Trimaran - Especially Searunner - Owners

[longjonsilver]

i have a Cross 24 trimaran that has a dual mainsheet. What is the best practice for using this system?

It can be seen here at min 4:28.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXIr3HNZZRM

Shud i adjust both mainsheets everytime?

jon

[longjonsilver]

N another dumb newbie question. i have been getting used to the boat by putting around with the outboard. i notice that the bow gets blown off by the wind FAR more than the dinghys i am used to sailing, so i have to use more power to turn into the wind. The stronger the wind, the more power i have to use to turn into it.

Sooooo, that raises the question - Which sail shud i raise first? The smallish 7/8 jib or the square top main?

jon

[Redreuben]

For the bow being blown off try a bit of centreboard.
On the Corsairs we usually raise main first.

[Cavalier MK2]

Normally a Cross 24 would have a keel, if this one has a board using some would help.
I couldn't really tell from the video how the mainsheet is rigged,.can you take.a.picture showing the layout? You will probably have to adjust it for another reason though. You should raise the main first, it will help keep the bows into the wind while you get the jib drawing. That big main will probably need to be eased each time you tack while you get the jib drawing because there could be a tendency for it to weathercock the boat and put you in irons as you try to come about. You'll be able to tell in a hurry, if it brings the bows back into the wind after you tack let it out.

[longjonsilver]

Originally Posted by Cavalier MK2

Normally a Cross 24 would have a keel, if this one has a board using some would help.
I couldn't really tell from the video how the mainsheet is rigged,.can you take.a.picture showing the layout?

i have used 3/4 daggerboard putting around.



jon

[Cavalier MK2]

So if that is a single line mainsheet adjustable from either side leaving it set would give the same boom position on each tack. If it is 2 separate sheets you will have to adjust it each tack.

[longjonsilver]

Originally Posted by Cavalier MK2

So if that is a single line mainsheet adjustable from either side leaving it set would give the same boom position on each tack. If it is 2 separate sheets you will have to adjust it each tack.

Well, my boom has two bails, but i guess i don't have to use both of them. Thanks for the encouragement and advice.

jon

[Cavalier MK2]

Sure, good to see you sailing and trying things out. You might want to keep them. On my tri I use a center tackle for the main sheet and run a guy to each ama from the boom and lead them back to the mainsheet area. They become the vang/preventer combination, cinching in as you ease the main takes the twist out like a vang and when deep downwind they prevent a jibe. The downside is more spaghetti the good side is never having to.move to rig a preventer.

I'm wondering a bit about the board placement, if it is aft a bit to work with the square top main you should try motoring with it all down to.see if it helps the bows blowing off.

[catsketcher]

Originally Posted by longjonsilver

N another dumb newbie question. i have been getting used to the boat by putting around with the outboard. i notice that the bow gets blown off by the wind FAR more than the dinghys i am used to sailing, so i have to use more power to turn into the wind. The stronger the wind, the more power i have to use to turn into it.

Sooooo, that raises the question - Which sail shud i raise first? The smallish 7/8 jib or the square top main?

jon

Gday John

Many multis get blown around lots - that is because they have teeny little foils that work well at high speeds, but then when we are faffing around at low speeds they fail to generate enough lift force. It is like flying around in a performance plane with small wings and then trying to go slow like a Tiger Moth - you fall out of the sky.

This is manifest as lack of control. To get around this, think flying. You have a "stall" speed before the boat gets enough flow. So before you do any big helm movements ensure you are up to speed. Years ago I owned and lived aboard a Twiggy - she had lots of windage and only small foils. So in an anchorage (if there was any wind) I would just floor the outboard and go straight. Even if there was someone in front, I would just floor the motor and get her up to 5 knots. As soon as she hit 5 knots or so she would steer pretty well and I would put the motor to idle and then steer hardover. It does lead to some wide eyes from the owners of close boats.

Either that or you can put big foils on your tri. Small foils are my bugbear on multis. Nice handling multis at slow speeds have foils too large for high speeds (nothing wrong with larger foils - just a bit slower) so designers tend to think that they should design foils for 8-12 ish knots. I reckon that is plain dumb - things go bad when foils lose grip, and this often happens at low speeds during say tacking - so make foils big. My two little folding cats behave beautifully at low speeds because they have large rudders and centreboard. It aint rocket science, it is just defining your needs more tightly and I want to steer well poking around the moorings and tacking.

So try putting around with a bigger than usual daggerboard. It should help, and also try getting up to stall speed before heading into the wind. Sometimes on a small tri you gotta get crackin to steer well.

As for putting up sails - I can't figure out why anyone would put up a jib before the main. It may be that you can pull up the main easily on a reach, so that would be fine, but otherwise - speed up, turn up, main up, bear away and jib up.

I never have understood why people head into the wind to furl their jibs, it makes me flich to see it - bear away and hide the jib behind the main to furl it. It is much nicer to the furling gear and the sail.

