The Joy of Short Tacking

[jeanathon]

Originally Posted by dfelsent

I have fond memories of my Redwing 30.

As do I. Wish I still had her. Mine was hull #7.

[letoile]

It is great to see that I'm not the only one that goes to sail if at all possible and motoring is simple to get in an out of the marina or as a last resort. Up here on Georgian Bay, Canada, from our observations, there are many sailboats but few sailors.

[Slovak]

Well done! Reminds me of our summer season in the Inside Passage and SE Alaska. The chart track below is from the Grenville channel in British Columbia, Canada. 1.5-2+ knot current against us, and 18-25 winds on the nose. Neither was predicted, and closest anchorage was 20nm. Much more comfortable short-tacking through it.

A few times along the journey other boaters saw our AIS and later in the anchorage inquired whether we were having engine issues. Nah, we're just stubborn and like the motion of the boat much better under sail than hobby horsing into short steep waves. Takes about the same amount of time, just a lot more distance covered.

[Jim Cate]

^^^^
That track is extremely impressive if there was really two knots of adverse current. Were you sailing a 12 meter?

Jim

[TrentePieds]

Learned it as a kid, making for the sea through a 300 foot wide ship canal in what amounted to a 3/4 sale version of the Folkboat, a nifty little number called a "Juniorbåd"

Nothing to it if you have a proper boat, properly rigged.

Iron wind was unheard of in those days, of course, for poor, penurious plebes such as us :-)!

TrentePieds

[powerpak]

Originally Posted by MGRodems

We added a staysail last year. When sefl-taking, I put one sheet through a block at the clew and then tie to the sheeting position on the other side. It self tacks perfectly without having to adjust the sheet. Earlier this year, with the staysail in this position and the main trimmed normally, the admiral sailed into a river with an adverse current by just turning the wheel for each tack.

Nice!

MGRodems, why do you need a block at the clew? Cant you just tie off both sheets at the staysail clew in the tacking position?

[djhsailor]

I rigged barber haulers, on my tall mast 1986 Tartan 40, from each side of the base of the mast to the jib sheets, to make the Genoa furled to about 80% of the foretriangle work in winds above 20 knots. It’s a cheap alternative to adding a staysail or Solent. It has worked pretty well in creating a slot and reducing heel.

I want to try short tacking with that setup to see how much effort it would take with the jib sheets.

[Slovak]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

^^^^
That track is extremely impressive if there was really two knots of adverse current. Were you sailing a 12 meter?

An 11.5, actually. 1987 Southerly 115 (aka 37')

[rossdv8]

I learned to sail 8 foot Sabots in the 60s, often in surf.
I rediscovered sailing on main alone my own yachts up to 26 foot, when my motor failed once just as I was entering the crowded anchorage where my mooring lived.


After that I regularly sailed in in and out of the harbour, tacking on the main between the moored vessels. I had to give up sailing in 2017, but I enjoyed sailing on main alone in many yachts up to 40 foot when single handing (including when I had 'passengers' rather than crew) in areas with a lot of boats around.



Once outside I often swapped main for Genoa if the wind was right because on a long solo trip on a relatively light yacht, (including the 40 footer) it is just so much easier single handing for the first 50 or 60 miles.


Sailing on the main was great in tight areas where the coral comes out a fair way from the shore between a lot of out islands.


It's a dinghy handling skill a lot of us tend to forget - until we need to remember it in a hurry.
It can save a hell of a lot of fuel too !

[malbert73]

Originally Posted by djhsailor

I rigged barber haulers, on my tall mast 1986 Tartan 40, from each side of the base of the mast to the jib sheets, to make the Genoa furled to about 80% of the foretriangle work in winds above 20 knots. It’s a cheap alternative to adding a staysail or Solent. It has worked pretty well in creating a slot and reducing heel.

I want to try short tacking with that setup to see how much effort it would take with the jib sheets.

Cool idea! You have any pics of that setup?

Is yours also a deep draft keel? I know the tall mast version was designed but never encountered any in “real life”
My standard T40 with K/CB is plenty fast but I’m sure yours is much faster-

[djhsailor]

My Tartan 40 tall mast has the standard 5’ keel with additional 3’ centerboard. As you know, she points upwind really well. I’m a cruiser, not a racer. I bought her 4 years ago and she had a reputation as a fast racer in local races. The Quantum membrane cruiser/racer sails are terrific.
As a cruiser on Western Lake Superior, I really appreciate her ability to sail upwind in 4 knots of wind. That tall mast with bigger sails opens many more summertime hours to turning off the engine and enjoying sailing. I like to put in a reef in the main with wind above 13 knots. The sail was made with the first reef equivalent to a reef and a half. I put the second reef in at about 17 knots, equivalent to a triple reef.

The bigger sail is heavier and harder to raise from the cockpit, even with a low friction sail track. So, at age 70, I bought a Milwaukee right angle drill to raise the main and to hoist the hard shell dinghy on the foredeck.

My life is good as long as I can figure out the required work-arounds!
I don’t know how to insert a photo here with a url? ? but you can find my pic by searching “barber hauler” in the member galleries above. I connected the webbing to the base of the mast with a caribiner.

[fourlyons]

I love short tacking in tight spots. This is us tacking out of Seal Cove on Vinalhaven Island in Maine, only 5 knots apparent wind, slack tide. Too narrow and light wind for the centerboard to build any real lift, but not bad for a junkrig. Shoal draft centerboard junkrig cat ketch.

[Don C L]

Originally Posted by fourlyons

I love short tacking in tight spots. This is us tacking out of Seal Cove on Vinalhaven Island in Maine, only 5 knots apparent wind, slack tide. Too narrow and light wind for the centerboard to build any real lift, but not bad for a junkrig. Shoal draft centerboard junkrig cat ketch. Attachment 280604Attachment 280605Attachment 280606

Wow, not bad at all!