Has Anyone Actually Used a 'Gale Sail' in Anger ?

[svBeBe]

When caught in an unpredicted storm in the Bay of Bengal with winds in the 60-kt+ range, it was impossible to even think about putting up the gale sail -- because it was stowed away in a deck locker that was continually about a meter under water. Ours is still stowed away, never used; even when it would have made sense to use it. The silence of positive response to the OP's question is deafening.

Judy
S/V BeBe

[Eric50]

We have very similar experience with our storm jib...impossible to reach when needed.

Since this last issue, we moved it under one of our rear (aft) berth such as we are sure to be able to reach it without opening the fore peak hatch.

It is a very classic storm jib equipped with wichard snaphooks to tie it to the stay (actually the flying stay, before the mainstay).

This is the only storm jib type I would trust in difficult situation.

I am not convinced by all these new "wrap around" type of strom jib for the already given reasons about their erection.

And also because I think that they can damage the furler tube section and their fittings, with the very localized stress they put on them, in opposite to the genoa that spread the stress all along the stay.

I have already seen furler tubes and junction damaged after 5 days of force 10 gale (the aluminium tube ends were burst and consequently cut the genoa that was rolled on) once, the reason was that the rigging got loose and the mainstay was not straight anymore.

During the bad weather, the loose stay and the sea condition create alternate bending and misalignement that ended damaging several tubes and junction...and the furler was brand new few days before (as well as the genoa)!

So that is why I am not attracted at all by this design for gale sail , wrapped around the furled genoa, as they pull and bend the system in a similar way.

[savoir]

Your boat is fractional meaning you should be able to get by just fine with furling the jib and using the staysail. The staysail on a fractional is never very big. If it gets above 50 then you fully drop the main and the staysail alone ought to be just right.

I would recommend keeping the staysail on a furler but plenty of others prefer hanks.

[sailorboy1]

So far it looks that the Gale sail is a no go! So it looks that I'll plan on rigging up a removable stay for a real storm jib.

(I mainly added a no nw info post to keep this current as we still have not heard from someone who has used their Gale Sail)

[imagine2frolic]

ATN Gail Sail

It has been a long time since II looked at their ad. So I went back, and peeked this morning. Just as I remember I wonder how you slip that sock over the furled sail, and lines in a blow. Nice pic on a sunny day, but reality is different.

I took my hank on stormm sail that was built for the babystay. Had the luff redone so it would slide into the stysail furler. I have yet had to pull it out, because of the fact that the stysail has done everything I have needed so far.

I chose the staysail, because I won't be on the cross beam. I will have 11ft. of deck on either side of me. With a solid platform to work on, and not near the nets, or narrow walkway out to the cross beam. Also it will keep the sail lower for less stress to the rigging.......i2f

[savoir]

Originally Posted by Don Lucas

So far it looks that the Gale sail is a no go! So it looks that I'll plan on rigging up a removable stay for a real storm jib.

(I mainly added a no nw info post to keep this current as we still have not heard from someone who has used their Gale Sail)

My gale sail is the staysail and I have used it without any trouble in 50 knots. As if that wasn't enough I had a double reefed main up as well. Had it blown harder I guess I would have lowered the main completely - could have been fun in 60 knots.

I don't plan to buy a proper storm jib.

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by savoir

My gale sail is the staysail and I have used it without any trouble in 50 knots. As if that wasn't enough I had a double reefed main up as well. Had it blown harder I guess I would have lowered the main completely - could have been fun in 60 knots.

I don't plan to buy a proper storm jib.

This doesn't sound like the Gale Sail that hanks on over a furled head sail that we are talking about.

[savoir]

Same size. Same position on the boat. "Gale Sail" is a branded product.

Anyway I have no plan to get one be it the ATN product or a regular storm jib. No way am I going to the bow in 50+.

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by savoir

Your boat is fractional meaning you should be able to get by just fine with furling the jib and using the staysail. The staysail on a fractional is never very big. If it gets above 50 then you fully drop the main and the staysail alone ought to be just right.

I would recommend keeping the staysail on a furler but plenty of others prefer hanks.

G'Day Savoir,

Perhaps you didn't note that our boat has a so-called "Solent" rig. If not familiar with this system, the inner forestay goes up to the same point on the mast as the outer stay. Thus, our "staysail" is somewhat larger than a typical cutter's would be (about 22 square metres), and its CE is further forward. I'm not particularly fond of this setup, but that's what it is. It does not balance too well with no main and a partially rolled up stays'l going upwind, nor does this sailplan generate very much drive

Insatiable II sails pretty well on the main with the third (very deep) reef in, and that has sufficed for heavy wind conditions so far. However, I can visualize wanting to get the CE forward and down a bit for running off in very big winds, and so was considering options.

