Downwind Sailing Ocean

[CFR]

Eleven, the quetsion is not based on the way south but in general for atlantic crossing later and especially what to buy/install now as long as i am homebased and outfitting the boat is easier done. you know when talking with friend they will recommend anything which seems to be neccesary for sailing from the fridge, to chartplotter to a sails etc etc but i like to keep as simple aspossible because this is still enough to maintain.

[Andrew Troup]

What Jim said!

One more thought (for boats which behave nicely running square off): When setting up a pole for running DDW, I always try to look ahead and make a guess at the next course change or wind change which might require gybing to a broad reach.

I set up the pole to what will be the leeward side for that broad reach. Provided the pole is good and long, broad reaching with the pole out the same side as the main boom is a dream (never caught on much, because the racing rules didn't permit it ... don't know if this has changed....)

It's more efficient, easier to steer, more stable (especially when you're sailing deep and on the verge of blanketing), and looks satisfying (I hate seeing a genoa deflecting wholesale quantities of wind onto the backside of the main)

Reasoning: It's much easier to gybe the main than the poled out headsail.

Especially inshore, if my destination dictates the annoying point of sail where the genoa is blanketed by the main, I avoid this by sailing equal times lower and higher.
This means setting up the pole, running DDW for a while, then gybing the main and sailing high enough on the other gybe for the genoa to pull like a Clydesdale. Rinse and repeat.

Offshore, unless in the trades, I generally just pick either DDW or the other-gybe reach and stay there until the wind direction changes enough to favour gybing the main.

(I've sailed on three boats (and owned on) with a telescopic reaching/running pole. This is the cat's miaow. Apart from suiting all sail sizes and points of sail, even a beam reach [easier to shorten pole than take sail off pole]: it's also a strength issue:

when you're reefed down and whiteknuckled, with the sail pulling extra-strenuously, it's self-sleeving to really quite a strong, compact unit.
In light winds, it's long and willowy. Ideal! )

[roverhi]

Made a solo 15 day downhill run to Hawaii from San Francisco. After the 3rd day, ran wing and wing with full 135% genoa poled out. Winds were not the usually boisterous trades but steady in the 10-15k range. Only pushed hull speed one day with the rest of the days runs in the 140nm range. Had virtually no rolling. Did have to jibe once but that was super easy with the roller furling.
Rolled the sail up, dipped the pole to the opposite side, reset it, and rolled the genoa back out. I set the pole the pole with fore and after guys and a topping lift. Makes life a lot easier to have the pole under control and not banging around out of control.

Only excitement was the whisker pole pretzeling at a moonless 0300 on the 5th day. Rolled the genoa up, disconnected the pole, stowed it, rigged the spinnaker pole, unrolled the genoa and I was off again with minimal delay.

[conachair]

On the subject off rolling... Those who say their boat doesn't roll much, and I will quite happily say the same, but is that observation from memory or from reading the log?

I can happily sit here and remember a little rolling now and again but not too bad. Then read the log / blog and, nope, many entries about the boat rolling like a b*&£% quite often.

The point being, memory is so fallible and so often wrong about events during many weeks at sea that you might as well not even bother. If it didn't come from the log or a journal then be very wary about the accuracy.
And from the log there were days on end without touching a sheet with a poled out jib and prevented main downwind across the atlantic.

And from memory my boat's just great and hardly ever rolls

[HappyDaze]

Have you ever looked at the Parasailor? It is a kind of spinnaker existing out of two parts with a opening in the middle where a kind of kite is mounted. The opening prevents overpower. It is easy to set for one person and you don't need a pole.
I find it comfortable sailing. Because of the lift produced by the kite, the bow wants to come up what means that the stern is pushed further in the water. This result in more stability and the autopilot can do the job.
With this sail it is even possible to jibe.

[Eleven]

It does seem to be a good system, I've considered, from my armchair, that a stable kite of strong material and lines, would make an excellent storm sail for the reasons you mention. Just like the kite-surfers operate though they like there's to be stearable.
A lighter version would make a great "here i am" for ocean crossings being visible for a greater distance as the height goes up. They are quite capable of carrying a radar reflector too. And this would be a part of the standard equipment on my escape pod/lifeboat.

[barnakiel]

All depends on your boat and how you like to sail her. With your sail wardrobe, I would start with trying out these two setups:

1) light wind: main up, reacher, boat broad reaching,
2) stronger winds: main up (possibly reefed), staysail (jib) poled out on the longest pole available (IMHO 1.4 of the mast-stay distance is the minimum), boat running,

But the actual number of combinations is pretty countless - limited only by your imagination and stamina to change sails. We rig for comfort as our boat rolls downwind, others may rig for speed. We found in 15 knots downwind we can get 1 sqrt lwl unless the sea is too disturbed. It takes 10 sq mtr per 1.000 kg of boat loaded displacement here.

Cheers,
b.