"JAXAshby" wrote in message
...
It was a light-air day
on upper Galveston Bay; winds were in the 8-10kt range.

8 to 10 knot winds are "normal" most of the time for most of the sailing
world
outside the trade wind areas. Light airs are winds under 6 knots.

a Tayana 37
would do 125-mile days.

few boats consistently average 125 mile days over the long haul.

10-15 is more "normal" here, and I can positively guarantee you that it's
pretty much normal for the Western Caribbean. In my original post I did not
refer to average distance over time; sorry if that was not clear.

trade winds are higher than is "normal" for most everywhere else except high
latitudes.

I personally know a guy who spent 15 days of a 45 day Atlantic crossing
becalmed.

Most long distance cruisers have set of nylon sails. Lin and Larry Pardey had
a nylon mainsail built so their boat wouldn't slop around in lite airs (large,
lite sails in lite winds also means you can not point nearly as high, as your
boat speed climbs relative to the wind speed).

The Caribbean usually has winds and is one of the reasons sailors like the
area.

8 to 10 knot winds are "normal" most of the time for most of the sailing
world
outside the trade wind areas. Light airs are winds under 6 knots.

a Tayana 37
would do 125-mile days.

few boats consistently average 125 mile days over the long haul.

10-15 is more "normal" here, and I can positively guarantee you that it's
pretty much normal for the Western Caribbean. In my original post I did not
refer to average distance over time; sorry if that was not clear.

"JAXAshby" wrote in message
...

I personally know a guy who spent 15 days of a 45 day Atlantic crossing
becalmed.

This is why the gods created diesel engines

Most long distance cruisers have set of nylon sails. Lin and Larry Pardey
had
a nylon mainsail built so their boat wouldn't slop around in lite airs
(large,
lite sails in lite winds also means you can not point nearly as high, as
your
boat speed climbs relative to the wind speed).

Ok, this brings some questions to mind. In a cutter, would one do as well
to simply drop the main in very light airs and go with the staysail and jib?
Or use the mainsail as well with, say, a preventer in case one was caught
off-guard, and simply relax a bit?

Strategising here...

This is why the gods created diesel engines

wouldn't help there. He had an outboard and only 12 gallons of fuel. But
motoring a LOT is MOTORing a lot.

I know people who won't sail if boat speed drops below 5 knots. Me, I have
been known to sail in winds so lite I was passed by a lobster pot from behind.

would one do as well
to simply drop the main in very light airs and go with the staysail and jib?
Or use the mainsail as well

in lite winds, you choice is pretty much down wind, and twin head sails seems
to be the preferred, though large genoa to one side with main to the other is
also used. The staysail is pretty small and isn't much use most of the time.

If you are willing to take whatever speed you can get and don't want to go much
downwind, a very large lite headsail (cut more flat than usual) and a lite
mainsail can keep you moving, though you VMG upwind usually ain't much, if
anything at all.

This is why the gods created diesel engines

wouldn't help there. He had an outboard and only 12 gallons of fuel. But
motoring a LOT is MOTORing a lot.

I know people who won't sail if boat speed drops below 5 knots. Me, I have
been known to sail in winds so lite I was passed by a lobster pot from behind.

would one do as well
to simply drop the main in very light airs and go with the staysail and jib?
Or use the mainsail as well

in lite winds, you choice is pretty much down wind, and twin head sails seems
to be the preferred, though large genoa to one side with main to the other is
also used. The staysail is pretty small and isn't much use most of the time.

If you are willing to take whatever speed you can get and don't want to go much
downwind, a very large lite headsail (cut more flat than usual) and a lite
mainsail can keep you moving, though you VMG upwind usually ain't much, if
anything at all.

Neither
Main and Genoa (or spinn) broad reaching off to *keep the apparent wind
up* and the sails ventilated.
There is NO reason in the world to run dead down wind (except at hull
speed) .... except to miss land or other hard objects.
Just look at the polar diagrams for just about any boat ..... for
downwind VMG a broad reach is the fastest overall, a dead run is the
ultimate slowness.


