[Rhodes22-list] Partial Mainsail

Hank hnw555 at gmail.com
Mon Jul 27 10:26:04 EDT 2009 

Michael,

Remember, though, that if you are sailing close hauled or on a beam reach
with the board up you will get a lot of side slip so you will actually make
less progress towards your destination.

Hank
On Mon, Jul 27, 2009 at 9:56 AM, MichaelT <mticse at gmail.com> wrote:

>
> Thanks for the first hand knowledge wrt the centerboard.
> You've certainly changed the fundamentals of my logic. Womehow my flawed
> thinking was that with the board up that the Rhodes would heel more and
> difficult to turn. On the contrary, the Rhodes actually sails better (i.e.
> less heel, easy to to turn) with the board up. Definitely something I will
> do this week.
>
> Thanks Lee!
> Michael
>
>
> Leland wrote:
> >
> > Michael,
> >
> > With the board down it will allow you to sail closer to the wind and make
> > better headway (less drifting).
> >
> > However, the faster you go the less impact the board will have on both
> > sailing close to the wind and headway.  The board is most useful if you
> > want to make headway in light wind.
> >
> > I'm a daysailor so the only time I need to make better headway is if it's
> > necessary to get back to my marina at the end of the day.  With
> > yesterday's high wind and the current and chop pushing me away from the
> > wind, I never once lowered my board and sailed part of the time on broad
> > reaches and runs.  On tacks the boat turned like a sports car.
> >
> > With the board down it will act as a pivot point and allow you to turn
> > easier whether you are tacking or motoring around your slip.  I don't use
> > if for either one.
> >
> > I've measured my speed countless times with the board up and down and it
> > has always had a negative impact on speed.  I think the term is VMG
> > (velocity made good?) which measures how much headway you're actually
> > making.  If I could figure out how to measure it on my GPS I'm sure it
> > would show that the board helps, but with the reduction in speed it sure
> > doesn't seem that way.
> >
> > Lee
> >
> >
> >
> > MichaelT wrote:
> >>
> >> Lee,
> >>
> >> I was just thinking about bringing the centerboard up as you suggested,
> >> but have concerns.
> >> Did you flip bringing the centerboard up and down. Down when tacking and
> >> up after the tack?
> >> I remember when I forgot to let the centerboard down and all I could
> >> remember was going sideways and difficulty in making headway. In essence
> >> the boat was slipping and pushed sideways by the wind when the
> >> centerboard is up. I suppose as long as we don't need to be anywhere
> soon
> >> this is all fine.
> >> At the end I'll have to let my wife judge!
> >>
> >> Great suggestion!
> >> Michael
> >>
> >>
> >> Leland wrote:
> >>>
> >>> Michael,
> >>>
> >>> You're getting lots of good advice.
> >>>
> >>> You'll have a little less heel with the board up.  From the Rhodes
> >>> Owners' Site under FAQs under Rhodes vs. Com-Pac vs. Precisions:  5.
> >>> Retract the centerboard part way in a big breeze. The board is
> >>> intentionally modest in weight, and does not contribute significantly
> to
> >>> stability up or down. Raising the board part way will reduce both heel
> >>> and weather helm.
> >>>
> >>> The quote refers to Precisions.  If I raise the board all the way on my
> >>> Rhodes it usually only reduces heel by about 3 degrees but your wife
> may
> >>> appreciate it.
> >>>
> >>> In an 8-10 knot wind, lowering the boom will reduce heel also.
> >>>
> >>> As Dave mentioned the boat sails better with two sails.  For the amount
> >>> of wind you described you probably weren't going fast enough to tack.
> >>> Come off the wind enough to get up some speed and you'll then be able
> to
> >>> turn her sharply into the wind.
> >>>
> >>> When I first got my Rhodes I typically had too much sail out.  You were
> >>> wise to be conservative in your sail plan, but without any headsail and
> >>> so little main you probably couldn't get enough speed to tack even if
> >>> you had come off the wind.  Last week I was in a 12 knot wind.  On a
> >>> close reach with balanced sails with the board up and my 190 lbs of
> rail
> >>> meat, I had less than 20 degrees of heel with the boom up and the main
> >>> reefed to 80%.  With the boom down I had the same heel with 100% main.
> >>> I have my mainsail furling line marked for reefs at 60% and 80%.  If I
> >>> have to reef the tiny little main beyond 60%, it's too windy for me
> >>> (over 20 knots) and I go home.
> >>>
> >>> Good luck!
> >>>
> >>> Lee
> >>> 1986 Rhodes22  At Ease
