Under the bridge, and over the keel, a good deal of water has flowed over the last few weeks. I was introduced to a local boat guy -- an accomplished mariner who has gone round-the-world on his 40-foot wooden sailboat. He was kind enough to make some time for me, amid his busy schedule at the height of launch season and his preparations for the Marion-Bermuda race.
He came out to the boat on a rainy Friday afternoon, in very good cheer, to help with my jib problems. He successfully rigged the foresail, although not without some difficulties. He used to race, and often served as relief captain and bow-man -- the latter responsible for changing foresails from a position on the bow. The key to feeding a foresail up the track in its furler, he advised, is to pull it forward as you feed it: as the halyard tugs the sail up into the track, pull the next half-foot or so of sail taut and keep it angled down and forward, parallel to the forestay/furler. It will feed in more smoothly as you pull the halyard. He too had a few problems at the snag point, about three-quarters of the way up, but he tugged the sail through and all the way up the track.
He suggested we might take a close look at the whole furler, in his shop, over the winter off-season. He also adjusted the rotating drum at the base of the furler, realigning its window to open to starboard, where the furling line ran aft to a cleat at the cockpit. Two little screws in the underside may be repositioned to reorient the opening in the preferred direction. It was a little tricky: the screws are small, the work space confined (he had to use a stub-handle screwdriver), and the tension on the forestay is not insignificant. This task should have been done properly at launch, while still "on the hard." It is a bit more challenging while on the water. The more important thing here, he advised, is not to drop the screws in the water.
Repositioning the window of the furler drum to face starboard,
from where the blue line (used to furl the foresail) runs aft to the cockpit. Don't drop the screws!
He told me that the jib furler system was functional now, but it was a little outdated. It will work, he said, but I might consider replacing it completely at some point. There are newer systems, better, and not too expensive, he advised. So he has got me thinking. Unfortunately, my threshold of "expensive" lies somewhat lower than that associated with the typical use of that term in the boating world. Maybe next year, or the year after. But it is not a priority at present.
He came out to the boat on a rainy Friday afternoon, in very good cheer, to help with my jib problems. He successfully rigged the foresail, although not without some difficulties. He used to race, and often served as relief captain and bow-man -- the latter responsible for changing foresails from a position on the bow. The key to feeding a foresail up the track in its furler, he advised, is to pull it forward as you feed it: as the halyard tugs the sail up into the track, pull the next half-foot or so of sail taut and keep it angled down and forward, parallel to the forestay/furler. It will feed in more smoothly as you pull the halyard. He too had a few problems at the snag point, about three-quarters of the way up, but he tugged the sail through and all the way up the track.
He suggested we might take a close look at the whole furler, in his shop, over the winter off-season. He also adjusted the rotating drum at the base of the furler, realigning its window to open to starboard, where the furling line ran aft to a cleat at the cockpit. Two little screws in the underside may be repositioned to reorient the opening in the preferred direction. It was a little tricky: the screws are small, the work space confined (he had to use a stub-handle screwdriver), and the tension on the forestay is not insignificant. This task should have been done properly at launch, while still "on the hard." It is a bit more challenging while on the water. The more important thing here, he advised, is not to drop the screws in the water.
from where the blue line (used to furl the foresail) runs aft to the cockpit. Don't drop the screws!
He told me that the jib furler system was functional now, but it was a little outdated. It will work, he said, but I might consider replacing it completely at some point. There are newer systems, better, and not too expensive, he advised. So he has got me thinking. Unfortunately, my threshold of "expensive" lies somewhat lower than that associated with the typical use of that term in the boating world. Maybe next year, or the year after. But it is not a priority at present.
My priority, rather, has been figuring out how to work the sails, how to un/dock, and how to get out more often. We have done a number of short "shakedown" cruises on Buzzards Bay, practicing how to work the boat and getting a feel for how it handles and responds in different conditions. The first few of these were done using the jib only. Later, we added the mainsail, and even tried it once reefed. I've learned that the boat "points well:" it can sail rather tightly close-hauled, pointing into the wind. In a stiff breeze, this can be an exciting point-of-sail, the boat healing as it cuts through the oncoming waves, spray flying over the bow. I keep reminding myself that sailboats heel, sometimes a lot. "You can put that leeward deck rail in the water," my friend the previous owner claimed. But I must confess that, as yet, I still feel uncomfortable when the heeling exceeds twenty-percent. In stronger winds, you can get the feeling that the boat is just on the edge of control. "Take that inclinometer out of there," scolded the P.O., referring to the 'Lean-o-Meter' accessory that I had attached to the cockpit. "It's just going to freak out some of your guests, and distract you." Maybe I will move it to a less obtrusive position, but I rather like having the data.
Greg, Sounds like you're doing great on this boat and getting used to how she handles. I'm sure you'll have the rail in the water before long. She's got a narrow enough beam that the rudder should still bite just fine. And if it doesn't you'll just round up into the wind. No big deal. Just go easy on - and inspect often - the rig while sailing hard like that. Glad the reefing system is working well. That will come in handy in Buzzards bay.
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