MorningBird said..
My offer to come out on my boat still stands, or you get me or someone else to come out on your boat.

In the meantime I think you will get yourself into real strife out on Pittwater with your current level of expertise. Pittwater has swirling and gusty wind conditions, especially around Careel Bay, and you will end up gybing or wearing something on your or the missus head. Even small boats have lots of power when the wind gets up.

I think it would be a very good move to spend a few bob and do a Competent Crew course if you can't get a lesson from someone else.

I expect you will have the basics by the time I'm back, but I would be happy to take you out on my boat anyway just because I like doing it.

I think you should take up Morningbirds offer to show you the basics. On the South coast I would make the same offer. Plenty of pensioners about who would offer their services I'm sure. The important thing is to not scare the Missus!

Thanks guys you're all legends. MB what a gentleman you are. If we can make it work, it's a wonderful offer, thank you.
The bowline knots are not very big, I think the trouble lies with the fact that the sail is so large that when tacking the
sail is literally dragged around the shrouds and mast. It snags on the leeward shrouds because I'm trying to haul it in
before the wind takes it out of control. Make sense????.
I have seen what appears to be conduit on some boats shrouds, does this rotate as the sail goes over it and would this
alleviate my problem do you think.
Don't scare the Missus, Oh yeah, I'm with everyone on that score.

No Yara I don't have a smaller sail. However, looking at the furler it seems to be a proper good one although
I haven't located a name on it yet. So would I be able to reef this headsail??. If I wind it up half way and cleat
it off, would it stay there, or would it all go pear shape when I tack.??.

OK Yara, thanks. will look at the furler a bit closer but in my head it is as you say fitted into a groove.
The comment re. going out with other skippers. I will take up MB's offer (if we can make it happen).
It doesn't matter if my learning takes time, I have time. And there is a joy in nutting it out for yourself
and putting it into action and actually achieving it (albeit based on asking the forum a million questions)
but I like the idea of taking you all along with me on the journey. Maybe you can remember yours. Unless
it was really scary of course.
So don't worry about me and the Missus, we're doing just fine....... Just keep answering the questions.

Samsturdy, I am not back in Oz until mid September. If you can get someone else in the meantime please do. We can go out when I get back.
To make you lot jealous I am currently in Hvar, Croatia on the Dalmation coast. We were in Dubrovnik and Korcula over the past week.
I'm not sailing this time around but this is fantastic sailing country. Enclosed waters, no 8 metre seas, beautiful ports with relatively inexpensive food and provisions. One day I hope to come back and get a yacht.
Ramona, Woody Oxlade has one of his two yachts, a Beneteau 44 I think, based here or in Cyprus/Malta permanently. He has a bit more money than me I suspect. He posted on FB this morning he had just rounded the heel of Italy on his way up here. His other yacht is at the Middle Harbour Yacht Club.
Life is a bitch for some.

Note that with a smaller jib you will need some mainsail, otherwise you will not be able sail to windward.

When you must tack often using a large head sail it perhaps would be wise to remove the cutter stay?
With a genoa you would only need it to bend your storm sail. Until then it is only obstruction.
Mine has a 4:1 purchase on it and one can stiffen it still with the back stay (and -or runners).

Sam, don't split the conduit, it will catch. You will need to separate the stay from the chain plate, thread it through the conduit and then reset the stay. 15min job :)