Sailing Experience

I think you will find, curved works better. put a small cam-cleat either end and small sheet attached to each side of the carr. In tacking upwind setting the windward side to its best position will set you up for "auto tacking" of the carr.

 

Thanks Masalai, I'm going to attend to it shortly.

 

Fanie,

Hey, mate, I know it's frustrating, but the ability to wring some movement towards home by finding the patches of barely moving air is a critical sailing skill. Look at those guys sailing round the globe in those super-big multimillion (insert currency of choice) tri's. 25-30 knots for weeks on end, then for several days lucky to make 2 knots!

I did spend a miserable 3 hours once sailing back 2 miles/3 km to the pier in a rented sloop whose aux power was a rather small paddle. In retrospect, I could have made faster progress by lowering the sails, sitting in the bow, and paddling this 1 ton canoe back to port.

I loved your tale of being smart-mouthed by your GPS.

On the other hand, you're going to be a real expert before too long, 'cause you're getting out and doing it. Good luck, mate!

 

Hi Charmc, I didn't know there were more suckers like me and I refuse to take up an oar to row with

Our inland winds are nothing to brag about, and the ave windspeed per year is just a few kts, while at the coast it's around 18kts. I've never been at the coast when the wind wasn't livin it up. Since I want to build myself a sea going motorized (note MOTORIZED ) SAILER I need to get to terms with sailing as well.

If you live on motors only it means large tanks and expensive fuels, I guess I'm stingy. Since the use of wind is for free (for now at least) it is an alternative way to move. I like the idea to have the option.

The windless parts although frustrating gives one time to think about your sins, not that we have any Seems I will have to get the little outboard as well. Maybe a little 200 VMax eh ! for when the wind's not blowing

I have to work through my little rig and see if I can sort the problems out, they give me valuable insight in what will be required for the larger rig. I have gained a lot of insight in some things already, hull behaviour in wind for one.

We have one resource where one may get some REAL experience other than little dams and the sea, Bloemhof dam. I'm not ready for it yet, but that will be where things get tested and sorted out for the worst of the worst I have at times thought it's worse than the sea. Especially this one patch is really bad, and the fish is always on the other side of it. Why ?

So far the sailing part is the easy part. It seems the equipment and it's handling and operation is where it all gets tied to.

Thanks all for your responses, replies and advice. It helps a lot.

 

Fanie, maintaining sails and all the stuff that keeps them up is surprisingly expensive. 10 years ago - around par with fuel powered boats (displacement not outboard speed type)

 

Well, I guess everything costs money. And yes things are expensive. I still like the idea to be able to use motors or sails depending on the situation.

If there is a moderate wind available I'm sure you can travel without using the fuel. If there is limited wind or a situation comming up then it would be nice to have the option.

I plan to keep the sail as simple as possible without being rediculous, and this is the sole reason for building the little trimaran. If the aft mast works well enough for my liking - and so far it has real potential - it's what the Boxy Fisher will get too since no one else seems to try to build such a 'rediculous' sailing setup.

This setup is easy and economic to make and requires no special profiles. A simple furling roller roll's it up and you can even decide how big a sail you want to use depending on the weather. It is quick to furl if you have to stop quickly when you fish, and if you have to follow a fish on the run you can switch to the outboards.

If you double the sail you can fly each clew on it's own side when running, one port, the other starboard and it's nothing else than a genoa then. It will just require two carr's on the same rail.

This sail has a lot of lift, during my last go I only got the one hull pushed down slightly, the windward hull barely lifting. With the windrider I sailed with the bermuda rig the hulls got submerged completely at times... had me worried a little.

The sail I have currently is due for some serious mods. Once done I'll try the changes and see how well they perform. I'm sure a tri tacks easier than a cat, so I will have to keep such things in mind too.

 

Yes, other energy sources are handy, particularly in the middle of the ocean - - - also gives the option to sail higher into the wind or use only the iron sail.

Other guys have an interest in aft masts, have you seen Yipster's gallery? Also - "sorry memory failure - abort retry or quit" - Sorry can't remember name - a kiwi who designed & built a sail powered game-fishing boat!!! and several others I have seen around this net.

"If you double...." is usually referred to as a "hitch hiker rig", after John Hitch - who is out cruising. I like that style too. I will stick to cats - to each his own....

 

Correct me if I have it wrong -

Remember, this aft mast sail (or jib if you like) is the only sail and the main sail. Reason, simplicity.

It seems the length of the sail of the aft mast setup along the foot of the sail should be the distance from the furling roller to the mast plus 20 to 25%, since you never sail with the sail in the centre. This will also only be true if the carr or cleat sits in line with, or runs just before the mast.

It may well be possible to have the foot of the mast extend beyond the mast by quite some distance if you have a winch or cleat that it could be tied to. This would increase sailing area (and speed) by quite a bit. The sail would look more like a pyramid instead of the jib triangular shape.

I am looking for a way to have the foot of the sail extended downward, as well as on the leach. If it is possible to, with the help of a rope to each, be able to tie the extra sail area to the foot and to the leach it will be great.

With the foot and the leach tied you will sail in a close haul. The extra sail would be out of the way and the main sail can be tied up close.

Then when you change direction to beam reach, broad reach or running you would slacken the foot rope and leech rope, thus deploying the extra sailing area. The extra sailing area could enhance speed by quite a bit.

Any ideas ?

 

Battens that sits parallel with the forestay could also be used, the sail could still be furled with them. The leech's shape could then be similar to the bermuda's to add sailing area.

 

Where do I find Yipster's gallery ?

I have Altzheimers lite too. May soon upgrade to pro. Some days I'm so through each other (confused) I... I... feel almost like uh... YOU

 

Ok, Don't answer, I found yipster's gallery. Will take a closer look but te-he... it looks he's got some flapping things (wings) on some of the rocket launchers

I especially like the one that folds up and becomes smaller and smaller untill you can put it in your car's boot.

Sorry Yipster, couldn't resist I may steal some of your ideas there

 

I srill needs some opinion / argument / advice / hints / tips / suggestions / whatever on post no 143 please.

 

Fanie!

Haven't been following the thread that closely.Sorry!

Give us your querie "in a nutshell" and I may be able to get the ball rolling.

I'm working on a "rotating/canting" crabclaw type thingie for my proa.

Love to swap some ideas....

 

Trev, have a look at post 143 of this thread.

What would the implications be if the centre of sail force is somewhere between the rudder and the daggerboard (more aft), instead of being in the centre of the hull(s) ?

Reason for asking this is, with the single aft mast in a close haul the centre of sail force could be behind the hull centre, then when reaching, the sail is let out some and the centre of sail force is moved foreward and should be closer or maybe just foreward of the hull centre.

 

OK, feedback. It sounds a bit like you're describing a single sail with a huge amount of belly, to be deployed as both a close hauled foil for pointing and a sort of asymetric spinnaker for reaching and for running downwind. If that's what you mean, the concern would be stress at the attachment points for your lines that haul the sail material forward of the mast and below the boom. Trimming could be another issue. I will never try to dissuade out of the box thinking, but I wonder if the increased efficiency of multiple sails might not offset the inconvenience.

On the other hand, cat and lateen rigs perform well with only one sail. Building on that idea might help.