Wilbur Hubbard wrote:


Sail size is also important. But, it is often stated by competent sailors
who write about such things that a man in good physical condition can hand
and/or reef individual sails up to 500 square feet each even in strong
winds. This size sail can be found on boats up to about forty feet LOA which
vessels require anchors in the 50-60 pound range to be held securely in a
storm.

Therefore, though sail size is a limiting factor, it is not as big a
limiting factor as anchor weight.

My personal experience does not agree. My 42' boat has a displacement of
roughly 33,000 lbs. It has a mainsail area of roughly 450 feet. I have
no problems weighing anchor of 65 lbs with a reasonable lead of chain /
rope rode, but I do have a serious issue handling the mainsail in heavy
weather. Even with jiffy reefing, taking in a reef or furling the
mainsail for running bare is a major issue while anchoring has always
been rather simple.

I have never tried anchoring in, say, 15 fathoms with an all chain rode,
but then the mass of the anchor isn't really the issue as much as the
rode. So a 10 lb anchor with that rode would be as difficult as the 65
(pretty much) meaning a Mac 26 would be as much a problem as my Tayana
42. Thus, as I said, the limiting factor isn't boat size or anchor
weight but really, sail area.

On Mon, 14 Apr 2008 18:38:01 -0600, Paul Cassel
wrote:

Thus, as I said, the limiting factor isn't boat size or anchor
weight but really, sail area.

You need a better sail handling system. Do you have lazy jacks, dutch
men, and/or a stack pack system? I have seen one person easily handle
the mainsail on a 70 footer using all the above (and an electric
halyard winch).

It is also important to have your halyard and jiffy reefing lines run
back to the cockpit with stoppers and winches, halyard on one side,
jiffy reefing on the other.

Wayne.B wrote:
On Mon, 14 Apr 2008 18:38:01 -0600, Paul Cassel
wrote:

Thus, as I said, the limiting factor isn't boat size or anchor
weight but really, sail area.

You need a better sail handling system. Do you have lazy jacks, dutch
men, and/or a stack pack system? I have seen one person easily handle
the mainsail on a 70 footer using all the above (and an electric
halyard winch).

It is also important to have your halyard and jiffy reefing lines run
back to the cockpit with stoppers and winches, halyard on one side,
jiffy reefing on the other.


Jiffy reefing but it seems that in a real blow, I have a very hard time
of it. I've never had a hard time with my 65 lb anchor / chain / rope rode.

On Tue, 15 Apr 2008 18:06:18 -0600, Paul Cassel
wrote:

Jiffy reefing but it seems that in a real blow, I have a very hard time
of it.

It's important to ease off the mainsheet and boom vang until the
reefing lines are snugged down.

Does the mainsail stick in the luff groove or do the slides stick?

The really nice system that I saw on the 70 footer had full length
battens with a roller bearing car on the inboard end of each batten.
That sail dropped and stowed slicker than a venetian blind in reverse.

Wayne.B wrote:
On Tue, 15 Apr 2008 18:06:18 -0600, Paul Cassel
wrote:

Jiffy reefing but it seems that in a real blow, I have a very hard time
of it.

It's important to ease off the mainsheet and boom vang until the
reefing lines are snugged down.

Does the mainsail stick in the luff groove or do the slides stick?

The really nice system that I saw on the 70 footer had full length
battens with a roller bearing car on the inboard end of each batten.
That sail dropped and stowed slicker than a venetian blind in reverse.

Basically the general fuss of such a large rig is what gives me fits. My
next boat, if a sailboat, will have in mast or in boom furling. I almost
installed in boom and actually ordered it but the mfg made some sort of
measuring error. I just got disgusted waiting around in port for a part
which was all wrong & left.

Remember, I"m single handing. This would not be much of deal if not for
that.

On Wed, 16 Apr 2008 17:19:19 -0600, Paul Cassel
wrote:

Wayne.B wrote:
On Tue, 15 Apr 2008 18:06:18 -0600, Paul Cassel
wrote:

Jiffy reefing but it seems that in a real blow, I have a very hard time
of it.

It's important to ease off the mainsheet and boom vang until the
reefing lines are snugged down.

Does the mainsail stick in the luff groove or do the slides stick?

The really nice system that I saw on the 70 footer had full length
battens with a roller bearing car on the inboard end of each batten.
That sail dropped and stowed slicker than a venetian blind in reverse.

Basically the general fuss of such a large rig is what gives me fits. My
next boat, if a sailboat, will have in mast or in boom furling. I almost
installed in boom and actually ordered it but the mfg made some sort of
measuring error. I just got disgusted waiting around in port for a part
which was all wrong & left.

Remember, I"m single handing. This would not be much of deal if not for
that.

I built a behind the mast system and while the foil certainly sags to
leeward it is no more then a stay sail schooner, and the big advantage
is that because it is so easy to use I end up with more sail in the
wind for more hours a day.

Before, when it was a matter of going forward and hauling in another
reef at the mast, or shaking one out, I tended to wait -- probably
gonna blow more later; or probably gonna be calm anyway, so I'd just
leave things the way they were. With the roller it is just pull the
blue line to make it bigger and the red one to make it smaller.

It doesn't look as good as an in mast system but it works about as
good. Wouldn't be without it.


Bruce-in-Bangkok
(correct email address for reply)