Interested in a boat for 2018 TransPac

[jamottep]

Interesting day ... Never had such an experience. The wind was very very light and changing. The swell was high enough that the boat was rocking and rolling, with the sails banging left and right. There were many times when I couldn't figure out where the wind was coming from. I'm sure there is a technique to sail these ULDBs in very very light wind and choppy seas but I haven't found it ... Going downwind was a misery ... Like 0 knts kind of misery.

The funny thing is that because the forecast was calling for a strong breeze (incl. small craft advisory) I went out with a reefed main and number 3.

I spent what seemed an eternity having the sails banging around, being mostly paralyzed. I'd never know what was going to happen next, as far as the sails moving around and the boat's movement. I pretty much sat there for what may have been a couple hours if not more. Very frustrating ... I could feel all the negativity come up from the inside ...

I had planned to do head sail changes and I couldn't muster to get on with it when all that was going on. Later in the afternoon all the boats came out of the harbor for the beer can race and it was nice to see all those boats. But they were moving and I wasn't ... I inched closer to shore and wind picked up; swell subsided significantly.

I decided to finally carry on with my head sail change, to at least achieve something today. I went down to a #4. I'm sure folks watching me must have been thinking I was nuts but I didn't feel confident to try with the # 2. I did it 4 times (3 to 4, 4 to 3, 3 to 4, 4 to 3). Nothing went as expected:

1. The spin and the jib halyards would get entangled and get stuck at the clutch, multiple times. Yes, I need to coil these nicely to avoid that. But I kept forgetting.
2. The first time I raised the # 4 I was all proud of myself and went to take pictures. That's when I realized that it had gone up without sliding into the foil ... it somehow had popped out. Ooops ... down it went. See second picture below.
3. I need to figure out how to bring the halyards with me to where I need them so I can initiate the hoist and avoid the problem described above.
4. A few times I forgot to move the second jib sheet to the new clew. Fun tacks ...
5. I wonder how all this would work out with a boat heeled 35 degrees or more, in a seaway. Being so tall and the boat not so big I think the only thing that makes sense for me is going 4WD. I've got knee pads for that.

I'll admit that I haven't made friend yet with how things are rigged. The jacklines are not working where they are; they get in the way of everything. I can see things snapping in the future. I need to continue to think about these.

Of course I realize that I will need to get over that paralysis. I find that a good description of myself lately is: fearful human ...

And as usual I continue to mess up the boat out and into the water process ... hitting the back stay and getting the boat off center on the trailer is becoming a habit it seems.

I had also taken a spinnaker with me to try that out ... It'll have to be for another day. Bottom line for today? The journey will be long ...

Looking at the main it doesn't look right ... If any of you could take a look at the picture below to let me know your thoughts I'd appreciate it. It doesn't show a nice flat luff to leech surface. And that's with barely any luff nor back stay tension.

[Wylieguy]

It looks like the mainsail leech line is over tensioned. See how it's hooked over behind the numbers? And above and below. What does the leech look like below the picture?

It also looks like the downhaul needs to be tensioned until the "puckers" are smoothed out. Initially over tension, then ease the tension until it's correct.

Sailing in light wind takes time and skill and is often frustrating - but learning how to do it is important. If you're changing down in high winds, hoisting a "floating" headsail can be a major headache

About the jib. Are you using a pre-feeder? If so, is it adjusted correctly? Are you watching the sail as you hoist it? Sailing solo takes "eyes everywhere."

[Steevee]

Sailing solo takes "eyes everywhere."

[jamottep]

About the jib. Are you using a pre-feeder? If so, is it adjusted correctly? Are you watching the sail as you hoist it? Sailing solo takes "eyes everywhere."

There is a pre-feeder. I'm not sure how to verify if it's adjusted properly; I'm assuming I should verify if the bolt rope doesn't jump out of the feeder. I think what happened is that the jib slid down enough, popped out of the foil (but not the pre-feeder because that I think I would have noticed) and I didn't notice. It didn't go too well this time but it was my first time and I've learned a few things.

Next adventure will be the spinnaker ... or maybe change job # 3 to # 2.

I must say I feel like I did something OK yesterday. With all the boats coming in after the beer can race there was a bit of a congestion going on in the channel/harbor. I came into the harbor under both sails at a good 5 knts. I found two boats were in the middle of the channel going about 1.5 knts, about head to stern. I couldn't imagine myself tacking around these two so I quickly dropped the jib. Then I passed them slowly and found myself under-powered. I hoisted the # 3 again (I did forget I had put a sail tie around it so it was a two step process, duh!) and carried on tacking upwind into the channel. I dropped the # 3 again, turned into the fairway to park alongside where the crane is and just as I make my way into the fairway a boat is being moved right where I was going to park (I suppose to prevent me going into where the boats are hoisted out of the water)! Now I'm downwind with my full main up headed for the docks or an unlucky boat. Ah! So I do a 360, drop the main and scull a little further. And voila ... marina acrobatics ... that or beginner's luck, as in, if that boat had not shown up I wouldn't have done a 360, which slowed me down, and maybe a gust would have propelled me a little too fast into the docks. Well then, thanks again ... I wonder if it's ever going to run out ... Isn't a sailor always a beginner?

