We just completed a wonderful passage from Fort Myers, FL to Apalachicola, FL with 15 to 20 knots of South East Wind. This was the first time we had such glorious of a weather with us. We loved it.
It also showed that we still have a lot to learn about sailing ID ("Impossible Dream"). We carried full Genoa(130%), reefed the main when weather was above 20 and full mizzen. I realized later in the trip that we probably carried too much sail for the conditions but the thrill of clocking 7 to 8 knots felt good. When I walk up in the middle of the second night and felt the all hull shacking, we decided to roll the Genoa and continued with Main on first reef and Mizzen. Speed dropped to 5 to 6 knot but the boat was easier to handle and "Manual" our ST4000+ wheel pilot had no problem handling the boat. Before that, controlling the boat in running condition was difficult leading to unwanted and violent jibe. Being afraid of broaching the boat, we did not want to install preventer. Here are some of our observations and I would appreciate your genuine comments.
1) Boomvang: This has been an idea for a long time but this trip did reinforce the impression that this might be required. It was apparent that the boom was lifting too much and created a twist in the main. When on a broad reach, the net effect was to blanket the Genoa and it was difficult to keep it full. With the sea it was very difficult to keep a wing on wing. We had less than 20 Deg of margin and there was always a wave to push us one way or the other. Trimming the main produced no real effect has the top end would alway twist open. It seems that a boomvang would have helped keep the twist under control. What do you think? How are you handling such situation?
2) Main Topping lift: What do you do deal with this piece of...? The topping lift would constantly get tangled with the back stay. This is already an issue when I have to set sail. After a long time at the dock, the topping lift is all wrapped around the back stay. During broad reach or Running , the problem was aggravated by the lack of boomvang and the upward movement of the boom during the jibe. We tried to move the connection point back to the mast but then the control line running along the boom kept getting tangled on every piece of hardware on the boom or the deck. And sure enough, when it came time to take a reef, in the middle of the night, the boom fell on the deck because I forgot to reset the topping lift. What is your experience? Do you have a method to control the topping lift?
3) Boom to Mast spindle cotter pin: Soon after we set sail and while still in protected bay, I noticed that the spindle connecting the boom to the mast had walked it's way out partially. The previous sail, 3 weeks earlier from Charleston SC to Saint Augustine FL had been a beating run motor sailing through with main in 10 to 15 knots of wind. One of the cotter pin was sheared. The other was in good shape. I replaced the failed one. Three days later, after too many jibe, I noticed the previously good cotter pin sheared and the pin walking off again. There is no washer between the pin and the boom casting and the casting shows heavy wear around the area of the pin. Have you experienced similar failure and how to you reduce wear and cotter pin failure?
Boomvang- probably helpful, especially running.
Topping lift- sounds like you are giving it too much slack. In the slip, we adjust ours up snug. When we make sail, we give it about 6", just enough that it has some slack and does not affect the shape of the sail. It will usually float in the air stream behind the main. Ours has never wrapped up in the backstay.
If the boom fell on the deck, It has way too much slack.
Gooseneck- haven't had a problem there. Maybe I need to take a close look at ours.
Jean-Marc and Melissa,
We are really glad you had such a good trip up. Those same winds plague us when trying to head south to St. Pete this time of year. We are Ron and Carol Norton. Live-a-board in St. Marks, FL. on our P-365 ketch "Matchmaker", Hull No. 311 that we have been fixing up for about 2 years now. Saint Marks is about a 50 mile sail around South Shoal and into Appalachee Bay from Appalachacola. If you have the time and inclination we would love to meet with you, compare rigs and maybe introduce you to the area a bit. We can easily drive over to Appalachacola. It's about an hours drive. You can reply here or privately to rc_norton@hotmail.com or call 850-556-7239 (cellular). By the way, there are at least two great anchorages behind Dog Island just to the south of you an easy day sail. Also there is some of the prettiest IC Waterway between Appalachacola and White City on the way to Panama City with a nice side trip to St Joe Bay.