I don't believe that removing a roller stays'l under storm conditions is a realistic idea. However, for Greg, it is certainly possible to construct a storm jib with a luff tape to fit any furler. If one was beforehanded enough to make the change in good time it would work OK.

Our rig has a baby stay in addition to the two forestays, and I am now considering replacing it with Dyneema and using it for the storm sail. This will entail reinforcing the chainplate that it terminates in and possibly beefing up the upper terminal on the mast. Lots of work, and I keep telling myself that the boat has done nearly 100K sea miles as is...

In all honesty, I didn't expect to get any rave reviews for the Gale Sail, but it seemed unfair to just dismiss the concept.

Thanks to all for their inputs.

Cheers,

Jim

[Benz]

Sorry to butt in so late. I have used a Gale Sail in anger--it was on a 42-ft Fountaine Pajot catamaran, so going forward in a blow wasn't a huge deal--lots of space forward. It was not difficult to rig or hoist, and it worked admirably to scoot us from Charleston to Ft Pierce during a Norther. If I had a roller furler on my own boat (pilot cutter), I might have a Gale Sail, but since I abhor roller furlers at all (honestly--of all the stupid ideas...) I have a reef-able stay'sl. It never has to be unhanked, whatever the conditions--if the reef is too much sail, then I'll be a-hull or use the sea anchor.

[dana-tenacity]

Gale sail - question answered.

The problem with using a storm jib on the foil is you have to completely unroll whatever is there to get it down first. That could result in the loss of that sail or the mast. So a staysail on a roller will suffice most of the time, but what about the time it won't?

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by svBeBe

When caught in an unpredicted storm in the Bay of Bengal with winds in the 60-kt+ range, it was impossible to even think about putting up the gale sail -- because it was stowed away in a deck locker that was continually about a meter under water. Ours is still stowed away, never used; even when it would have made sense to use it. The silence of positive response to the OP's question is deafening.

Judy
S/V BeBe

Very educational. I would think, since my boat is netted, I could lash it to the bow pretty easily and have it handy.

[Albro359]

Originally Posted by Eleebana

Hi Jim

Well I was hoping that the Gale Sail might be useful on my new boat too as it will come with a furler on the staysail. The rig is a cutter / sloop not a solent rig so the staysail will be good to about 50 knots. If the Gale Sail is no good, I'm wondering if the solution might be to have storm jib with a boltrope onto the foil. I haven't seen this for storm jibs. Has anyone tried it? The stay is a couple of metres in from the pointy end so the admiral should be able to handle dropping a staysail and feeding in the storm jib. Or do storm jibs have to hank on?

Greg

I have a roller furler genoa on the forestay and a removable inner forestay (so its like a cutter rig). The roller furler is rolled up competely in nwinds over 25 knots and the hanked on staysail is pulled up on the iner forestay.
If you think you'd have trouble getting a Gale Sail over yr rolled up genoa, I think you'd have more problems getting the genoa off and putting up a sail in the foil !
AND the centre of effort would be too fas forward..that's another issue with the Gal Sail.
As to having a foil on the inner stay...that's much harder work than hanked on.

Inner forestay, hanked on staysail / storm jib and good easy mainsail reefing is the answer.

[imagine2frolic]

Originally Posted by dana-tenacity

Gale sail - question answered.

The problem with using a storm jib on the foil is you have to completely unroll whatever is there to get it down first. That could result in the loss of that sail or the mast. So a staysail on a roller will suffice most of the time, but what about the time it won't?

I would think the headsail would already be furled, and the stysail flying by this time. It's amatter of lowering it, and raising the storm sail. Granted in big wind it's a tough one person job. On Imagine the house, and main would be blocking most of the wind as you should be down wind by now. My babysty has a heavy chainplate, and the orignal sail was hanked for it. I have had second thoughts about my decision to remove the hanks? As always time will tell.......i2f

[Albro359]

Foils are hard enough to deal with on the dock let alone when its blowing and there's a sea running....I don't think there's anyway you'd get a sail out of a foil and run another up it in storm conditions...unless your a Volvo 70 crew !!
I've seen people with roller furlers on the inner forestay...is that a storm jib they have on there ?...I doubt it...probably a staysail....what do they do when they need a storm jib ?....take it off....probably not...furl it...that's asking for trouble (broken furler, broken line, torn sail).

Hanks can be done at almost deck level...everything sorted and then pull the halyard...my storm jib is in a bag permanently hanked on to the inner forestay with sheets attached ready to go, whenever we go to sea.