tacking instead of gybing?

[captkris]

Would you agree with the statement, that flogging the bunt/sail was the issue at the time when sails were not as strong/stiff and/or canvas, halyards/sheets were relatively soft (to compare with today’s ropes) and loosing there tension etc. Today’s sails and ropes are built most of the time to withstand lots of abuse including flogging. Unless, as you did mention, sailboat is doing long runs at sea then they should be secured. Other reason for securing the sail by reefing ties is that when unexpected worsen weather hit the sailboat, sailors have less sail to deal with as far as taking it down/securing and switching for the storm trysail.

[Plumper]

In the past (days of canvas sail) I understand they rolled the reef in the main by rolling the sail around the boom or they took the sail right down. Older boats with small crews seem to have many small sails instead of two or three big sails like modern boats. Today, slab reefing allows one to maintain sail shape when reefed and do it all from the cockpit. Leaving the cockpit to tie in the buntlines defeats the purpose of rigging the reefs so they can be done without going forward. A properly rigged boat with roller furling forward and cutter rigged is easy to adjust sail on. Roll one jib up, slap in a reef on the main, it is easy and fast in a well rigged boat. The PO of my boat did a good job of setting it up. I can put my first reef in a minute or so, by myself, but I still have to go forward to put the clew on the hook. My second reef is all led aft and takes another minute or so and I don't have to leave the safety of the cockpit. Unfortunately, with hank on jibs, I have to go forward to reef/change them. Hank on versus furling is another good discussion...
I certainly agree that older materials (sails and lines) were harder to work with and required different setups. They also punished errors more quickly. Have you though about the challenges of gybing a boat with running backs? Prior to modern rigs the runners held the mast up. That was one more thing to do when gybing in 50 kts of wind.....not! If the lee runner wasn't let fly in time the boom would hit it and cause a serious wipeout. (been there) A chicken gybe gives one time to do all those things.

Gaz

[captkris]

LOL, yes running backstays are a bit of a problem, however manageable. I did some sailing on 46' boat (second reef/short handed, 30-40 kts) with running backs. The way we did jibing was to have them loose as soon as decision about jibing was made. Since second reef is at about 2/3 of the mast it really did not matter to have them tight during the maneuvers. After successful jibing we got right back to the running backstay. Is it correct or not we managed to do jibing without any sensations. Should it be done that way? Of course not, but if you are short handed anything works if safe.
I was always wandering in case of the third reef, would we need running backstays at all, since heavy jib is on the inner stay? I never took my chances to eliminate running backstays, but always thought about it.
Yes the accidental jibing without loosening backs will be disastrous for the running backstays and the mast! That is why on racing boats there are special crew “designated driver/s” for them, and “bustards” have little to do during the race (best job on the deck) assuming they do perfect job keeping up with the right and needed tension on the backstays.

[CharlieCobra]

The Main is not loose footed, it's tracked. It does look like the tension is on the first sail tie doesn't it. This was the very first time we reefed the Main on Oh Joy so it's a lesson to be learned. I could've used a reef in the Main last night on the way back from Friday Harbor. The wind came up and the closer to home we got, the harder it blew. We got within a mile when I decided to douse instead of reefing. No sense in exposing crew in a blow at night anymore than ya have to.

[wind_magic]

I always smile when I see the title of this thread, for some reason it makes me think of last rites at a cat's funeral or something ... "He tacked when he should have gybed".

[Plumper]

It does tend to blow up down at that end of the straits, particularly around Pt Wilson. Fortunately it is a very localized wind. We had a great little beer can race yesterday at this end (outside Victoria). Wind was a nice 10-12 knot easterly for most of the day but it got a little flukey in the late afternoon when it backed around to the west.
Lotsa gybes. (thread content)

Gaz