[Rhodes22-list] What is wrong with my mainsail?

[Graham Stewart]

Roger:
Having sailed for 50 odd years I should know the answer to my mainsail
question. I am one of those who simply bought a sailboat and went sailing
with no knowledge or experience. I don't think I have ever had someone on
board who was knowledgeable either. I am at the point where I can
definitely get to where I want to go but not in a particularly artful
manner. All to say I appreciate your advice on how to get a proper sail
sape and am glad that you were not reluctant to give your opinion.

I am also one of those who probably enjoys working on the restoration of
boats more than actually using them. I have completely restored two boats
including my 76 Rhodes. But even with the restoration I just plunged in
without any sensible idea of what I was doing. Once again I managed to get
to my destination but not without some artless mistakes along the way. If I
had waited until I knew what I was doing I would have never done it.
Graham Stewart
gstewart.gm at gmail.com


On Thu, Jul 20, 2023 at 10:17 PM ROGER PIHLAJA <roger_pihlaja at msn.com>
wrote:

> Hi Graham,
>
> I’m always a little reluctant to give mainsail tuning advice because I
> have a fully battened mainsail.  My boom is rigged with a 3:1 block and
> tackle downhaul and a 2:1 outhaul.  Fully battened sails require more
> downhaul and outhaul force to get all the wrinkles to disappear.  But, the
> tuning principles are basically the same.  If you have horizontal wrinkles,
> apply more downhaul.  If you have vertical wrinkles, apply more outhaul.
> If you have diagonal wrinkles, apply both more downhaul and more outhaul,
> starting with more downhaul until the wrinkles become vertical.  The
> downhaul and outhaul setting that make the wrinkles disappear are your
> basic settings.  With my fully battened mainsail, I can move the point of
> maximum draft fore and aft and increase or decrease the total draft by
> adjusting the downhaul and outhaul tension from the basic settings.
>
> Roger Pihlaja
> S/V Dynamic Equilibrium
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> > On Jul 19, 2023, at 5:40 AM, Ric Stott <ric at stottarchitecture.com>
> wrote:
> >
> > If you do’t have a downhaul, I’m sure that’s your problem. I’m
> traveling now, and wold send a pic, but a line attaches to the bottom of
> the Boom gooseneck fitting and runs to a cleat on the port side of the mast
> near the bottom.  It needs no purchase.
> > When my pop top is up, the down haul pulls the boom down right to the
> Pop top connector.
> > Make sure you pull the halyard up all the way.
> > If you are sailing more seriously, leave the pop top down and adjust
> your luff tension more carefully.  You can even lower the whole sail on the
> mast to lower the center of effort when it’s windy by leaving the halyard a
> foot or so lower and adjusting the downhill accordingly
> > Fair winds
> > Ric
> > Dadventure
> > HBNY
> > .
> > Richard F. Stott, AIA, LEED AP
> > ric at stottarchitecture.com
> > O -631-283-1777
> > C- 516-965-3164
> >
> >
> >
> >> On Jul 18, 2023, at 10:58 PM, Graham Stewart <gstewart.gm at gmail.com>
> wrote:
> >>
> >> Thanks Rick. I don’t have a down haul and wondered if that might be the
> >> problem.. I’ll try that. Thanks again.
> >> Graham
> >>> On Tue, Jul 18, 2023 at 4:52 AM Ric Stott <ric at stottarchitecture.com>
> wrote:
> >>>
> >>> This looks to me like a halyard/down haul tension issue. It appears
> that
> >>> you have a ‘Continental’ rig with a Stack Pc or Lazy Jack system. It
> should
> >>> be easy to pull on some down haul to tighten the luff of the sail.
> >>> Ric
> >>> Dadventure.
> >>> HBNY
> >>>
> >>> Sent from my iPhone
> >>>
> >>>> On Jul 18, 2023, at 2:59 AM, Graham Stewart <gstewart.gm at gmail.com>
> >>> wrote:
> >>>>
> >>>> My mainsail hangs with a diagonal crease that I can't seem to get rid
> >>> of.
> >>>> The sail was new a few years ago and was purchased while I was
> restoring
> >>>> the boat - which included replacing the inner stay chainplates. I also
> >>>> changed the furling gear and afterwards it seemed that the inner aft
> >>> stays
> >>>> and the aft stays were shorter than before.
> >>>> Might the rake of the mast create this problem or might it be a
> >>>> poorly constructed sail? I have attached a picture in case one of the
> >>>> expert sailors on the list can make a suggestion.
> >>>> Thanks,
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> Graham Stewart
> >>>> Agile 76
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> >>>
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> >>>>
> >>>
> >> --
> >> Graham Stewart
> >> gstewart.gm at gmail.com
> >
>