Kudos Dave.
It even works in combination with normally reefed sail. I do tend to bypass the fishermans reef and take more severe direct action when it appears the air will continue to build to gale force levels or has the potential for drastic shifts. For example if you are sailing in the lee of a high cliff or mountain at some point as the velocity builds the air flow can detach from the face and roll over into an vertical eddy current. Close in there is an instant 180º shift but further out where it rolls over its a high speed downdraft. Ive been through both while it was howling. Anyone who is new to sailing a masthead rig should consider investing in a set a of sail trim charts from: http://www.sailtrimproducts.com/sail_trim_chart.html This is especially true if youve moved from a fractional rig boat and you basic instincts need resetting. Its organized so you can look up If the boat feels like this then Do this which is very helpful while making the shift from a mainsail powered boat to a headsail powered boat. One friend, with more than ten years racing Santanas at the helm, thought it was beneath him to buy such a thing after buying a Catalina. I gave him a set, and even though he didnt even look at them (wink) he started winning races again. 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 David Shugarts Sent: Friday, July 18, 2008 10:47 AM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: catalina27-talk: Yesterdays sail There is also the fishermans reef, where you harden the headsail to the max and ease the boom so as to allow some of the air from the jib to backwind the main. This allows you to keep the sail up that you have, instead of rushing to reef or change headsails, if you think that it might just be a temporary condition. It has a number of very nice benefits. It eases up on the weather helm, reduces the heel angle, and keeps up a decent speed too. --Dave S. (Demitri) On 7/18/08 12:54 PM, "[EMAIL PROTECTED]" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: I have exactly the same boat/rig. I can tell you what I do, though I don't swear to it being "best practice" ....... I'm starting w/a 135 or 155. On a day that shows signs of getting windy, its the 135. The sailmaker rates it as OK to 21 knots. The 155 is a light mylar, old, and I only use it on light air days. As the wind gets up, first thing I do is twist off the top of the main. Next is a pretty deep reef in the main. I only have one reef point and it's a substantial reduction. If I had two points, I'd work through them sequentially. Only after I'm overpowered with a deep reefed main do I reduce headsail size. I let heal angle tell me when to change. I've never been able to get the helm to balance worth a hoot at a heal angle >20 degrees. After that, I'm dragging the rudder through the water and/or rounding up, and basically just forcing things rather than sailing efficiently. The other side of it is, my boat sails nicely with just a working jib on windier days. If I just want to be out on the water and the wind is up, I'll put up a heavy weight, high clewed jib of about 100% that I bought used (well used) off a used sail site. With the main furled away and the boom safely strapped down, I can have fun out there when others are working their butts off. When it's too much for that, it's time to be in the marina. Tom "Tom Deters" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent by: [email protected] 07/18/2008 10:19 AM Please respond to [email protected] To [email protected] cc 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] <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> <mailto:[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
