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 Post subject: 1st day sailing ever.
PostPosted: Mon Mar 16, 2015 9:55 pm 
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Joined: Fri Feb 06, 2015 10:59 pm
Posts: 40
Location: Las cruces, NM
I finally got my new to me Wave sail ready, new ports, lines, rigging, and what not. It was sunny, water quite cold, and wind at 5 mph with a lot of lulls with no wind.
I had read a book on sailing the past few weeks and it must have been well written.
I was able to sail about in any direction I wanted and make a trip around 1/4 the lake. What a fun day, albeit very slow. It was quite relaxing unlike my motor boat. I think I'll go out tomorrow again!

1) got to find an easier way to step the mast alone.
2) Had rudder cams in backwards and they didn't lock down.
3) I sure need to learn how to read the wind direction much better. I often got suck not moving about when tacking.

Practice practice practice.

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PostPosted: Tue Mar 17, 2015 9:19 am 
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Joined: Mon May 09, 2005 10:25 am
Posts: 4176
Location: Jersey Shore
serpa4 wrote:
It was sunny, water quite cold, and wind at 5 mph with a lot of lulls with no wind.


A word of caution - don't let sunny skies, warm air, and light winds lull you into a false sense of security. Cold water is no joke and it is not uncommon for new sailors to get themselves into big trouble sailing during springtime if they underestimate conditions. Your situation sounds all too common - brand new boat, early in the season, itching to get it out on the water. It doesn't take much to capsize a beach cat. Even if you don't capsize, an unexpected change in the weather or a little more spray than you were expecting can really drop your body temperature. You didn't say where you're sailing, but this time of year in the North East, it would be full wetsuit or drysuit weather for sure. The bay was still 2/3 frozen over last week....

Quote:
1) got to find an easier way to step the mast alone.

Tie the forward end of your main halyard to one of the bow tangs. Lift the mast all the way up. Lean against it with your body and use your hands to take the slack out of the main halyard. Tie off the halyard to one of the cleats on the mast. Jump down and pin the forestay. Release halyard.

Quote:
2) Had rudder cams in backwards and they didn't lock down.


Definitely get the rudders working properly. In a 5mph drifter, it won't make a ton of difference, but when the breeze picks up, it will make a huge difference. You'll get tired super fast and the boat won't be any fun to sail if the rudders aren't locked down all the way.


Quote:
3) I sure need to learn how to read the wind direction much better. I often got suck not moving about when tacking.


Practice for sure. A few more trips out and you should be able to get the tacks dialed. Streamers on the bridle wires or a wind vane will make reading wind direction a lot easier. The trick when tacking is to not straighten the rudders until you're fully through the tack. You want to keep the main sheeted in tight until you're head to wind and then release several feet of mainsheet so the boat doesn't weather vane. If you blow the tack, reverse the rudders and do a K turn to back out.

sm


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PostPosted: Tue Mar 17, 2015 5:49 pm 
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Joined: Mon Dec 22, 2008 7:02 pm
Posts: 737
Location: Rockford, IL
Excellent! Have fun!

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"Firefly" - 2012 Hobie Getaway with wings and spinnaker
"Sparky" - 1978 Sunfish (OK, it's not a Hobie, but it's a fun little craft)
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PostPosted: Thu Mar 19, 2015 10:27 pm 
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Joined: Fri Feb 06, 2015 10:59 pm
Posts: 40
Location: Las cruces, NM
I'm in New Mexico so the water is cold, but no where near NE cold. I was out thigh deep rigging it up and it was quite tolerable. I still would not want to flip over though.
Speaking of " little more spray than you were expecting", I did cross a boat's wake that tossed up a nice wave that crossed over the tramp...oooo nippy.


I made a quick pulley that attaches to the cross bar at the front of the hulls. I think the previous owner had a jib since there is an eyelet and cross bar. I step the mast with the pulley attached to the forestay and cross bar yesterday stepped the mast in the drive way by leaving the shrouds attached and then leaning into the mast to hold it taught as suggested. I then pull the slack out of the pulley and jump down between the hulls keeping the pulley rope tight. Simple and quick.

While I was out, I was thinking it would be nice to have a ribbon on the forestay wire for wind direction. That will be installed shortly.

I had one rudder missing the cam plate, so it wouldn't lock and the other rudder had the backwards cam. I swapped backwards rudder cam and it locks down and the cam plate arrived in the mail yesterday also. Rudders now lock down.

How tight should the springs be locked down? About how many threads should be showing on the adjuster?

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PostPosted: Wed Apr 29, 2015 9:55 am 
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Joined: Wed Feb 03, 2010 3:23 pm
Posts: 29
.. here's how I step my mast solo now and will never do it another way again ;)


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PostPosted: Fri May 01, 2015 11:52 am 
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Joined: Wed Feb 05, 2014 7:07 pm
Posts: 67
serpa4 wrote:
I was able to sail about in any direction I wanted and make a trip around 1/4 the lake.


That's pretty good for a beginner. I've been sailing for years and still can't sail straight into the wind. :lol:

serpa4 wrote:
3) I sure need to learn how to read the wind direction much better.


A 3-4" piece of yarn, as high up as you can reach from the trampoline, on each shroud should help.

serpa4 wrote:
I often got suck not moving about when tacking.


One thing that I never read online about catamaran tacking, but did find in this most excellent book (still totally relevant, despite the title... http://www.amazon.com/Catamaran-Racing- ... or+the+90s )

is this: When you're about to tack,

  • move skipper and crew weight as far back on the windward hull as possible. This pushes the windward back corner down.
  • The depressed windward hull will lift the bows out of the water slightly and the boat will want to pivot on the depressed point.
  • Push the tiller bar over not too hard so that you maintain speed.
  • Wait for the main to refill and then straight the tillers and cross the tramp to the new windward side.
  • Bear off to get speed and then come back to close hauled if desired.
  • If you're sailing a cat with a jib, the crew's job is to keep the jib working through the whole maneuver and will cross the tramp once the jib is working on the new side. The jib is the priority during the tack.


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