Sails Inventory for Caribbean Cruising

[Gaucho Marino]

I am planning to take my CS 36 to the Caribbean next year and would like to know what sails I should bring. Someone told me a Genoa is not needed due to the strong winds experienced all the time. Is this true?

[MarkJ]

Someone told you not to bring the genoa?????????????????

Look, if you had hanked on foresails and a #1, 2, 3 and storm jib etc you could leave the deck-sweeper, drifter and #1 at home to save space.


But if you have a furling genoa bring it... like you wouldnt go without any foresail would you?

We often just use the genoa, unless hard on the wind. Roll out a stich or 2 and pop the champers...

[Bash]

...but that's because I use a G3 gennaker in its place when sailing off the wind. If you're not one to use a cruising spinnaker of some type, then a genoa is a must unless you're one of those folks who fire up the iron genny every time the wind is light.

[s/v Moondancer]

We need our 135% genoa at least 25% of the time, used most when in the lee on the west side of the islands. It usually gets furled when we reach the open passages between the islands when the staysail is better. I am anchored in the lee of Grenada as I write and it is blowing 8-10 knots.

Use it much more often than the asym.

[Hud3]

I have a 110% high-cut headsail, and would normally sail with it furled, and with the staysail set, when not in the lee of the islands. I only used my asymmetrical spinnaker a handful of times down here. Fun, but probably not worth the space it takes up.

[speciald@ocens.]

Skip taking any spinnaker - takes up too much space and you willhardly ever use it. My boat is cutter rigged. I usually fly a 135%, staysail and full battened main. I carry a Yankee as a spair headsail. With the cutter rig, I reef the main first, then the genoa, then the main, then furl in the genoa. This takes me up to about 35-40 knots.

[colemj]

Where in the Caribbean? I think the answers you have received so far reflect conditions in the Eastern Caribbean, but you might find lower winds in parts of the Western Caribbean.

Mark

[Cheechako]

If you are roller furling then I'm with HUD. A high cut 110-120% is great. Any more and you will be over powered at times. Here's the problem: In the lee of the islands it's hard to sail at all a lot of the time. you can go from 5-7 knots in the lee to 40 in the gap between the islands. A large Genoa partially rolled up has terrible shape and especially in strong wind like that. Forget the Spinnaker unless you're a racer that just cant stop tweaking the sails... If you are hank on, then you could take a large Genoa (in lieu of a spinnaker) if you are the type to want to change out sails in the lee and change back.

[Gudgeon]

I am not in the carribean but use a 135% roller furling genoa I furl it at about 20 kts. I have to disagree that a partialy furled genoa terrible shape. When in the channels I furl the head sail often. By having adjustable cars and a foam luff I find I can get very good shape out of the genoa when furled. I do believe the sail makers have improved their designs of roller furling head sails in the past years. One of the keys on furling is to keep if fom luffing when furling so it s furled evenly.

[Cheechako]

Yea, I had a built up luff also. (they refused to use foam due to UV degradation) but it was padded. I suppose maybe some sails work out better than others. Mine always looked bad to me with a few feet furled in.

[sck5]

I have a 140 with a rope luff. Keeps its shape better than foam - Good to about 110 or 120 - after that its time to switch.