Square rigs are fully automatic reaching
sails. They reach upwind all the way around to upwind. No loss of control at dead eye.
On old tall ships most include a triangle headsail and a triangle rear sail. They probably used them
sails to train new crew during light
passage but more so experienced crew during storm to steer the vessel because that pussy little
rudder wood N do much and need all the help it could get whilst square eyes touch would have moved well from delicate to delightfully heavy and open and wanting more.
Which then leaves us our modern Spinnakers. Prod boats usually come with one pole and that suits us too for around the cans broad reaching and dead runs. But if wanting to learn towards feel of a tackful old ship, a blind spot becomes apparent as lead comes to the
wind. No control when someone has to loosen sheet and retrace inside of shrouds.
Shrouds like to stay so we ain't touching them. Forestay likes to stay so we ain't touching that.
When cruising, we did look into benefits of a shorter pole, again 2 years ago, a friend reminded me. Asking question, does it
work?
Yes it does.
Every vessel different, but know with a twin pole set, torque at eye, around and clear of stay, less line tension. Blind spot covered now a sail point of all sail point ability. Still gotta get up on
deck and drop pole out if bearings towards dead but at least tension just a wink. I'm unsure if friend said they leave there, doesn't harm system. Whatever works.
Still a loss control at dead eye as pole ends to ends, eye to eye but we don't use fully automatic sail systems neither.
When cruising, for years, always the same. I was forehand. Mate was mainsheet.
Skipper was
helm. Practiced more than 50% of every trip incase urgency became and we'd know our job priority.
Same old argument often.
Helm" your
jib isn't flowing leeward"
Forehand" your pointing to high"
Helm" we have to, we're pointing above harbour entrance"
Forehand" we can tack"
Helm" we ain't going to tack"
Forehand" then that's the best you get"
So thinking of how we wanted a shorter pole, not so much for reach feel practice but for poling out
Genoa on calm days whilst jigging squid. Spin pole just to long and wears a couple of feet from clew.
But also guard rail. Pole length would be ideal to clip onto guard rail footings either end.
But definitely naming pole headsail pole so that when my kid and her friends decide to learn sail..
Asking about pole, oh that for
Genoa.. until they realise reaching torque, no rush here because
rigging expensive.
I can't imagine a fully automatic array heaving on prior trimming to direct thrust. Maybe experienced remained on their eyes? I don't know, I'm not that old.
Our experienced took triangle.
A 24 footer lengthening 30 feet of 8mm out to 32 feet whilst underway.
A 30 footer with twice that size just broadly reaching.
I can't imagine a 40 foot cruiser yet alone a tall ship.
I hope that info helps you guys stay safe too.