Spring Commissioning: views from the boat yard
With all the boat being commissioned in the north east at least, I am always eager to see what is on the docks.
Adjustable Backstays: Rigging a fast (acting), light, simple and non-hydraulic backstay adjuster
And I ‘I'll bet it was cheap to build: Last summer I was in the UK doing a delivery and I ended up in Lymington. While strolling the docks, I came across a Contessa 32 with what I thought was a great modification/addition to the boats standing rigging in the form of a fast acting, light, simple and hydraulics-free backstay adjuster.
Mainsails: Tips for measuring the “E” dimension, Tack Set Back, Tack Set Up and Clew Set up details. How to speak “sail maker”
In the first installment we discussed the "P" dimension and the parameters surrounding the correct luff length; This section discusses the "E" dimension and the details surrounding the correct foot length of the (new) sail and the details of the tack and clew attachments.
Solent Stay: Offshore sailing rigging
Regular readers will be familiar with my interest in the “solent” stay, particularly for those sailing offshore, short-handed. A couple of nights ago I borrowed some new, lightweight, strong and inexpensive Antal thimbles from Euro Marine Trading in Newport and rigged up the demo shown below.
Roller Furling Headsails: Jib Sheets
Do you ever find yourself being frustrated with the big bowlines in the Genoa sheets catching on things: the baby stay, shrouds, life lines and so on? See if this makes life easier….?
Rope clutches: an easy way to re-lead them
Rope clutches or Jammers are almost ubiquitous these days, but sometimes re-leading the line through them is a chore. Try this to make it easier.
J44-Offshore rigging
Readers of a certain age will remember a J 44 named Zafu entered in the BOC, precursor to the Around Alone now the Velux 5 oceans. I saw this boat at Brewers Cove Haven boat yard in Barrington, Rhode Island earlier this week. There were some interesting things to note I thought.
J-105 in the O.S.T.A.R: Oscar Mead’s 3000 miles in a one design day racer
The J-105 is a popular one design keel boat both in the US and Europe but perhaps not one’s first choice to race single-handed across the Atlantic. Despite this slight disconnect, a very capable and engaging 18 year old Brit, named Oscar Mead just completed a 3000 mile race across the Atlantic in the O.S.T.A.R, in a J-105 named for his sponsor, razor manufacturer, King Of Shaves.
Short-handed sailing: The Solent stay and sail, in practice, for offshore use
The Solent stay is described elsewhere on this site http://www.practicallysailing.com/blog/hankon-jibs-and-the-solent-stay as a sail set on a separate stay that is roughly parallel with the headstay and perhaps 12-15 inches aft of same. This article discusses some details of attaching the stay and the boat and the process of installing a reef in the sail for use offshore
Hank-on headsail's: the soft hanks option
Hanks are a great way to make sail changes easy for the short-handed sailor but what if, like more boat owners today, you are curious or thinking about a composite stay? Traditional bronze hanks just won't cut it--but they will certainly chafe it.