let me. Knowing wind direction and how it is flowing over the sails is a learned skill. Tell tails allow you to cheat the learning curve. Knowing the wind direction should come as second nature and you can speed up the learning curve by every time you exit you home or car that you spend 15 sec's with your eyes closed feeling which direction the breeze is coming from. Before long you will know with out thinking about it where the wind is.

When it comes to sail trim, Experience also is your best tool. If you sail the same boat long enough you can feel by the "pull' of the sheets if you have the boat in trim or not, just by feel. I understand using tell tails when racing, but for the average cruiser they make us lazy.

This also known as sailing by the seat of your pants. And that skill comes after a lot of experience on the water.

[Barquito]

Agree. Starting on a cat rigged dinghy w/o any tell tails, we would just sheet out 'till we see it luff a little, then sheet in a bit. When I got onto a boat that actually had tell tails, I was usually dead-on without having to look. Not optimized for racing, but probably very close.

You don't have some device in mind that would solve this problem, do you?

[jackdale]

Originally Posted by Boasun

This also known as sailing by the seat of your pants. And that skill comes after a lot of experience on the water.

+1

Telltales are useful for both the student sailor and experienced sailors especially racers.

For the student sailor they are a visual clue for laminar flow.

For the racer they are a clue about the best approach to the wind. The use of telltales at different heights is also helps fine tune the jib car position.

[billyruffn]

Originally Posted by scalvo

I am tired of tell tales not working when they get wet or when its dark (besides the fact of having to look up).

Wet telltales? Coat them with a little silicone.

When it's dark -- get a flash light.

Tired of looking up (at the sail) -- Dude, stay home! If you can't be bothered to look at your sail, what are you doing out there in the first place?

[sailingdog]

+1 Nicely put BR.

Originally Posted by billyruffn

Wet telltales? Coat them with a little silicone.

When it's dark -- get a flash light.

Tired of looking up (at the sail) -- Dude, stay home! If you can't be bothered to look at your sail, what are you doing out there in the first place?