How do you set the sails for the different wind directions?

[liveaboardL]

What's the best way to arrange the sails?
Sometimes I had to put a lot of pressure on the rudder to keep the boat from drifting towards shore.

Sometimes I had the jib set so that it would stop the boat from putting too turning too hard towards either shore! That was golden.

Sometimes when I adjusted the jib, the boat wanted to turn more towards starboard, or port.

I'm still not sure how to detect exactly when an accidental jybe is going to take place. Those things are freaking scary! esp. w/ a wooden boom.

Sometimes, the only way I can go forward is w/ the engine, & then both sails are flapping wildly, but being single-handed, sometimes I just have to let them flap.

I still get turned around into a 360 sometimes too.

Learning to sail is fun, but, I got a lot to learn.

[carstenb]

Originally Posted by liveaboardL

What's the best way to arrange the sails?
Sometimes I had to put a lot of pressure on the rudder to keep the boat from drifting towards shore.

Sometimes I had the jib set so that it would stop the boat from putting too turning too hard towards either shore! That was golden.

Sometimes when I adjusted the jib, the boat wanted to turn more towards starboard, or port.

I'm still not sure how to detect exactly when an accidental jybe is going to take place. Those things are freaking scary! esp. w/ a wooden boom.

Sometimes, the only way I can go forward is w/ the engine, & then both sails are flapping wildly, but being single-handed, sometimes I just have to let them flap.

I still get turned around into a 360 sometimes too.

Learning to sail is fun, but, I got a lot to learn.

Do yourself a favor. Download Capt Jack Klangs video about docking and sail trim. It covers all the basics and while you won't become an old salt - even old salts say they learn a thing or two when they watch it.

Costs 10 bucks to download and there is nothing better around.

Here's a preview from you tube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6riNBPkIsck

See it then go out and practice, practice practice.

[Gerrycooper56]

Captain Ron video

[Greenhand]

Do you have a mast head wind indicator or are you sailing by the seat of your pants?

One thing you need is to make sure that you know which direction the wind is coming from. Even on land, you can practice facing into the wind.

The Annapolis Book of Seamanship also has drills you can perform to get used to setting your sails and learning when you have them to tight, as well as too loose.

[hlev00]

It seems like you may need help detecting the wind direction. A "masthead fly" is great but short of that, a piece of light yarn on each shroud works just fine. This will help you get a better sense of where the wind is coming from. This should help with your downwind accidental gybes by making it easier to avoid sailing by the lee.

Telltales on the jib / genoa will help tell you if that sail is trimmed correctly. There should be one on each side, about 1/3 of the way up the luff of the sail and back 8-12 inches. Offset them vertically from one another by 3-4 inches. You can get them from West or online. They are a piece of yarn with a patch of sticky-back nylon to stick them on. The way they are used is to try to have them both streaming back. If the telltale on one side is fluttering that means there isn't as much air flow across that side of the sail. So, if the windward telltale is fluttering, trim the jib. If the leeward side is fluttering, ease the sail. You can also use these them to help steer a good upwind course. When the jib is trimmed in tight, if the windward telltale is fluttering you are too close to the wind. If the leeward telltale is fluttering, head up gradually until they are both streaming.

[markpierce]

Read a "how to sail a boat" book and just do it. On the other hand, some people need hands-on instruction. Perhaps you need to pay/cajole someone to demonstrate how sailing works. Yes, windvanes and yarn will help, forever. Nevertheless it's mostly a "wind on your face," "the seat of your pants," and the "feel of the tiller" thing.

[Adventurebound]

All these intructional videos I've seen have an inboard with prop lined up with the rudder. Mine is an outboard off centre and fixed. Using only rudder makes docking harder, especially if you are moving very slowly. I wait till there is no one near me.

[s/v Beth]

Take a dingy out and learn to sail with only the wind and the waves. Go out in mild conditions at first, but stick with it to windy conditions (bay or lake). Big boats do not make the best teachers of sail trim. I was sailing my boat Saturday with the technique i had modified from my 23 footer which technique I had used on my dingy.

[Ex-Calif]

Originally Posted by liveaboardL

What's the best way to arrange the sails?
Sometimes I had to put a lot of pressure on the rudder to keep the boat from drifting towards shore.

Sometimes I had the jib set so that it would stop the boat from putting too turning too hard towards either shore! That was golden.

Sometimes when I adjusted the jib, the boat wanted to turn more towards starboard, or port.

I'm still not sure how to detect exactly when an accidental jybe is going to take place. Those things are freaking scary! esp. w/ a wooden boom.

Sometimes, the only way I can go forward is w/ the engine, & then both sails are flapping wildly, but being single-handed, sometimes I just have to let them flap.

I still get turned around into a 360 sometimes too.

Learning to sail is fun, but, I got a lot to learn.

Believe it or not you've covered a lot of topics with your short post.

Jib turning the boat - sail balance, weather helm

Lots of pressure on the rudder - sail balance, weather helm

Accidental gybe - points of sail

How to adjust the sails - Points of sail

Doing 360's - Points of sail, weather helm, broaching, reefing

Engine needed to go upwind - Points of sail, tacking, close hauled, sail trim

Seriously get a book, get some lessons or get someone to sail with you. You can't effectively and correctly learn this from the internet.

Or volunteer and sail on someone else's boat sometimes. I still do that a lot and if I learn one new thing it is worth it.

[liveaboardL]

I'm so glad I asked & read all these answers. Very interesting info. A lot of the new vocab goes over my head but these are worth looking into for sure. thank you

[sparau]

Originally Posted by liveaboardL

I'm so glad I asked & read all these answers. Very interesting info. A lot of the new vocab goes over my head but these are worth looking into for sure. thank you

The boat pivots around the keel, more power in front of the keel (jib) the boat goes away from the wind, mainsail is behind keel so more power = turn to wind.

Balance forces around the keel and no rudder is needed.

Well thats about the extent of my knowledge after years of dinghy sailing and windsurfing