Crazy? - Mumm 30

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by Ex-Calif

he called us chickens for not taking the boat out. Chickens? Now the gauntlet is down - LOL.

Brok, brok, brok... brrrrroook brok brok.

LOLOLOL

It would have been fantastic in 20 knots!
Off the The Wetass Chronicles

[44'cruisingcat]

I never knew they had come up with sail powered subs.

[Ex-Calif]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

Brok, brok, brok... brrrrroook brok brok.

LOLOLOL

It would have been fantastic in 20 knots!
Off the The Wetass Chronicles

Oh, crap... It was better being a dumass that didn't know what he was in for. Now I am totally scairt - LOL

[Ex-Calif]

Yesterday started out with northeast winds at 3 kts and rain ;-( We had been hoping that the southwest monsoon was settled in but not to be. We found out that the Mumm had been struck by lightning a couple of weeks ago and the owner is not sure of all teh damage but reported that the engine is not working - Hmmm. Not a problem as it's a sailboat, right?

Anyway, I scared up 4 enthusiastic friends, one who had crewed once on a Mumm, one who has sailed dinghys a lot, one who sails cats pretty extensively, my Relax Lah! partner and me. We arrived at the club in a light rain but it appeared to be lifting. We were all in our "foulies" - Dry tech shirts and shorts for you nor' easterners - LOL.

The boat was in OK shape. Pretty wet below decks, standing rigging seemed a bit worn and the running rigging well used. In comparing to the rigging guide it looked like the proper marks we on the jib foil, barberhaulers, jib halyard, backstay ond so on so someone had taken time to measure everything up.

The boat reminds me of a ginat Laser Pico - Just a big plastic bathtub, open transom, beamy with relatively low freeboard. We drug out the sails and spent some time hemming and hawing about the extra bits of strings and so on but we managed to get it all hanked on. The jib runs up a foil.

Q1 - The jib has two halyards (port and starboard) and a head foil. The tuning guide recommends loading the #1 jib in the port foil/port halyard "because if you need to change headsails it will be on a starboard tack." - Why on a starboard tack?

The guids also talks about a jib cunningham but possible this jib didn't have the gear because we could find a spot to hook up the downhaul - hmmm

The main is huge and loose footed. With cunningham, boom vang and out haul all being critical adjustments - along with backstay - for good performance.

The main sheet is a Rube Goldberg device. The mainsheet "coarse" trim is like an 8:1 purchase, there is a main sheet traveler with 4:1 purchase and main sheet "fine tune" with about a 6:1 purchase - Also the backstay adjustment runs to the traveler set up so there are 3 cleated adjustments on each side of the boat as well as the main sheet. The helm and Mainsheetman work in coordination in the center of the boat controlling the most powerful part of the rig - the mainsail.

We used two trimmers - port and starboard for the jib with each alternating as the tailer when we tacked. We started with a mastman adjusting outhaul, cunningham and vang.

We dropped lines and the boat accelerated smoothly in <5 kts. Very quiet and very slippery. We held a heading for a bit and made sure things were rigged up right. The breeze was freshening and as it came up to about 10kts we noticed the lee shrouds looked pretty loose. We then groked that the backstay was too loose. We hardened the backstay up and it was weird watching the top of the mast bend - yikes! But that's what it is supposed to do.

We did some reaching and played with various settings to shape the sail. Loose and full in the light winds. What does the Cunningham do? How about outhaul? Holy crap, how does the mainsheet, traveller, boom vang and fine trim affect the sail sahpe and boat speed - An engineers dream - LOL.

Rain stopped now, high overcast wind freshening maybe 15kts. OK let's get things adjusted for "medium" airs. Outhaul in a bit, a little vang, cunningham on. Wow! It's true. Youi can actually move the draft forward and aft and up and down. Beating to windward 15-20 degrees heel angle, almost got a roostertail! This sucker is quick!

A couple of J24s came out to practice, we floated downwind and contemplaed the spinnaker. Where is it? "Don't have one." I dig around, it's up in the forepeak and the bag is so wet it would have goldfish in it. We decide not to fly the spinnaker so downwind is pretty slow and boring. We get to the bottom of the course and tack.

At the risk of getting dusted by the J24s we turn up on them and set sail for upwind. By this time, I have moved to the back of the boat and elected myself tactician. OK - On the tack, leave the mainsheet alone, tack with the traveller only. Loose the mainsheet and run the traveler higher, she "feels" choked. "How do you know that?" - "I don't know, I'm making this **** up."

"Wow. You are right she's relling pulling better" I think the mainsheet was flattening the luff, it looks a lot fuller now.

Three tacks to windward and we blow by the J24s - Thanks God! We wouldn't live that one down.

4 hours later we put her to bed - What a jolt - When are we going to start the campaign?

Maybe after we get over our aversion to teh Spinnaker - LOL.

[MarkJ]

I told you you'd have fun!
Must have been great once that wind filled in a bit

Originally Posted by Ex-Calif

"because if you need to change headsails it will be on a starboard tack." - Why on a starboard tack?.

Cos you have right of way!

Give it a go with the spinnaker next time. But I agree first time out the spinnaker is fine to leave in the bag, first time up in 15-20kts would be a bit too exhilerating! LOL