"cavelamb" wrote in message
...

I have a fantasy of a small stay sail that could be flown in heavy wind.
It would be about 20 to 25% of the fore triangle, and cut high to allow
the sheets to align on the cabin top tracks.

A strong eye pad just aft of the anchor locker for the tack, and a halyard
at
the spreaders to hoist it. That would technically make my reefed main
about a
3/4 fractional rig and probably help recover some of the lost pointing
ability.

I'm more in favor of this than one of those Gale Sails because of the
location.
The GS is located all the way forward - no help for the main, and a LONG
moment
arm back to the keel. Lot's of turning force.

A stay sail would help the main some by making a little slot effect, and
is located much closer to the mast. (same as the reefed main)

I think it would be useful regardless of the jib (rolled up or taken
down).

My boat came with all that gear to set a staysail just as you describe. I
have an eye pad on a track on the foredeck so can adjust its position. Also
have additional sheet tracks port and starboard plus extra sheets so that on
a long reach I can put up the staysail as well as the jib and turn her into
a sort of cutter rig.
Never tried all that yet but I took my staysail to my sailmaker here so I
could see it open on his floor so I could know exactly what I had rather
than getting nasty surprises when opening a large sail on the foredeck for
the first time.
The sail looked fine but the guy strongly suggested that staysails were not
worth bothering with. He should know a thing or two as he was sailmaker
once on one of those round the world racers but he never made it clear what
he did not like about staysails. So the only thing is to give it a try and
see for myself.


(Re roller vesus hank)
If the jib should tear?
It takes me too long to thread that thin luff in calm conditions at the
dock.
I'd prefer not to have to do it in any kind of sea!
Remember, it has to be fed into the groove of the foil - not like hanking
on a bunched up (and tied) head sail.

I am with you on that one. My boat has a full set of racing sails which I
leave ashore. They have all been converted to fit into the foil of the
roller which the previous owner (non racing) fitted to her. So now it is
impossible for a shorthanded cruising couple to change foresails as you
really need two on the foredeck to feed in the new sail while controlling
the rest of it (big sail-38' boat) and at least one in the cockpit to winch
it up, plus autopilot or preferably another person steering. The really bad
thing is that he converted the storm jib in the same way so because there is
usually only my wife and myself aboard I have no alternative in a strong
wind to using the roller to reef the foresail if it becomes necessary. Maybe
I could set the storm jib free flying on the staysail fixings but that is
another thing that needs a test to see if it is practical. I doubt if it
would set well given that it is always going to be needed only in very
strong winds.