Can your boat do this? Would you even want to?

[wingssail]

Cruisers have different ideas about what kind of boat they like and what they want to do with it. Some want to sit around in deck chairs and are happy that their iced tea doesn't tip over.

We rather like the actual sailing.

This track (below) illustrates what we can and love to do with our boat.

We set out for Litibu, a destination 21 sailing miles away. It was 2/3 upwind work in Banderas Bay and the rest reaching and running to our intended anchorage. All but the very last bit open to the Pacific Ocean and its blue swell and fresh breeze.

There were just two of us, Judy and I, and we set the J4 working jib and a full main.

The forecast was for a clear and sunny day with westerly winds into the low 20's. We expected it to fill in about 12:00PM but it hadn't by the time we finally got underway at 12:30. We had just a breath of air when we set sail but then it died. For an hour we barely moved, making about 1/2 mile in that time. Judy went below and took a nap.

But I saw a wind line coming and by 13:30 it reached us and we took off, close hauled, tacking up the shoreline looking for a right hand shift that usually is present there. It wasn't but a slight shift to the SW was developing.

By 14:45 we were half way up the windward leg sailing comfortably in 18.5 knots true wind with boat speeds in the high 6's at a TWA of about 40 degrees and a VMG over 5 knots. We used the monitor wind vane, resetting it after each tack.

The day was sunny. The wind felt cool but it was hot and we drank all of our cold water.

The waves were getting bigger and I went forward to connect the baby stay and I got soaked by a couple of big splashes but it felt good. The baby stay stabilized the mast.

By 15:25, thanks to a sweet, port tack, lift, we'd passed our windward mark and were bearing off for the run to the North. We'd covered 10nm directly upwind (13 miles over the bottom) in 1 hour and 55 minutes. Except for a few tacks Judy and I had done nothing except go along for the ride.

If we had wanted to we could have carried on to La Paz, 350 miles across to Baja. The boat was ready, we were ready, the wind vane willing.

But instead we went to the snug anchorage at Litibu West and 16:13 we were in its shelter and dropping sails. We anchored at 16:30.

So 21 miles, mostly upwind, in 3 hours.

It was a great sail.

Can your boat do that? Would you even want to?

[fxykty]

Ours can, sure; we also love the sailing part. But I’m more interested in the variety of winch handles on show and whether you have a favourite?

[wingssail]

Originally Posted by fxykty

Ours can, sure; we also love the sailing part. But I’m more interested in the variety of winch handles on show and whether you have a favourite?

We frequently race with a full crew and a winch handle should be ready at each position so that it is not required to pass one over to the person who needs it. When I yell, "tacking" and the grinder and tailer roll off the rail and onto the winch the handle better be there. That is why we have so many.

Directly behind Judy is one of two 10" Barient double handles which are used for the genoa winches, one for each side. They allow a strong grinder to put a lot of power into the three speed winch. We've had them for 35 years.

To the right of that is a small "Titan" 8" floating which is used for the running backstays. We have a second one but the grip was yanked off by a mainsheet during a gybe and I have not fixed it. This handle does not need to be too strong, so the plastic is fine.

In the fore ground you can see the knob of the Harken aluminum 10" (black) which we use on the mainsheet winches (also 3 speed). These are our newest handles and they are very nice. One for each side.

Not shown are:
1-8" double Barient which is used on the secondary winch for the spinnaker sheet. it is cute and useful for speed if a strong person wants to use it.

1-10" single lewmar used for the halyard winches.

We have a few old spares.

All the winch handles are locking types with small levers, not the big handle locking mechanisms which are popular now but seem to be delicate.

Each of the handles have a plastic pocket in the cockpit where they should be stored, never on deck, never in any other place.

[JPA Cate]

You may be a little more close winded than we are, but in general, we've never not gone somewhere we wanted to because there was a windward leg. In fact, to me, some of the nicest sailing to be had is a fetch in 15 to 19.

Ann

[Don C L]

Ahem.

Of course my boat can do that

... in her dreams!

But I wouldn't be far behind you! I'd let you win so that you'd have the margaritas ready by the time I got there of course.

[wingssail]

Originally Posted by Don C L

Ahem.

Of course my boat can do that

... in her dreams!

But I wouldn't be far behind you! I'd let you win so that you'd have the margaritas ready by the time I got there of course.

Of course you wouldn't be and whoever was cleverest dealing with the shifts (and caught the breeze first) would win, so you better have the makings of those margaritas handy in case it was you.