> >>> Kent Island, MD
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> david.walker5 wrote:
> >>>>
> >>>> Stephen,
> >>>>
> >>>> Tacking with the jib, especially very light or heavy wind can be
> >>>> challenging
> >>>> too.  The problem is the jib is very powerfull and it wants to push
> the
> >>>> boat
> >>>> away from the tack.  One technique that has worked for me is something
> >>>> I
> >>>> borrowed from sailing a square rigger.  When you push the tiller to
> >>>> lee,
> >>>> loosen the jibe immediately, but do not let the sheet fly.(for those
> >>>> interested its called scandalizing the jib)  This reduces the drive of
> >>>> the
> >>>> sail and allows it to turn up wind.  Just as the bow comes into the
> >>>> wind,
> >>>> tighten the sheet a little. The wind will then backwind the jib and
> >>>> push the
> >>>> bow the rest of the way onto the new tack. As you come through the
> >>>> wind, the
> >>>> wind on the new tack will push the sail across to the new tack.  In
> >>>> really
> >>>> heavy wind you may end up "in stays" or headed into the wind and start
> >>>> to be
> >>>> pushed backwards.  In that case as I said in an earlier post, shift
> the
> >>>> rudder (tiller to windward) and the boat will back onto the new tack
> >>>> and
> >>>> start to sail.
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> David Walker
> >>>>
> >>>> www.davidwalkerphotography.com
> >>>>
> >>>> Event Specialists
> >>>>
> >>>> 781-639-2707 Office
> >>>> 781-718-8690 Cell
> >>>> ----- Original Message -----
> >>>> From: "Stephen Staum" <staum at earthlink.net>
> >>>> To: "The Rhodes 22 Email List" <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
> >>>> Sent: Friday, July 24, 2009 3:32 PM
> >>>> Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Partial Mainsail
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>> Michael,
> >>>>> I too have a wife who likes to sail flat. I have an '87 w a 184 per
> >>>>> cent genoa. I usually start w 1/2 of the genny as the jib really
> >>>>> powers this boat. Even w the full main out (alone) u will struggle to
> >>>>> come about. Also, if u have the full jib out in light winds, it can
> be
> >>>>> very difficult 2 get the jib 2 come across when coming about. It is
> >>>>> often easier 2 jibe or roll up 1/2 the jib b4 come about is started.
> >>>>> Enjoy!
> >>>>> Stephen Staum
> >>>>> Sent from my iPhone
> >>>>>
> >>>>> On Jul 24, 2009, at 12:47 PM, MichaelT <mticse at gmail.com> wrote:
> >>>>>
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> Went out with the family on Sunday and wanted to play it safe.
> >>>>>> Drew the IMF mainsail approx halfway on the boom (the letter R on
> >>>>>> the sail
> >>>>>> wasn't showing).
> >>>>>> Wanted to keep things simple and used no jib. Centerboard was down
> >>>>>> all the
> >>>>>> way.
> >>>>>> The boat stayed flat as a pancake which was the desired effect.
> >>>>>> My wife wants no heeling whatsoever. Problem I had was I couldn't
> >>>>>> tack.
> >>>>>> It even had a hard time getting into irons and just couldn't
> cutover.
> >>>>>> The only way I could change direction was to spin 2/3's around in a
> >>>>>> jibe.
> >>>>>> I didn't want to experiment and let out more sail so we just enjoyed
> >>>>>> sailing
> >>>>>> the next hour like this.
> >>>>>> Is this normal behaviour? What am I doing wrong?
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> Thanks,
> >>>>>> Michael
> >>>>>> --
> >>>>>> View this message in context:
> >>>>>> http://www.nabble.com/Partial-Mainsail-tp24647946p24647946.html
> >>>>>> Sent from the Rhodes 22 mailing list archive at Nabble.com.
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> __________________________________________________
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> >>>>>> __________________________________________________
> >>>>> __________________________________________________
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> to
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> >>>>> __________________________________________________
> >>>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> __________________________________________________
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> >>>> __________________________________________________
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>
> >>
> >
> >
>
> --
> View this message in context:
> http://www.nabble.com/Partial-Mainsail-tp24647946p24681160.html
>  Sent from the Rhodes 22 mailing list archive at Nabble.com.
>
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