Thread: How to handle the sail in stronger winds

I sail a standard GIS (no mizzen) called GISwerk and deal with it as follows:

1. If you point the boat to the wind you will have sufficient time to let the sail down (just takes second, please also see my comment below under number 2. for the sail groove and lack therof for the GIS). I tie in the reef with the sail down, the boat will just float about like a cork taking any waves very elegantly and predictably. When the reef is tied in, you point the boat towards the wind again (it helps using a paddle) and hoist the sail. I don't think that reefing the sail standing will work well (unless perhaps if you have a mizzen rigged as some people have now done), but even then I doubt it.

2. Keep your weight aft and low, I usually kind of straddle the daggerboard keeping my weight in the middle. Hoisting goes a lot quicker than in a Europe as you don't have any boltrope to feed into any sail groove (as you did have to do for your Europe). Hoisting the sail takes merely seconds, tying off the cleat another two, then it is a short good pull on the downhaul and you are all set to go again.

Joost

Thanks!

Even in an Europe dinghy, I agree there is plenty of time to take down the sail. Even in a condition where the boat got a bit of speed already with the sail just a half meter up.

What I was mostly thinking about was the time to pull it up, but now I realize that the rig of the GIS gives enough time for it, as the sail will not get stuck in the same way because of the lack of a bolt-rope. With an Europe dinghy, you need to be near the mast, feeding, otherwise it gets stuck, and you get easily in a dangerous situation.

I agree with everything Joost said.

I would only add that it helps, when raising the sail, to have the sail on the leeward side of the mast (starboard tack, on my boat). If the spar is pressing against the mast on the way up, it really slows you down. So, if you can, try to position yourself so that you'll fall off the wind on the tack that keeps the spar off the mast.

If things do start to bind due to pressure against the mast, take one turn with the halyard around the cleat. Then work the sail up by alternately pulling sideways on the taut section and then taking up the slack as you let go. Two or three pulls should be enough.

Oh, and make sure that your downhaul is loose and your sheet is running free before you start to haul up. When the sail is halfway up is not the time to sort out either problem. Don't ask me how I know this.

I ran my halyard through one of these on the mast about a foot off the deck. My desire was to dump the sail quickly while trolling (still waiting for the first big one), but the best part is that you can raise and lower the sail without taking your hand off the tiller extension. As long as I have the bow pointed into the wind, it's super simple. Sometimes we'll sail a few miles out into the Pacific, drop the sail and bob around for awhile. Relaxing!



Now I don't even bother pointing the bow into the wind first, I'll just raise the sail a fraction to generate headway, round up (I'm holding the tiller), and pull it up the rest of the way. I have the downhaul and outhaul rigged similarly, so that they can be adjusted from the tiller. It works well.

Here is a picture of the rig.

http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php...type=3&theater

Picture currently not available...

Do you have the Ronstan part number?

I have used just this Ronstan swivel cleat too for gaff halyardsm mounted on the mast. They work great. Cheaper is Clamcleats CL236 - Roller Fairlead Mk1 Racing Junior with roller, keeper and cage. Clamcleats
Mount it on a little platform at the bottom of the mast. The cage enables the angle of the line to be up to 90° to the cleat.
Peter

Here are the pictures uploaded to the forum. The cleat is a Ronstan RF5 swivelling cleat base. I picked it up (like all my blocks!) on eBay for $30.

Howdy Warm Beer,

Your links didnt work because you took the page link. Right click on the picture itself and choose "copy link/shortcut/url" from the menu that appears.

A hint is that the URL should finish with ".Jpg"

MIK

Looks like someone fixed it for me. )