Helia 44: Rig and Sails

[StarryHorizons]

Gordon,

I'll second the request for pictures. Also would you mind sharing a ballpark of how much you paid for your ParaSailor? We're seriously considering one for our Helia.

Thanks!

[Gordon]

And a couple more.Attachment 71424

Attachment 71425

Attachment 71426

[Gordon]

ParaSailor images.

[StarryHorizons]

Thanks for the pictures Gordon! The more I hear about the ParaSailor, the more I like it. Any particular reason, other than convenience, that you had another winch fitted to your starboard side?

[Gordon]

I suppose you could have run the sheet back up to the winch fwd of the helm but the pad eye for the block would have to have been positioned further fwd than the port side and also just the ease of operation, one person can move from port to stbd very easily to effect trim and if two you can communicate quite easily side to side. Made operation very simple. I have put the sail up and set on my own without the main up, just so easy.
The cost of complete setup sail + winch and blocks was not cheap, around 6000 euro.

[StarryHorizons]

Well, if we wanted a cheap hobby, we wouldn't have chosen a boat! The ease of handling a ParaSailor is certainly intriguing. Any thoughts you can share with the rest of us as to your performance when using it?

[onthehook17]

Reefing questions for the team:

We paid for the "auto" reef1 option on our Helia and have had the chance to use it several times. It works fine when we decide to reef when putting up the main initially and are head to wind without the genoa out. We do find that there is too much friction in the system when trying to reef down with some pressure on the sail. The tack comes down fine; however the clew is very loose therefore poor sail shape. Yes, we can roll in the jib, engines on, head to wind, tighten the auto reef, reset the jib. This does not seem very "auto" to me. Any suggestions.

Second reef. This is really the reef I would like to make auto. I am thinking about separate tack and clew reef lines led to the helm with rope clutches. Any suggestions here.

Thanks for your help. Our boat is in charter with TMM in Tortola and unfortunately I am not there to work these issues out on the deck except for our 3-4 annual weeks on board. Your help keeps me sailing more and scratching my head less.

onthehook17

[Nasa]

On the hook17

We had the same issue, very stiff to haul in and clew never came all the way down to the boom. Even then boom is very high with third reef in. As a consequence I lubricated all the blocks in the system and checked that there was not twist in the reefing lines inside the boom. If they are not laid in the order they are fed thru the blocks you get significant friction inside the boom on the other reefing lines. Worked for me although a considerable amount of work....and a word of caution, don't pull a line out of the boom without a way of getting it back down. e.g. tying a feeder line to the end. It can be a bitch otherwise.

[mndreamchaser1]

Can anyone suggest what to use for chafe protection on the ends of the spreaders? With the swept back spreaders, the main inevitably ends up laying on the spreaders downwind to any significant degree, and the design of the spreaders is much more sharp than I had hoped. We have already developed two small holes from the chafe. We will add reinforcement to the sail, but looking for a spreader option too. I don't think the plastic boots I see advertised would fit the spreader very well, as the are fairly flat. Any suggestions from others?

[CatBrazil]

Originally Posted by mndreamchaser1

Can anyone suggest what to use for chafe protection on the ends of the spreaders? With the swept back spreaders, the main inevitably ends up laying on the spreaders downwind to any significant degree, and the design of the spreaders is much more sharp than I had hoped. We have already developed two small holes from the chafe. We will add reinforcement to the sail, but looking for a spreader option too. I don't think the plastic boots I see advertised would fit the spreader very well, as the are fairly flat. Any suggestions from others?

I use in my present cat (still not the future H44) pieces of leather that I bought in some chandlery store, but that be easily made to fit. They are squares that had the corners cut and some holes punched to pass a twine to hold the sides together. You can fill them with some foam or other material.

[peteh007]

Hi

Does anyone have any opinion of V booms or Canoe booms , as I believe they are sometimes called, for the case of a Helia? Is this a meaningful retrofit or a factory option perhaps? Pluses and minuses anyone?
cheers!
Peter

[Cotemar]

Originally Posted by peteh007

Hi

Does anyone have any opinion of V booms or Canoe booms , as I believe they are sometimes called, for the case of a Helia? Is this a meaningful retrofit or a factory option perhaps? Pluses and minuses anyone?
cheers!
Peter

All FP yachts come with standard boom and lazy bag.
V booms or Canoe booms are only on custom Cats in a different price range.

[peteh007]

Here is a picture of a Saba50 with a V-boom. Do they now come standard?
http://www.sail-world.com/Photos_201...%20cockpit.jpg

[Cotemar]

Originally Posted by peteh007

Here is a picture of a Saba50 with a V-boom. Do they now come standard?
http://www.sail-world.com/Photos_201...%20cockpit.jpg

I had seen that Saba 50 rendering before. No worries, as they will not be selling them.

[CatBrazil]

Looks like an addition popped to the sides of a standard aluminum boom.