Sailing by Headsail Alone

[delmarrey]

I'm up near Everett and sail out of Port Gardner.
Typical weather for January, cold and misty w/ some afternoon sun (if your lucky).

[Fuss]

Originally Posted by delmarrey

I don't know if anyone has mentioned it yet but if one has a 150% genoa and they run the sheet as far aft as possible this helps to balance out the boat.

e.g. Mine being an old racer I have T-tracks all over the boat. One runs along the bulwalk from just forward the mast to the last few inches of the deck. I've put a track block all the way aft and run the sheet thru and back to the winch. So in effect is pulls the aft end to lee helping with weather helm. Although I'm not able to pull in the genoa very tight so pointing up is minimal.

I have a 150% Genoa and I cannot furl it away in strong winds without using the main for shelter. So I usually sail with the main as well, for the advantages and the safety reasons.

[jjones1349]

I guess Nonsuches are just lazy boats. The main is to be sailed like a genoa. Now if I only had a winch to raise that huge sail. Upwind is to be sailed a little off pinching and tacking requires turning the wheel. I wonder why I read the entire thread as it really doesent apply to my boat (without headsails at all) but perhaps it definatly applies exactly. I love being lazy!!
Then again, when the wind gets up there, Nonsuches can be very exciting.

[Cowboy Sailer]

Oh my, I am getting very lazy! Yesterday I used my big right angle drill with its winch bit to not only raise the main, but also to unfurl the Genoa. We only tacked upwind once during the whole afternoon and I turned on the diesel to dock the boat at the end of the day.
Is there any hope for me or am I terminally lazy? I must also confess that I did not put the sail cover on last night as we are going out again today. It seems a shame to waste (not go sailing) another day of fair sky and mid 70's temperature!

[eyschulman]

Since sailing for most of us is a leasure pursuit lazy is allowed and a negative conotation does not apply. Many of us do it so we can be lazy. To denote that one type of sailing is more lazy than another should not be politically incorrect and can be a relatively accurate discription. To say that a nonesuch is a boat designed and rigged for lazy sailing is not inaccurate and is something held in value by the people who make an own the boats. It is also not inaccurate to point out that certain boats are designed and rigged to sail with a specific sail plan and with most sloops that includes two sails up-there are multiple reasons not to fly two sails many have nothing to do with the lazy word- but in our pursuit of leasure it must be in there. I for one have commited the ultimate lazy sailor sin. There is a 38 ft lobser boat with 440 horses in the bilge moored next to my sailboat. Over the years including several 6 month live aboard experiences my wife and I have decided coastal cruiseing in a power boat is more convienient(lazy) than sailing. When Im not in a lazy state and want to get a little exercise on the water its the 33 ft single hander conditions permitting all sails up. And if, as often I do, pass a boat with its main sail cover on jib up out for a day sail I think today that sailor is more lazy than I and tommorow it may be the other way around. If a newbee asks me why boats are being sailed with sail covers on main and roller jib-some where in the explination the reason for two sails and the reasons for less than two sais will come up- and in that mix the lazy word will probably pop up.

[Stillraining]

Originally Posted by eyschulman

Regarding the 150% jib on the Choate 40 I believe we are dealing with a boat with a J of 16+ ft and an E of about 13 ft probably an abberation of the old IOR raceing rule. Some of these boats will not sail well if at all with just a mainsail all the emphasis was placed in large headsails. Boats with shorter J demensions do not balance well with just a jib up-they will sail many on all points but at a disadvantage and bringing the lead back may help but not same result as with IOR large J boat like Choate. This is a design flaw that most modern boats try to avoid particularly cruisers. This IOR type would incurage a sailor to use his jib as the only sail up and would be easy to balance. In tight waters if you had to tack a lot you get a good work out bringing that 150 around and triming it in. A modern design or pre IOR boat with a short J and a long boom can sail happily with just a main sail. The advantages of this are better visibility and better control of sail and boat along with the lazy advantage, less work in tacking and jibbing etc. So basicly the center of resistance of the hull and the center of force of the rig as sails are set and trimed by skipper have to be taken into consideration for each boat to appriciate the net result. I know with a six pack and some ice who cares

I am actually quite excited to get out and try every conceivable combination I can just to see what changes in the character of handling I get...If Main only will drive my boat..It would be a huge visibility gain over head sail alone in tight quarters...but I have my doubts it will...we will see.

[hugosalt]

Originally Posted by eyschulman

Since sailing for most of us is a leasure pursuit lazy is allowed and a negative conotation does not apply. Many of us do it so we can be lazy. To denote that one type of sailing is more lazy than another should not be politically incorrect and can be a relatively accurate discription. To say that a nonesuch is a boat designed and rigged for lazy sailing is not inaccurate and is something held in value by the people who make an own the boats. It is also not inaccurate to point out that certain boats are designed and rigged to sail with a specific sail plan and with most sloops that includes two sails up-there are multiple reasons not to fly two sails many have nothing to do with the lazy word- but in our pursuit of leasure it must be in there. I for one have commited the ultimate lazy sailor sin. There is a 38 ft lobser boat with 440 horses in the bilge moored next to my sailboat. Over the years including several 6 month live aboard experiences my wife and I have decided coastal cruiseing in a power boat is more convienient(lazy) than sailing. When Im not in a lazy state and want to get a little exercise on the water its the 33 ft single hander conditions permitting all sails up. And if, as often I do, pass a boat with its main sail cover on jib up out for a day sail I think today that sailor is more lazy than I and tommorow it may be the other way around. If a newbee asks me why boats are being sailed with sail covers on main and roller jib-some where in the explination the reason for two sails and the reasons for less than two sais will come up- and in that mix the lazy word will probably pop up.

Good post eyschulman

[jjones1349]

My favorite craft was a Windsurfer as it was very fast when the wind was up and extremely menouvorable in shifty and gusty winds once proficient with the rig and balance.
Windsurfers now hold the speed record for all saling craft though if the Americas Cup keeps with the multihulled, humungous crafts with airplane wings on top of them to withstand winds higher than 15 knots...maybe they will takeover the record.
Still, Windsurfers (the board I learned on) now called sail boarding or whatever...is not a lazy sport. Seems the more skill one has the more wind is needed to make it worthy of rigging and going for a sail.
Now I am just paranoid that 6 tons of boat are bashing into some pretty big waves that don't want to move out of the way when a board would just catch air off the top. A different kind of sailing for sure.
It is nice to socialize on a boat with a cockpit big enough for 6 though...just hope the weather is nice.

[nigheandonn]

We often furl our genny when sailing downwind to avoid the flogging of the genny that can take place, resulting in sailing with main alone or main/spinny depending on how energetic we are feeling.

[s/v Beth]

How about twin jibs- does this qualify for a lazy rig? Oh come on, pleeeasse?