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PostPosted: Thu Mar 10, 2011 10:36 am 
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:oops:

I'm sailing, and doing ok, but I know I'm being lazy and need some technique.

1) Do you turn into the wind or away from the wind when you turn. Gybe / Tac I think they are called? In simple terms what should you be doing and whats the pro / cons? I'm generally turning away from the wind at the momment.

2) The drive system makes you lazy. I can turn away from the wind, then a quick pump on the pedals and I'm around quickly without needing to touch the ropes. What should you be doing with these ropes if your sailing with some skills (and depending less on the drive system)?

3) How do you use the little string wind indicators on the sail. Cant get my head around how you use them as an indicator.

I know its pretty shameful I know to ask such questions, but new to this, I have some basic skills from getting in the way on my buddies lugger!


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PostPosted: Thu Mar 10, 2011 11:13 am 
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Location: Central Florida
pav wrote:
1) Do you turn into the wind or away from the wind when you turn. Gybe / Tac I think they are called? In simple terms what should you be doing and whats the pro / cons? I'm generally turning away from the wind at the momment.
Depends where you are trying to go. If it's a point upwind you'll normally do better turning that way. But, in real strong winds you may not be able to. Also, obstacles like other boats may determine what you choose. You should be good at doing both, so it's a choice on objectives and conditions.

pav wrote:
2) The drive system makes you lazy. I can turn away from the wind, then a quick pump on the pedals and I'm around quickly without needing to touch the ropes. What should you be doing with these ropes if your sailing with some skills (and depending less on the drive system)?
If you let the sheetline (rope) out as you turn downwind, you'll keep sailing. If you don't let the sheetline out as you turn in stronger winds, you won't turn at all! :shock:

Same as you should pull in the sheetline as you come across the wind.

pav wrote:
3) How do you use the little string wind indicators on the sail. Cant get my head around how you use them as an indicator.
First, replace them with Hobie's Black Beauty Tell Tails (#335 $7.95us) Much better, don't hang up like the cheap yarn.

Easiest way I teach friends to sail here, is let out the sheetline until the outer one starts 'dancing' then slowly pull in till the inner one starts (while the outer one still behaves). You need to do this without turning the boat while you watch them, or it will get confusing. When both are good, they should be dancing within the clear window (back or slightly up).

You can also adjust them by steering the boat. In this case to make the outside one behave, normally turn slowly more towards the wind. For the inside one slowly away from the wind.

These 'directions' work well in all but downwind, which you really don't need the tell tails, just scoop the wind. Also, the Islands sail better 45 degrees from strait downwind than strait downwind.

Come on over when you're ready and we can fine-tune your skills sailing here. :)

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PostPosted: Thu Mar 10, 2011 7:08 pm 
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I was at about the same sailing level as yourself 2 years ago Pav, and Skua started this thread that finished up having some good helpful info.

viewtopic.php?f=71&t=14234&p=78786&hilit=gybe#p78786

Hope it helps.

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PostPosted: Fri Mar 11, 2011 5:13 am 
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Location: Punta Gorda, FL
No one is born knowing how to sail, so there is no shame in being born like everyone else. Not learning if you own a sailboat is shameful.

If you want a really basic explanation of how to sail that uses a lot of plain words instead of sailing jargon, I think Roger MacGregor actually does a pretty good job.

Get a lightweight ribbon 5' long and tie it to the tip of your top batten as a wind indicator. Roger starts out by saying that the most important thing is to always know the apparent wind direction.

Multihull sailboats are very affected by weight, and if you let a Sasquatch sail yours, it will be slow...

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PostPosted: Fri Mar 11, 2011 6:40 am 
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Location: Over on the eastern US coastline, way up high
reconlon wrote:
pav wrote:
3) How do you use the little string wind indicators on the sail. Cant get my head around how you use them as an indicator.
First, replace them with Hobie's Black Beauty Tell Tails (#335 $7.95us) Much better, don't hang up like the cheap yarn.

