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billknny · 24-01-2019, 18:30

This is the second time now I have seen this: a boat motors into an anchorage with its mainsail up. Drops anchor... and leaves the main sail up! Overnight!

Is there anybody who thinks this is a remotely good idea? If so, please be sure to anchor very far DOWNWIND of my boat! Seems almost criminally stupid to me.

For what it is worth, both have been catamarans, and both in the Bahamas. Neither were charters, but private boats.

LoudMusic · 24-01-2019, 20:01

You should play naive boater and ask them to explain to you how that works. I bet they think it works like a wind vein. Report back to us with your findings!

**Don C L** · 24-01-2019, 20:02

I am trying to think of how that makes sense. I'm coming up empty. A mizzen on a yawl, yeah, but main... I got nothing.

Mediator · 24-01-2019, 20:06

I've raised the main at anchor for 5-10 minutes to dry it out before covering it (I know, stupid to be caught by a rainstorm in the first place), but in anything other than dead calm it'll sail around the anchor pretty aggressively. Not something I do willingly and definitely not overnight...

RaymondR · 24-01-2019, 20:24

It could be just bone laziness?

bensolomon · 24-01-2019, 20:31

While sailing in Tahiti, I came across numerous charter catamaran captains that steamed everywhere with the main up. I asked them why and they all said it "stabilizes" the boat. I was stunned by this. They all did it. In fact, one day the winds were 20 knots, and I was sailing with the wind off my port quarter, and a cat was steaming directly into the wind with full main up.

nightowle · 24-01-2019, 21:12

It's the new Captain Jack Sparrow technique! Fool your enemies. In this case, boats already anchored will get nervous and leave the anchorage. The one with the sail up gets it all to himself!

MikeFergie · 25-01-2019, 04:30

where I sail at our islands often I find myself 90degrees to the waves bouncing around because the tide and wind are opposite and the water movement is 4-5 knots at peak tide. Wind speed 10-15 knots.

Maybe they do this to keep the boat pointing into wind as it will create more windage and force the boat into the wind irrespective of current ?

Just a thought not that I have done this before but I would not like to be asleep like this and it really must add to the damage to the sails over time for sure.

svHyLyte · 25-01-2019, 04:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by billknny

This is the second time now I have seen this: a boat motors into an anchorage with its mainsail up. Drops anchor... and leaves the main sail up! Overnight!

Is there anybody who thinks this is a remotely good idea? If so, please be sure to anchor very far DOWNWIND of my boat! Seems almost criminally stupid to me.

For what it is worth, both have been catamarans, and both in the Bahamas. Neither were charters, but private boats.

Doing as you describe, and hard sheeting the Main amidship, is somewhat akin to rigging a "riding sail" that one uses to hold a yacht's head to windward while on a mooring or anchor. Using the entire main, however, would seem unwise for a number of reasons. However, being charter boats where the operators are less concerned about the possibility of damages then would be an owner might be an explanation tho' not an excuse, eh?

We often leave the main up and hard sheeted when coming to an anchor as, hard sheeted, the main does hold the head up and will slow or stop the yacht. Freeing the sheet and pushing the boom outboard will allow one to sail the yacht aft, albeit in a somewhat scalloping manner, to "set" the anchor. Once set, however, we do furl the sail

FWIW...

Gene Neill · 25-01-2019, 05:10

Gives new meaning to "sailing at anchor". I can just imagine the noise it would make, all night long, as the boat hunted back and forth across the wind.

It sounds like one of those things one numbskull did, and everywhere he went, other numbskulls picked it up. No doubt the practice will spread around the world like wildfire.

sanibel sailor · 25-01-2019, 05:11

too drunk to take it down?

**boatman61** · 25-01-2019, 05:46

A cat should not sail about if the bridle is set properly.. The space between the hulls should prevent this and keep her head to wind.

billknny · 25-01-2019, 05:47

I’m looking at a Canadian cat that did this stupidity last night. They are anchored on a proper bridle, so using the main as a vane does not make sense. On the bright side, it’s a full battened sail so flogging is minimal.

I think this is just a case of never going broke underestimating the stupidity of the public.

This is among the dumbest anchoring antics we have seen. And that’s an impressive list.

**a64pilot** · 25-01-2019, 05:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by bensolomon

While sailing in Tahiti, I came across numerous charter catamaran captains that steamed everywhere with the main up. I asked them why and they all said it "stabilizes" the boat. I was stunned by this. They all did it. In fact, one day the winds were 20 knots, and I was sailing with the wind off my port quarter, and a cat was steaming directly into the wind with full main up.

I am a mono, but when motoring I will often have the main up, even directly into the wind, if directly into the wind, I will pull the sheet in tight to offset the main some, it does stabilize the boat, and in any wind not directly off the bow, may add some drive, not much, but some.