Tacking advice: Always remove any slack from the lazy sheet after each tack. When you turn the boat, the release is more important than the sheeting in. Start your tack, turning the boat ready to release, then wait till about a third of the genoa is backwinded, release that side and slow your turn so the sail is blown across the deck but the crew has little more time to sheet the genoa home. If you are solo and using Autotack, it's still possible, it's all timing and practice. Chuck S
> On 09/12/2023 2:28 PM EDT David Knecht via CnC-List <cnc-list@cnc-list.com> > wrote: > > > I am glad the subject of tacking a large genoa came up. I have a great deal > of trouble with my 145 genoa trying to get it so it does not require > extensive winching. What tends to happen is that the clew of the genoa folds > back on itself at the mast as you come head to wind and then gets trapped > against the new leeward shrouds with the clew on the inside of the fold > (between the rest of the sail and the shrouds). There is no way to pull it > by hand to unfold it and we have to wait until the wind unfolds it once there > is pressure and by then, the sheet is out too far, so I have to head up to > take some pressure off to bring it in. SLOWWWW!! Turning slower seems to > exacerbate the problem, and the only thing that has helped is to wait until > the sail is fully backwinded before releasing, as it comes across faster that > way and is less likely to be trapped. Anyone have a hint as to what (if > anything) we are doing wrong? Dave > > S/V Aries > 1990 C&C 34+ > New London, CT > > > > > On Sep 12, 2023, at 12:59 PM, Richard Bush via CnC-List > > <cnc-list@cnc-list.com mailto:cnc-list@cnc-list.com> wrote: > > > > I second Charlie's points about the timing; it took my a while to learn to > > turn the wheel more slowly to allow the trimmers to get the line in! > > > > 1985 C&C 37 CB; Ohio River, Mile 584; > > Richard > > Richard N. Bush Law Offices > > 2950 Breckenridge Lane, Suite Nine > > Louisville, Kentucky 40220 > > (502) 584-7255 > > > > > > On Tuesday, September 12, 2023 at 11:39:43 AM EDT, cenelson--- via CnC-List > > <cnc-list@cnc-list.com mailto:cnc-list@cnc-list.com> wrote: > > > > > > > > I still have the original headsail winches on my 1995 C&C 36 XL/kcb--Lewmar > > 50s self-tailing 2 speed IIRC--although I moved them forward for my local > > racing needs. I also added a set of Lewmar 44s to make kite handling more > > reasonable. If this combination of 'power' is not enough, I need to get > > drop my sails and get into port somewhere!! > > > > However, even these winches for the genoa can seem to be underpowered if > > the helm is not in tune with the headsail as it crosses the boat. I find it > > especially important to not turn the boat too fast during the tack. The > > helm needs to turn the wheel slowly, especially within say +/- 10-15 > > degrees of head to wind, before the genoa begins to fill on the new tack. > > > > This will allow most of the new active sheet to be brought in hand over > > hand with very little pressure on it so that when it fills, there is only a > > few feet to winch in with a handle. > > > > I have found that with a 155% headsail, a 'quick' tack is usually a bad one > > since the grinders have to seriously grind in too much line with the genoa > > filled. This is a good example of using better 'timing' during the tack to > > reduce the serious winching required otherwise. If you are racing, climbing > > back to close-hauled from a tack that was too fast with the genoa too far > > out loses a lot of ground to windward to your competitors on every 'fast' > > tack. > > > > BTW, if you add/replace any winches be mindful of where you mount them. My > > cockpit was originally set up more for cruising so the headsail winches > > were aft in the cockpit. As I did more club racing, in order to have room > > in the cockpit for flying a masthead symmetrical kite, I had to move them > > forward and add a set (44s) to handle the kite. I think the original > > thought was to fly the kite from winches on the cockpit bulkhead either > > side of the companionway which were Lewmar 30s. This turned out to be > > totally underpowered for my kite AND it concentrated too many bodies > > together at the companionway in each other's way most of the time. Further, > > even when I moved the 30s to the cockpit coaming aft of the headsail > > winches, I found the 30s to be underpowered for my kite--thus I replaced > > them with the 44s. > > > > Until I added the 44s, we tried to use the headsail winches for the kite > > which had plenty of power--however, moving the kite and genoa sheets during > > racing was much too confusing and time consuming. > > > > FWIW > > > > Charlie Nelson > > Water Phantom > > 1995 C&C 36XL/kcb > > > > > > > > > > Please show your appreciation for this list and the Photo Album site and > > help me pay the associated bills. Make a contribution at: > > https://www.paypal.me/stumurray > > Thanks for your help. > > Stu > > > Please show your appreciation for this list and the Photo Album site and help > me pay the associated bills. Make a contribution at: > https://www.paypal.me/stumurray > Thanks for your help. > Stu >
Please show your appreciation for this list and the Photo Album site and help me pay the associated bills. Make a contribution at: https://www.paypal.me/stumurray Thanks for your help. Stu