[jamottep]

How about running the jack lines like I show in the edited picture below and a shackle on the toe rail to stop fall short and keep it a little more snug in place?

[jamottep]

One more day out ... Light winds again, not as bad as the other day but for sure I'm not good at trimming for performance, read I'm slow :-)
Anyways, I did do another head sail change going from #3 to #2 and back down. Not as much went wrong as last time. Somehow though the jib sheets got under the jacklines. It is amazing though how everything that can go wrong will.
Jacklines remain a puzzle ... So I was a little lazy with the tether today.
Then I turned around to go home and was pondering flying the spinnaker. I finally decided that I didn't have to do it, I could just get ready for it. So I rigged the pole, brought the old 0.5 oz tri-radial on deck, rigged the sheets and then it was all there ready to go. So I popped it. But ... I had put stops in it, with the wrong knots, and the yarn didn't pop. The spinnaker was now 3 sausages ... So I brought it down, remove the stops and brought it up again. I didn't gybe it (I didn't have to but I don't think I wanted to either). It was all tentative at best ... It's a good thing it was a light wind day. Nothing broke and I'm happy.
Once again I forgot to bring the trailer back from the parking ... so I stood there with the boat up and no trailer. Fun times ...

[Critter]

Philippe, about your jib luff falling out of the foil: Maybe you solved the problem next time out since you didn't mention it, but I have that issue also. What I do is:
1. With the halyard clutch open and the jib started in the foil, pull the halyard (from above the jib) aft toward the mast. When I get close,
2. Release that bight of halyard and as quickly as I can take up the slack where the halyard exits the mast. Usually I can do this without the head of the jib falling very far. Hoist a few feet, so that the head has farther to fall. Then
3. Jump to behind the clutch and take up the slack again. Then close the clutch and hoist from the cockpit.
Not an elegant solution, but it works for me.
Max
PS: Wasn't it a great feeling to get the spinnaker flying?

[AZ Sailor]

Jacklines remain a puzzle ...

I'm not familiar with the Olson 30, but on my last boat, a 28 footer, I didn't use jacklines. The boat was small enough that I could clip a standard 6' tether to a hard point at the base of the mast, and have the harness end draped into the cockpit. So, I could clip in before leaving the cockpit, and get forward of the mast on that first tether. I'd also clip a second tether to a slot in the toe rail, and drape it back towards the mast where I could reach it while on the first tether. If I wanted to all the way forward, I'd clip on the second tether, release the first, and go.

Plus, there was no way I'd ever end up in the water clipped to the first tether. Plus, when you're tethered to a hard point instead of a jackline, you can keep the tether tight while moving, keeping much better balance.

[jamottep]

One step forward two steps backward ... Strange day today in Santa Cruz ...

Thanks for the suggestions about the jib popping out and the jack lines. With the twin foil I'm peeling head sails and I found that I just need to pre-feed the jib a little more and it doesn't pop anymore. So that seems to be fixed ... Jacklines, not so much ...

I went out thinking that it was going to be between 5-10 kts. I ended up seeing 24 kts AWS. I put a reef in so that was nice. After beating for a while I was looking at the bow, heeled over 30-35, thinking I should go there and pop a smaller jib, just for practice. I was flying the #3 and thought it'd be a great exercise to change to the #4. I couldn't overcome the anxiety, well I think that's what it was ... So there's going to have to be more practice at the bow when heeled and pounding (which I wasn't even doing today).

I tried to heave to. At first I was a little timid with the tiller and was keeping it at 40 degree or so. I was still doing almost 3 knts. My slick was useless (it's supposed to help break down oncoming waves I read). But when I pushed the tiller almost 90 degree the boat stopped. So that was nice. The problem is that the boat was almost beam to the wind/waves, with the main completely eased out. The only way it seemed to get the boat pointing up more was to bring in the main, which powered the boat forward (there goes the slick). Another puzzle ...

And then I turned around, thinking, all right, let's pop the spinnaker again. It went so well last (first) time. I rigged everything and hoisted the spinnaker, only to hit a wind hole and then the wind shifted 180! So back down the spinnaker went. After beating a bit again and stuffing the sail in the bag (properly), I decided to try again ... and ... the sail did find the one sharp pin at the bottom of a turnbuckle ... and I ripped the foot. I haven't looked at the damage closely yet but there goes the practice .5 spinnaker ...

I've been thinking that the boat is slower on a close reach on port tack than on starboard tack. It's also more prone to heeling. Most of the weight is distributed to starboard (the engine, two batteries). I think that's what's causing that. When I go down to the leeward rail, with my 240 lbs there, something just doesn't feel right. Also having the auto-tiller on one side of the boat is a bit of a nuisance when the boat is heeling much.

I'm definitely out of my comfort zone with everything I do ... The boat has battle scars too now, nothing that won't scrub away ... but it's no more a shiny hull!

I've started doing a bit of yoga and hope to continue to help with balance and flexibility.

Voila ... time for a good night sleep ...

[Sailronin]

Hi Philippe,
Heaving to (small jib backwinded and main mostly eased) will leave a little way on; the slick will not do much as you discovered.