Sail changes and auto pilots

[Critter]

Thanks Bob. I really shouldn't badmouth ASA. I know one guy who teaches both systems and says there's not much difference. As Bob says, the school and the instructor are what count.

[kotyara]

Thanks Bob. I really shouldn't badmouth ASA. I know one guy who teaches both systems and says there's not much difference. As Bob says, the school and the instructor are what count.

Oh, come on, I was just getting the beer and popcorn out

But in all seriousness, are there any other schools or instructors, aside from ASA and USS, that might be worth looking into? Maybe not now, but after going through the other programs?

[Wylieguy]

Alex, I could be catty (pun intended) and suggest you invest in a Wyliecat 30. Makes headsail changes a snap! But instead I'll run through my method for headsail changes with hankons.

I decide on which headsail I'll hoist well before the start, often in the berth, based on weather forecasts, etc. If I'm using a 150, I'll hank it on. Then I hank on a 125 on at the bottom of the forestay (below the 150's bottom hank - I have Kame move that hank up far enough to do this) and tie the smaller sail down on deck. It has a 2nd set of sheets and I run them back to the cockpit. All of this in the berth.

If I need to change down, I get the boat balanced going upwind with the autohelm and drop the headsail, gather it up and tie it down on the opposite side of the deck. Then I unhank it and tie down the luff. The new headsail is already hanked on, so I switch the haylard, to the new sail and hoist.

I sailed my Newport 30 (similar to a Cal 29) using an Autohelm 1000+ and it worked if the boat was balanced. It was even easier with my Tuna (but, then, everything was).

I think the most important advice for singlehanders has been given and repeated in the other posts. Reef/change down early. Keep looking ahead to see what's happening, be very aware of wind speed increases, sea state, whatever. Waiting until the boat's on its ear makes changing difficult and dangerous. Did I mention changing down sooner rather than later?

Pat Broderick

Pat Broderick

[kotyara]

A big ol' blanket that even reefs itself? Naa, that'll be too easy Mind you, I might change my mind next time I get caught in wind like that with genoa and full main up. It is a stunning boat though, especially with laminate sails.

Sounds like a great idea, I'll have to try it. I don't think the bottom hanks on my sails are far enough up to do what you're describing, but I guess they're not too hard to move. Worst case, I could leave a few hanks on the top loose.
Doesn't the lazy sail interfere with the one that's hoisted up? Or does it not matter much that close to the deck? Do you have an extra set of leads for the second set of sheets, or are you using those wide multi-sheet blocks? I looked at them at some point, but they looked like a sure way to get the sheets tangled up.

I'll definitely remember the "planning ahead" advice now. Aside from being surprised by the wind strength at the end, I really thought I could reef and change jibs at any time. Now that I know how hard it is, I'll think twice next time.

Cheers,
Alex.

[JohnS]

Alex,

Pat's method of pre-hanking a second headsail works well. The extra sail should not be a problem for the active sail, especially if you tie it up neatly along the rail. It should only affect the very bottom of the active sail, and then only on one tack. If your hanks don't leave enough room for the "back-up" sail, just leave the bottom hank (or maybe two) loose. This should be fine provided you have proper luff tension on the active sail.

You will need a separate set of leads for the extra sail. Running two sets of sheets through even the wide lead cars is a recipe for a mess that would make the Gordian knot proud. Also, with dedicated leads for each sail you can have them pre-set for location and know they are in the right place when you switch sails.

As you've already heard, planning ahead is really important. Another thing to remember is that when single-handed you may need to take more dramatic action to make a sail change. It might require sailing a less than ideal course for a few minutes to bring the boat into a position where it is balanced enough to allow for some work on the fore deck etc. This is something that almost never happens on a fully crewed boat. Managing a boat and keeping it moving efficiently in (mostly) the right direction is a completely different chess game that racing a boat with a full crew. Just keep thinking and trying different ways to make things work and you'll start to figure it out. Keep an eye out for what other people are doing, some things you see will prove useful, others may not, but you will always learn something.