Spreader Devil DQ

[halyardz]

While I understand some twist in the sail is
a good thing, I generally wind up with a good deal of cloth on the spreader and while trimming with the traveler helps it does not
cure it. Note: 33'' fractional rig w/ furling jib.

I''ve also noticed a low cringle on the leech and wonder if I can use that to flatten the sail a bit? Also note, this summer I did not install my battens.

Diagnosis please?

[Jeff_H]

There is nothing unusual about the mainsail sitting against the spreaders when reaching and running. I typically have sacrificial spreader patches (stick on fabric that resists the chafe that would otherwise damage the sail) on my mainsails at the normal spreader location and a second patch at the spreader location when the sail is reefed.

You need to use the boom vang to reduce twist when reaching and running. Once the wind gets past abeam or the boom is eased much beyond the rail, the traveller tends to be pretty ineffective in controlling twist, so it is important to use the vang efective. For casual cruising I typically raise the mainsail with the vang eased. Once the sail is up I fall off onto a beat. While on the beat I tension the vang moderately tight. That typically is about the right amount of vang for reaching and running.

Put you battens back in. The battens help to distribute the weight of the sail so the sail doesn''t collapse in toward the mast.

That low cringle is for the Cunningham. The Cunningham exerts a vertical pull on the luff and shifts the draft of the sail forward toward the mast. It is best used on a heavy air beat when you are trying to flatten the sail and move the maximum camber far forward.

Good sailing Dude!
Jeff

[BigRed56]

Ahoy, halyardz, Once again Jeff is correct however I have a few suggestions, before you put the battens back in try having some lighter and stronger battens made up and see if there is a difference. Also look at mast rake. Subtle adjustments could help you . A quick fix to chaffing would be to place the chafe material on the spreaders themselves. Also take a hard look at the spreaders themselves. Designers are great at following the book put if your mainsil isn''t exactly what was planned for that rig some modifications might be in order. My boat has a similar problem after the retro-fit and moving the spreaders has helped me. Keep in mind though I''m on the far left of sailing theory and Ill try anything just because I can.Big Red 56

[halyardz]

Thanks for the tips. I''ll put them into play once she''s back in the water. The spreaders have "boots" but the sail often lays on the shrouds...so I''ve now got some
new variables to play with thanks to you guys.

[DuaneIsing]

Ahoy all.

Just wanted to add that halyardz noted the cringle was on the leech. The cunningham cringle is on the luff, so something is still not right with the question/answer.

As always, I enjoy reading all the posts in my lifetime education on sailing.

Happy New Year!

Duane

[Jeff_H]

A cringle in the leech of the sail that is close to the boom is a flattening reef cringle. Before loose footed sails became the norm again, flattening reefs were needed to take some of the draft out of the sail when beating in a breeze. With a conventional shelf foot mainsail (or bolt rope mainsail) pulling aft on the outhaul only flattened a narrow band of the sail near the boom and did not pull cloth out of the lower portion of the sail as would be ideal. The geometry of a flattening reef actually pulls cloth diagonally and so flattens further up into body of the sail. While this was primarily a circa 1973-1983 hot racing set up, if the sail was cut for a flattening reef then using the flattening reef as the wind builds on a beat can be very helpful.

Jeff