Awesome email !!! Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile -----Original Message----- From: "Phil A" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Date: Fri, 18 Jul 2008 10:00:10 To: <[email protected]> Subject: RE: catalina27-talk: Yesterdays sail Hi Tom, With just a little research you'll find Wing Tip is a C270 not a C27, so I can only offer help based on something other than a C27. First off tall rigs are a bit notorious for being tender as the wind builds and the flip side of that is they are still sailing when others are a drift. You'll find you need to reef sooner and deeper that a standard rig C27 but that only makes sense since your starting with 10% more sail area up and a taller mast with a little weight and bare pole windage. Let's start with which keel you have? Some our better (less tender) than others, however the shoal draft keel we traditionally would call the most tender was what was under Juggernaut when she circumnavigated the globe. The comment you made about your headsail is a little troubling. Roller furling sails on roller reefing units are pretty common. These sails can be used rolled in maybe 10%. On a tall rig that puts you about even with a standard rig for headsail size. Beyond 10% they start to get dangerous as the material that is sewn in to form the draft of the sail does not get taken in any faster than the rest of the material. This pushing of the draft material back into the unfurled portion of the sail increases the draft of the remaining sail area dramatically. Increasing draft is opposite from what is desired when trying to flatten sail and/or reef to deal with building winds. A roller reefing sail is a available but it is truly a different sail. There no true magic bullet so it has some trade offs like everything else. A roller reefing headsail starts by being cut flatter, as in less draft, which gives it a defect in performance in light winds, say under 10 knots. The second feature is a luff pad sewn into the sail specifically designed to gather in the extra material that form the draft as you begin to reef the sail. Between the initial flatter draft cut of the sail and the luff pad you get a very usable shape for heavy air up about 40 knots. Maybe that's a little less for a tall rig but the sail maker should provide that data. Some of these sail came with urethane foam as the luff pad but this breaks down relatively quickly. Others come with cord or rope laid side by side vertically which holds up much better. If your mainsail is a single reef point you may wish to have a second set of reef points added. We had a second set reef points added to Wing Tip because we tend to go out when everyone else is going home. We also carry a storm jib sail but haven't found the occasion to use it. We do perform reefing drills from time to time and they are expected to be carried out with vigor and without question. It sounds a little obsessive but it eliminates panic when the real deal arrives. When I spotted a squall line with little funnel clouds starting across the water one day I had the family do the drill. She was reefed and ready with plenty of time to spare when it hit. BTW reefing starts with everyone in lifejackets on our boat which again by being an accepted rule aboard prevents inducing panic when you start yelling "Everyone in Lifejacket now!" What kind of furler and headsail do you have? Phil Agur <http://www.catalina27.org/public_pages/profile270.htm> s/v Wing Tip Secretary, Call Sign WCW3485 IC27/270A MMSI 366901790 <http://www.catalina27.org> www.catalina27.org Vessel Doc# 1039809 -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Tom Deters Sent: Friday, July 18, 2008 8:13 AM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: catalina27-talk: Yesterdays sail All - New to the Cat 27 handling in rougher weather, I find the spade rudder and tiller somewhat difficult, almost uncomfortable to handle in 18-20mph wind. Getting your shoulder wet is great fun, but the tenderness can be ...as the wife would say.."Is it supposed to do this?". This season on Lake Michigan, we have ample wind. I generally reef and unfurl the head sail to find the balance and helm that is manageable. Has ther been any discussion on best performance and sail plan of the Cat 27 in different stink and wave? I have a 1986 TR, Tiller w/ Traveler cabin top. TMDeters Summer Wind Kenosha, WI On 7/17/08, el sailor <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: We left about 10 for a "three hour tour". Actually we'd planned to spend most of the day out and about. Some of you may recognized the quoted phrase from the Gillivan's Island theme song. It was a glorious time; the wind started in the West at 5 to 10; by 3 they were out of the East @ 15 to 20 and the waves were 2 - 4 with the occasional 6 - 7 footer. That was our first time rail down on Nautidog. We were running a 150% jenny and an unreefed main. When anyone moved they had a good grip on something. K was laughing and yelling how much it felt like a continuous roller coaster. KatznEarl2 s/v Nautidog #3188 Hampton