Cheers

Phil

[longjonsilver]

Thanks Phil. i really don't have any way of knowing whether my daggerboard is big or small. Its the size that is on the Cross plans as an alternate. Perhaps this is also affected by the growth on the bottom of the hull and the rudder? The daggerboard is clean as i pull it out when not using it. Next year i plan on removing the ablative from the rudder and painting it something slippery, and tilt it up out of the water on the mooring. Later this week i plan on diving on the hull cuz little barnacles have begun to attach to the ablative. i can only get so many off using the brush from the kayak.
jon

[Roy M]

WILDERNESS status report:

It's been a while, but I'm still at it. I've been working on the new rig and sails, but also moving forward towards hauling out. Yesterday I pulled the Yanmar 3GM30FW out to make it easier to replace the leaded foam mylar sound insulation. Before that I had been finishing off the electrical system rewiring, and other stuff. Sometimes the sequences and priorities change. Anyways, progress continues. I'm going to clean and thoroughly service the engine while it's out of the boat, because it's easier to do this stuff where I can see and touch everything. So, first strip the engine down, remove the big stuff like heat exchanger, pull the belts off (I'm installing Balmar serpentine belts), pulling the Balmar alternator, starter for service, pulling the injectors to check them out, then scrape, wire brush the metal parts that have gotten chalky from aluminum oxidation and steel rust, then priming and painting and reassembling. After reinstalling the soundproofing and touch up engine room paint, then the engine goes back in, followed by the electrical harnesses, fuel, water and exhaust hoses and other smaller projects (fire extinguisher system, latest model external regulator, and other stuff). The engine required about an hour to totally unconnect and remove to the shop
The other externals are looking good (folks paddling by on their kayaks and SUPs are saying nice things). Once I get the engine controls remounted on the steering pedestal, clean out the fuel tank and install fresh filters, I will be ready to haul out. It's been five years since my last bottom paint and it's sorely in need of attention. Plus, I need to install the new centerboard, pull the prop shaft and rudder for inspection. Then, I can finish off the galley remodel and interior details. Last, is installing the rest of the electronics and other toys. It's been a great ride, but now I need to feel some spray and wind.

[Roy M]

Engine waiting for main halyard withdrawel.

[skipperpete]

Hi Roy M, this is a bit off thread but also important info. While you have the engine out, take a very close look at the oil feed pipe that does a u turn around the back of your engine, it often rusts badly where it’s hidden by the starter motor as well as under the exhaust mixer elbow.

[longjonsilver]

Originally Posted by catsketcher

Gday John
So in an anchorage (if there was any wind) I would just floor the outboard and go straight. Even if there was someone in front, I would just floor the motor and get her up to 5 knots. As soon as she hit 5 knots or so she would steer pretty well and I would put the motor to idle and then steer hardover. It does lead to some wide eyes from the owners of close boats.

Saturday i let go of the mooring and the bow immediately began to blow to starboard and i had intended to go to port (and i thot she was leaning that way). So i gunned the outboard and headed straight for the nearby rocks and then put the rudder over to make a nice turn to starboard and miss the danger.

( i call it the difference between a sailor and a motorboater. The sailor has to use the wind and waves to get where he wants to go. The motorboater just guns the engine and points the boat. Since i am a sailor i went with the flow instead of fighting it...)

As for putting up sails - I can't figure out why anyone would put up a jib before the main. It may be that you can pull up the main easily on a reach, so that would be fine, but otherwise - speed up, turn up, main up, bear away and jib up.

i have been thinking of sailing off the mooring even tho there are rocks all around. Putting up the jib first might be a way of getting on the preferred tack. i have raised the jib while on the mooring to experiment with the effects that it provides.

i have been raising sail on a reach as well. Altho i head into the wind under power she wants to bear away as soon as i let go of the tiller, so i raise the main first and then quickly the jib. Last time i was unable to raise the main fully - (do i need a small winch?) because two of the battens had come out of their cars during the time i stored the sail in the forward compartment because of the hurricane.

I never have understood why people head into the wind to furl their jibs, it makes me flinch to see it - bear away and hide the jib behind the main to furl it. It is much nicer to the furling gear and the sail.

i have been dropping the main and jib while on a reach because that is what she seems to want to do as soon as i step away from the rudder and go forward to the mast. So far no problems.

N then a separate situation - i trim to the apparent wind and seem to never let the boom far out. i am an old dinghy sailor but it never seems like i am going with the wind. On a beat, it feels like the wind is from straight ahead, a reach feels like what i know of as a beat, and a run feels like i am on a reach. So because of this, i am thinking of shortening my mainsheets to about 1/2 the length so as to not have a spaghetti mess on the cockpit floor.

[Roy M]

It's been a good day. I labeled all the hoses (cooling, exhaust, fuel) and removed them from the engine. Same for the remote oil filter (I mounted a Fram Racing filter, vertically so it doesn't fill the bilge when changing oil, also, because I will change it less often due to greater oil volume). Also, doing all this work OFF the boat is SO much easier on my aging body. I've removed all the oil lines and high pressure fuel lines to avoid the previous noted issues with rust (THANK YOU!!!). Tomorrow I will drop off the alternator, starter and solenoid, and the heat exchanger, for complete overhauling. Hopefully, I will begin sandblasting of parts, prior to priming and painting.