Joined
·
251 Posts
Do you 'gybe', or 'tack', when on only 'headsail', and why one or the other? Thanks.
Both, just depends what I am doing, where I am going or what I am avoiding.......Do you 'gybe', or 'tack', when on only 'headsail', and why one or the other? Thanks.
Really?!? Are you having us on?Sailing under jib alone= Wanking.
I think tacking a boat is entirely a question of momentum, regardless of your sail arrangement. When you start the tack you need enough momentum to carry the boat through the wind and onto the next tack. Creating and maintaining momentum when sailing under jib alone is more difficult than with a jib/main combination, as it is easier to stall just the jib and lose momentum. Whatever the size of the jib, if you have the boat closehauled and properly trimmed , so that she has reasonable speed, you will have the momentum to complete a tack. Under jib alone, establishing proper position and trim on the new tack also is more difficult, I find easing the jib and sailing down a bit until the boat is at speed, can be a useful strategy.If the jib is too small, it's hard to tack. When most or all of the sail area is forward of the CLR, then when you tack, the jib pulls the bow to leeward, and it's very difficult to get the boat to sail to windward on the new tack. If the jib is about 130% or larger, the overlap provides some sail area aft of the CLR, and that part of the jib helps push the stern to leeward, which helps the boat come up to windward after tacking. So, sailing on a non-overlapping jib alone doesn't work very well, if you will have to tack the boat.
No offense, but the difficulty sailing under a jib is likely your difficulty and not that of your boat. A boat sailing under just a jib handles differently (lee helm...) than when balanced with main and jib, and in particular sailing closehauled with just a jib requires more attention (and skill) than sailing with jib and main. Work on, practice and you'll get it.In my boat at least, a mast-head sloop with a fin keel, sailing with head sail alone is a downwind exercise. It is impossible to sail higher than about 90' to the wind and therefore almost impossible to get enough speed to swing the head through the wind to make a tack. So a gybe it has to be. But why would you want to sail up wind with only the head sail?
No offence taken. I'll consider what you said and do some research. But I'm having trouble imagining the conditions where spilling reefed main and a jib is not a better balanced plan than jib alone. Like I said, more research needed.No offense, but the difficulty sailing under a jib is likely your difficulty and not that of your boat.
Really? Could you explain this some more?If you are out in strong breeze conditions and want to go somewhere upwind, the fastest way to sail to that destination will be under jib alone. Throw in some sea conditions, and the ONLY way to get there may be under jib alone.
Most boats over 25 MPH or so, and a double-reefed main is better furled as you're luffing it anyway. So the break point is somewhere around there.
No offence taken. I'll consider what you said and do some research. But I'm having trouble imagining the conditions where spilling reefed main and a jib is not a better balanced plan than jib alone. Like I said, more research needed.