sam you got headed or knocked
You need to look for signs up the course if the wind is going to change direction and be prepared to pull her off the wind as it changes direction
your autohelm is not going to do that for you even with an interface wind direction sensor
so in shifting conditions man the helm or dont be bothered if you get put about

Did you have the main up, or are you still sailing with jib only?

samsturdy said..

Jib only Yara. 25 knts is a bit windy for the Missus, much more comfy with headsail only.
Bit wimpish I know but got to look after the Missus.

25 knots then the main should be up first with one reef. In this case it might have made sense to motor sail with a reefed main and tacked your way home. Gusty Westerly in enclosed waters have the main sheet cleated on but handy for quick release.


Leave the jib furled.

Hey Samsturdy looking after the passengers isnt wimpy! After all you want them to sail with you next time :-)

When my missus comes out on the boat I often sail with jib only so its relaxing and not acrobatic.

I sail Pittwater too and the wind is often very flukey, as mention I think the wind above the hills is stable but as you move along you sail in and out of wind curvatures caused by the bays and headlands.

I found sometimes the thing to do is set the sails for the breeze that appears most often and when it changes direction just ignore it and hopefully coast a bit until it comes back.

That way you dont have to put your beer down.

Ramona said..

samsturdy said..

Jib only Yara. 25 knts is a bit windy for the Missus, much more comfy with headsail only.
Bit wimpish I know but got to look after the Missus.

25 knots then the main should be up first with one reef. In this case it might have made sense to motor sail with a reefed main and tacked your way home. Gusty Westerly in enclosed waters have the main sheet cleated on but handy for quick release.


Leave the jib furled.

+1
Sam, the basic principle (love the basics, they often get forgotten in all the detail), is that when the wind increases, you reduce sail area. Whilst a large jib on its own, might work fine in moderate winds, as the wind gets up you need to furl some of it. Now you have two problems. A furled sail is not very efficient. The centre of effort of the furled sail moves forward, and you lose the sail balance. (The (jib) sail is pushing the boat sideways, and the opposite sideways resistance of the keel is further back, and this effect wants to spin the boat around.)

Losing control of the boat is a lot more scary than a reefed mainsail. Believe me, the missus will be a much happier with just a reefed main in a 25 knot breeze, and the skipper in control.

samsturdy, Pittwater is diabolical with wind changes, especially at the Basin and Careel Bay and in a strongish nor easter.

25 kts is a strong breeze. It has a lot of power and an unintentional gybe in 25 kts can break equipment.

It isn't for the inexperienced.

I agree with Ramona. Use the main with a reef or two rather than the heady. I only use the heady on its own if the wind is steady, behind the beam and I am being lazy. E.g. running down Pittwater in the said nor easter.

In 25 kts, unfurling the heady, controlling the sheet and the furling line, steering and keeping the passengers calm is a big ask for an inexperienced sailor.

I have run out of time to go for a sail with you as we head off to Lord Howe in two weeks and next weekend is a car club run to Bathurst/Millthorpe. Lets see if we can organize something when we get back from LHI.

Yep as MB says,the wind shifts there are something else and you will learn some lessons sailing around there.

We can be running downwind and it is not uncommon for us to have the spinnaker up and another yacht 50 metres away heading the opposite direction with their kite up.-Go figure!

Thanks you two. We haven't actually got to Lion Island yet so we probably haven't experienced
the worst of the wind shifts. It doesn't worry me being out there, I am a Master class 4 so
safety/boat handling is ingrained. I drove the MV Explorer on the bottom end of the Murray
before she came to NSW. (yes I know she looked like sheep transporter) but she is a big boat
and could be a handful in a big wind.
So what's the difference........SAILS, how to use 'em properly and how to use a force that can
be unpredictable. That is what I'm learning and I'm enjoying the challenge and I appreciate all
the input from the forum over the months. I tips me lid.

Yara said..
If you only have one reef point in the main it does not cost much to get a sailmaker to add a couple more. Then you can go out with 3 reefs in and a tiny sail, and work up from there.

The sail mods are easy, putting the new reefing lines, pulleys and blocks in might not be. I had a Duncanson that was only equipped with one reef, a 2nd one meant a whole new installation.

Just a thought re paying out the furling line while using two hands to pull the headsail out.
How do you single handers do it ???.

Morning HG. Yes of course, I used to wonder why some cruisers had a little mast on them
until someone told me it was for a stay sail to stop them rolling excessively. Made sense.

What Ramona said!
My setup is a small block that is threaded permanently onto the endless furling line. This block is tethered on a short elastic line to a snapshackle clipping onto the rear pushpit. The block sits in the rear corner of the cockpit.
When clipped on, the elastic line to the block was sized to keep the furling line under tension, albeit a small amount, to keep it all manageable and straight.
The furling line is not under a lot of tension, had enough for the furling line and turning block to be held off the deck and suspended, but that's it.

So, furling out:
-Steer to blanket the headsail with the main.
-clip the furling line turning block to the pushpit. Furling line is almost taught.
-Haul on the headsail sheet, throw a few wraps on the winch and trim to suit.
I don't touch the furler line as it pays out.
(This probably all points to that I had a light air moment, the wind was prob average 10 knots over the few days we tried this.)
In 20 knots plus I'll just grow that other 2 x pairs of arms you always seem to need.

I furl on any heading. Downwind, steer with the butt cheeks, let the sheets fly but try and keep a small amount of tension at the start of the furl. Don't furl the headsail too tight! Upwind just let the tiller go and let the boat round up or leave the windvane engaged. Pull the furling line with two hands. Cleat off the furling line and leave at least 3 turns of the sheets around the furled headsail!

MorningBird said..

Yara said..
If you only have one reef point in the main it does not cost much to get a sailmaker to add a couple more. Then you can go out with 3 reefs in and a tiny sail, and work up from there.

The sail mods are easy, putting the new reefing lines, pulleys and blocks in might not be. I had a Duncanson that was only equipped with one reef, a 2nd one meant a whole new installation.

In this instance, it is only a training mode, so only one reef is needed at a time. If the clew pulley is on a track, the mods could be as little as just extending the reefing lines.