In article s.com,
Wendy wrote:

"JAXAshby" wrote in message
...

I personally know a guy who spent 15 days of a 45 day Atlantic crossing
becalmed.

This is why the gods created diesel engines

Most long distance cruisers have set of nylon sails. Lin and Larry Pardey
had
a nylon mainsail built so their boat wouldn't slop around in lite airs
(large,
lite sails in lite winds also means you can not point nearly as high, as
your
boat speed climbs relative to the wind speed).

Ok, this brings some questions to mind. In a cutter, would one do as well
to simply drop the main in very light airs and go with the staysail and jib?
Or use the mainsail as well with, say, a preventer in case one was caught
off-guard, and simply relax a bit?

Strategising here...

Neither
Main and Genoa (or spinn) broad reaching off to *keep the apparent wind
up* and the sails ventilated.
There is NO reason in the world to run dead down wind (except at hull
speed) .... except to miss land or other hard objects.
Just look at the polar diagrams for just about any boat ..... for
downwind VMG a broad reach is the fastest overall, a dead run is the
ultimate slowness.


In article s.com,
Wendy wrote:

"JAXAshby" wrote in message
...

I personally know a guy who spent 15 days of a 45 day Atlantic crossing
becalmed.

This is why the gods created diesel engines

Most long distance cruisers have set of nylon sails. Lin and Larry Pardey
had
a nylon mainsail built so their boat wouldn't slop around in lite airs
(large,
lite sails in lite winds also means you can not point nearly as high, as
your
boat speed climbs relative to the wind speed).

Ok, this brings some questions to mind. In a cutter, would one do as well
to simply drop the main in very light airs and go with the staysail and jib?
Or use the mainsail as well with, say, a preventer in case one was caught
off-guard, and simply relax a bit?

Strategising here...

"JAXAshby" wrote in message
...

I personally know a guy who spent 15 days of a 45 day Atlantic crossing
becalmed.

This is why the gods created diesel engines

Most long distance cruisers have set of nylon sails. Lin and Larry Pardey
had
a nylon mainsail built so their boat wouldn't slop around in lite airs
(large,
lite sails in lite winds also means you can not point nearly as high, as
your
boat speed climbs relative to the wind speed).

Ok, this brings some questions to mind. In a cutter, would one do as well
to simply drop the main in very light airs and go with the staysail and jib?
Or use the mainsail as well with, say, a preventer in case one was caught
off-guard, and simply relax a bit?

Strategising here...

trade winds are higher than is "normal" for most everywhere else except high
latitudes.

I personally know a guy who spent 15 days of a 45 day Atlantic crossing
becalmed.

Most long distance cruisers have set of nylon sails. Lin and Larry Pardey had
a nylon mainsail built so their boat wouldn't slop around in lite airs (large,
lite sails in lite winds also means you can not point nearly as high, as your
boat speed climbs relative to the wind speed).

The Caribbean usually has winds and is one of the reasons sailors like the
area.

8 to 10 knot winds are "normal" most of the time for most of the sailing
world
outside the trade wind areas. Light airs are winds under 6 knots.

a Tayana 37
would do 125-mile days.

few boats consistently average 125 mile days over the long haul.

10-15 is more "normal" here, and I can positively guarantee you that it's
pretty much normal for the Western Caribbean. In my original post I did not
refer to average distance over time; sorry if that was not clear.

"JAXAshby" wrote in message
...
It was a light-air day
on upper Galveston Bay; winds were in the 8-10kt range.

8 to 10 knot winds are "normal" most of the time for most of the sailing
world
outside the trade wind areas. Light airs are winds under 6 knots.

a Tayana 37
would do 125-mile days.

few boats consistently average 125 mile days over the long haul.

10-15 is more "normal" here, and I can positively guarantee you that it's
pretty much normal for the Western Caribbean. In my original post I did not
refer to average distance over time; sorry if that was not clear.