[Don C L]

Originally Posted by wingssail

Of course you wouldn't be and whoever was cleverest dealing with the shifts (and caught the breeze first) would win, so you better have the makings of those margaritas handy in case it was you.

uhhhh... I better get to work on some refrigeration then! Or just have one of the fishermen toss me a shovel full of ice from their bilge

[chrisr]

yes, we've had several boats that could do that with ease. nothing special

no, our present boat would not do that

no, we wouldn't want to

cheers,

[rslifkin]

If the sea state was anywhere near as calm as those pictures look, yes, quite easily. And with the choice of doing it in 3 hrs 15 minutes or 1 hr 20 minutes. But of course, I'd be cheating by doing it without sails...

[CruiseN]

No. Nowhere near that.
But we did 27 Nm on 3.5 hours with white sails. Consistent reach with a building non breaking swell in below fresh strength. Upwind was a lot lot slower.

Anyway. Researching my next home. Cockpit seats on anchorage liked sailing too.
Any thoughts on Adams13 willing to share?

My thoughts are Swanson, Roberts Offshore, Adams lift board.

Adams should hold its own, it's keelson looks deep quickly then shallow to stern. Ain't interested in tacking alot like your plot.
Weight bias I read as top side hence don't like that but figure a nice chunk such as a storm mobile mooring type anchor can stow low if bilge access allows. Then weight shift to leg preferances. Ain't much, every little bit helps.
Skinny I like, volume cabin should be enough.
Reefing sails early ain't a problem neither.
Reading that they're top sided naturally puzzles me. Guessing strong decks because keelson lead going to dig deep but then cockpit rear gathering momentum of wall hits when systems build scares me.
One big worry I have is I've probably forgotten how to tune a set of sails. Was worrying about selftailing winches but just remembered feel goes to handle. Yet bigger boats do bigger mistakes. Looking around 11 metre too. Room for dinghy.

Any feedback? I'm slow whilst on land is what I hope; going to take a while finding a boat.

[fxykty]

Originally Posted by wingssail

We frequently race with a full crew and a winch handle should be ready at each position so that it is not required to pass one over to the person who needs it. When I yell, "tacking" and the grinder and tailer roll off the rail and onto the winch the handle better be there. That is why we have so many.



Directly behind Judy is one of two 10" Barient double handles which are used for the genoa winches, one for each side. They allow a strong grinder to put a lot of power into the three speed winch. We've had them for 35 years.



To the right of that is a small "Titan" 8" floating which is used for the running backstays. We have a second one but the grip was yanked off by a mainsheet during a gybe and I have not fixed it. This handle does not need to be too strong, so the plastic is fine.



In the fore ground you can see the knob of the Harken aluminum 10" (black) which we use on the mainsheet winches (also 3 speed). These are our newest handles and they are very nice. One for each side.



Not shown are:

1-8" double Barient which is used on the secondary winch for the spinnaker sheet. it is cute and useful for speed if a strong person wants to use it.



1-10" single lewmar used for the halyard winches.



We have a few old spares.



All the winch handles are locking types with small levers, not the big handle locking mechanisms which are popular now but seem to be delicate.



Each of the handles have a plastic pocket in the cockpit where they should be stored, never on deck, never in any other place.

Thanks. We have three primary handles and all are 10” Harken handle and knob models. A very reasonable way to use two hands on a winch without the height of a double handle. We also prefer the small lever lock as a simpler mechanism. We have one backup 10” single handed handle.

I don’t like leaving winch handles in a winch - in our case all our winches are self-tailing and a quick release requires no handle. If we’re short tacking then the handles stay in the runner winches as we’re actively using them. Otherwise, there’s a pocket for each handle, each serving two winches (port, starboard and mast).

I do remember the days of racing on boats with one winch (or tackle) for each control, plus a couple winches and a keyboard for the pit. Makes for some running around when short handed I bet - I raced a Farr two-tonner two-up for a few years around Sydney. Gybes and mark roundings get pretty frantic with runners, steering, main and a symmetrical spinnaker!

[AKA-None]

Short tacking I prefer the handles stowed otherwise like you have shown.
Looks like it was fun!

[LittleWing77]

Originally Posted by wingssail

So 21 miles, mostly upwind, in 3 hours.

It was a great sail.

Can your boat do that? Would you even want to?

Sounds bloody lovely!

And you're lucky to have a switched-on, gorgeous woman who is out there with you and as much of a gung-ho sailor as you are.

Hope you appreciate her!
Girl power!
Warmly,
LittleWing77

[Don C L]

Aha! This thread is just to tempt or taunt us to come down there to PV to take you on, race around and drink margaritas watching beautiful sunsets! Well it won't work I tell you! Never! Don't even think about it!

... sweetheart? kids? what do you think of a little trip to Mexico for a couple months?

[Joli]

I am looking for a ratcheting winch handle, anyone know where I might find one?

Can and do we sail upwind? Yes, last fall we spent 5 days, port tack, 30 degree apparent in 35 to 55 knots across the deck. Triple reef and the staysail trying to slow the boat since dropping off 20' waves was not much fun. A 15 knot beam reach breeze would have been fine too. 😁