Regarding the Boom Vang - we don't have one either but it's on the list. Regarding main - we are running a Dutchman system and do not release the topping lift at all. We do loosen the topping lift on the mizzen when it is deployed.
Ron Norton
SV Matchmaker
St Marks FL
Impossible Dream,I have a place on the forward edge of my mizzen mast to tie and cleat the topping lift works well.It come from Pearson that way.My experience with the wind shadow from the main the further the wind shifts aft the smaller I make the main.When the wind puffs twenty main is down mizzen and headsail are still flying.The mizzen I sheet in closer than the headsail.At thirty down wind get ready to roll I run headsail only.This works for me.But I am not racing. Hope this gives you some idea what others do,being a ketch there are many options.Allen
I'll weigh in on this one...
Boomvang - If you want to get every ounce of power out of your main downwind, a boom vang would be usefull. That being said, in a large puff the boom will not rise (automatically I might add) and spill off the over power situation. On a race boat, one of the most important jobs on a heavy air run from the helmspersons point of view is dumping the vang. When a puff hits and the vang is on hard, the boat wants to round up and will do so no matter what the person on the helm does with the rudder. Once the boat starts to round up, more and more sail area is exposed and more and more heel is introduced. More heel means less rudder in the water and the situation goes from bad to worse very quickly. When the skipper yells VANG, the person on the vang unloads it as fast as possible letting the boom rise and spilling the load over the top. It is amazing how quickly the boat reacts when the vang is dumped and how quickly control is regained. I am sure you have seen pictures of boats on their ear with the spinnaker twisting in the wind. The problem is 90% of the time a failure to dump the vang or a slow response to the skippers scream. The person on the vang of course must reload the vang once the boat is back on her feet and up to speed. This takes considerable effort and even on small boats it is not unusual to have 12 or 16 to one purchases to do so.
Main Topping Lift - I would agree, too loose. I don't even slack mine off when we leave the dock. The only time it could get tighter than a level boom is hard to weather and then the boom is most always above level.
Running - I typically drop the mizzen early in heavy air. The reason is that its center of effort is well behind the keels center of effort. When the mizzen loads, it rotates (pushes) the stern around the keel bringing the bow into the wind. The mainsail is the most balanced sail around the keel. The headsail has the opposite effect of the mizzen and rotates the bow down around the keel introducing lee helm at times.
So... running I would drop the mizzen first and let the headsail "pull" the boat downwind. A reef in the main will minimize the shadowing effect when both sails are on the same side. Sailing wing on wing without a pole on your headsail, will typically make the headsail unruly as the pressure deflects off of the main.
Main Gooseneck - Mine has the same setup and I have yet to have a problem with it. I suspect that your ears on the mast half of the gooseneck and the tab on your boom half are worn along with the holes in the aluminum portions allowing the boom to twist slightly. This twisting action would make the shear situation on the keeper cotter pin much worse. A good fix would be to install a bolt in place of the pin. The key here is to get a bolt long enough so that almost no threads are in the aluminum ears only the straight shank. The threads will saw away at the aluminum and make the problem worse. Get a long enough bolt, install a nylock nut and saw off the remainder of the threads that stick out (if you like it neat). This should fix that problem.
Good Sailing - Dale
For the boom lift I carry a couple of 4 part block&taclke boom /preventers wit snap shackle ends. I often place it between the main sheet attachment to the life line stanchion base to pull the boom down and flatten the main. It is very basic but it is easier than a proper traveler.
I had a spare rope vang as a preventer, and hooked it to a sliding car on the toe rail track. Unfortuanteyl, I had that car all the way forward, when the crew did an accidental jibe during an offshore race last year. Word to the wise - if you use this technique, move the car back four or five pins, so that the load is distributed down the length of the track and does not sheer the screw heads of the forward two or three track screw, causing the car to be locked in place until I get around to "unbending it". ::)