What's the best way to sail downwind without a pole?

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by Kd9truck

You do not know my experiences, your commenting on my opinion and experience , that is nothing you can utube, your comments and advice about the OPs post are welcome.

You have a sloop rig it appears so in heavy to strong wind downwind with the mainsail up your boat will try to head up especially on a gust.

If you have too much mainsail up, it will try to head up even harder making it so your autopilot cannot deal with it so in that situation if you want to use an autopilot try jib alone.

That will work.

[slapt0p]

Wing on wing, this works great on jib but not really suitable for Genoa's.

1. Stand wife with both hands stretched up
2. Clingfilm top to bottom*
3. Put clew end of the active sheet in wife's hands.
4. All outside the safety lines and face up, fit wife's toes to toe rail. They'll usual grip first time.
5. Let out sheet.

* Despite the noise risk, you will need to leave the mouth uncovered otherwise they tend to lose toerail/sheet grip and drop overboard and then you'll have to make dinner.

[Boston Blackie]

Totally agree with Jim. We also find our poled out 110% Yankee high clewed jib can be progressively reefed as the pole goes forward to prevent excessive camber. This allows coming up briefly to a beam reach if needed.

[Shaneesprit]

Originally Posted by momo034

I'm on a boat with no spinnaker or whisker pole. Expecting 20 knot winds behind us all day tomorrow, what's the best setup to sail downwind without a pole? Thanks!

Use the boat hook, tie it off of the standing rigging,. If you wrap the rope around the end of the pole 10 times it won’t go anywhere - assuming you have a proper boat hook with a wooden shaft and not one of those ridiculous aluminium ones that fall apart

[sailingon1]

Im not a racer by any means. But i do learn from thoughs that do without a spinaker.
Americas cup alway jibe. Although not direct. It is the fastest to point

[argonauta1]

Well, wing on wing aside as too labor intensive and under autopilot too critical either go on jib only and try to avoid backwinding or furl the jib and let the main most all the way out and prevent the boom i.e. tie it to the toe rail or a cleat. Preoccupation with speed is a mugs game unless racing, If you know your boat, you will know which configuration to choose; if not, try both options if/when you decide to give up on wing on wing.

[malbert73]

Originally Posted by sailingon1

Im not a racer by any means. But i do learn from thoughs that do without a spinaker.
Americas cup alway jibe. Although not direct. It is the fastest to point

Does your boat also foil/plane at 50 knots? [emoji3]

Because if your boat is displacement only you will not go faster downwind via jibing angles without a spinnaker.

[Cheechako]

-Headsail only, or headsail with deep reefed main.
-Reaching a bit helps keep the boat stable without accidental gybes. It's fast, but you do have to gybe now and then to stay on an average course.

[lo2jones]

Buy a whisker pole!…jokes aside, use a snatch block or something, even a midships cleat to get the jib fairlead outside the rail and further forward than normal…

[sailorladd]

Hmmnn... you should always carry a spinnaker, it's a very necessary piece of equipment..

I would set whatever main you feel comfortable with in that strength of wind (on mine I would tuck in one reef) and set the boom outboard and attach the preventer (jibe) whatever system you have or if no system, attach it to the samson post or bollard on the bow, and then set the jib or genoa and then set a course slightly off dead downwind, on whatever tack prevents the least danger of jibing....

And at some point you will have to tack doing the opposite of what you are doing now... Some boats are great down wind sailors without their main sail set... you might check out that option too...have a safe sail...

[lo2jones]

This is a video I made for the Beneteau users group on setting up a preventer.

https://youtu.be/gn5Au3Afs68

[lo2jones]

A video I made for the Beneteau Users’ Group: https://youtu.be/gn5Au3Afs68

Spinnaker’s should have a Surgeon General sticker: people who use them without a long cautious learning period are risking boat and bodily injury.

[danblu]

Squaresail

[lo2jones]

Send photos of the square sail rigged on your Atkins 32!

[danblu]

no can't do that photo as have not set it up yet. There is an article I read about a kiwi who sailed around the planet on a small yacht, I think about 32 feet, years ago with a square sail. it was only 3 ounce material but was in good condition at the end of his trip. Apparently fast, easy to manage setup. Needs a yard and had "ears".