Even better, replace them with the newer Green & Red Tell Tails that Hobie now has… called "Air-Flow Tels" part number #334. Although the Black Beauties are a vast improvement over the stock pieces of sticky yarn, it can (sometimes) be a bit difficult to differentiate just what each of the two black tells are doing through the sail window. Go with the colored tells and install an extra pair of them above and below the stock location.

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PostPosted: Sat Jul 30, 2011 8:41 am 
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I'm still learning as well, and I thank the folks who replied here.

My question is: what type of knot is good for attaching the furling line to the mast?

I'm struggling with getting it to stayed tied to the mast and keeping enough tension on it to wind up when I unfurl.


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PostPosted: Sat Jul 30, 2011 9:33 am 
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Lablady wrote:
I'm still learning as well, and I thank the folks who replied here.

My question is: what type of knot is good for attaching the furling line to the mast?

I'm struggling with getting it to stayed tied to the mast and keeping enough tension on it to wind up when I unfurl.

I untie the furling line and push the end of the line up through the hole from the spool out and then just tie a simple overhand knot. it can't pull through, it uses less line, so more furling line free, and it takes little room on the spool, so neater lines and because it starts inside the spool, the line always winds on the spool, not above it.
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PostPosted: Sun Jul 31, 2011 1:54 am 
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Location: Täby, Sweden
Lablady wrote:
My question is: what type of knot is good for attaching the furling line to the mast?

I'm struggling with getting it to stayed tied to the mast and keeping enough tension on it to wind up when I unfurl.


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All forty knots are not needed but there are some basic ones that will cover most situations:

Square knot - when you have two lines of similar size

Sheet bend - when the two lines are of different size

Bowline - for securing just about anything. Always easy to untie when not under tension (you "break" it open). When under tension it is nearly impossible to untie (so consider this before using it).

Figure eight knot - use this one as a "stopper", don't use the overhand knot. You can always open a figure of eight, but an overhand can be very difficult to untie.

Fishermans bend - can be opened under tension.

If you know the five above, you'll be fine in just about any situation that you'll ever come across.

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PostPosted: Sun Jul 31, 2011 4:07 pm 
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Thanks Reconlon and Joakim.

I thought about threading thru the hole as you did, Reconlon, but I thought that was where the sail was tied into to keep tension downward.

The knot sheet is great! Thanks again.


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PostPosted: Sun Jul 31, 2011 7:08 pm 
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Lablady wrote:
I thought about threading thru the hole as you did, Reconlon, but I thought that was where the sail was tied into to keep tension downward.
There are 2 holes in the mast spool, one to use for the downhaul and the other for the reefing line.

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PostPosted: Sun Jul 31, 2011 7:37 pm 
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Location: Vancouver Island, Canada
Schnigits, why do I always end up on the butt end of reconlon's post (wahh!)

All the info here posted will lead you in the right directions:

Just a couple of thoughts I'd like to add:

REALLY study the water and the trees around you:
Learn to read every factor that makes sailing more than just opening up the sails and going for a 'ride':
If you look out at the water and you see 'White Horses' on the wave crests you are dealing with winds in the 15 to 25 knot range (dangerous for your boat)
That also applies as you see large trees bend in the wind!

Now let's look at the other end of the scale:
In very light winds, you'll see an almost smooth mirror except for what is called 'Cats' Paws. These are very slight winds that literaly skip on the water like a tiny flat rock. You may have to paddle/peddle to them and then weave your way from a set of 'Paws' to another. This is where you learn to be sensitive to the wind . This is also when you learn to shift weight in the opposite direction and try to keep your amas out of the water.

A few days of extreme light wind will have the wind teach you more than sitting in a gale holding on for your life.

Trust me, buddy
Bin dar, dun dat.

Fred

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PostPosted: Wed Aug 03, 2011 8:36 am 
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pav and Lablady,

Lablady,

I too am not too good with the knots. Go to the Pro Knot web site at http://www.proknot.com/html/knot_cards.html and check out the card set titled "Rope Knots". It's fantastic. It's a small set of plastic, waterproof cards affixed to eachother listing about 10 of the most common and most useful knots. Each knot has a brief explanation telling what it's useful for, and the directions are the best I've ever found for this sort of thing. I keep two in the boat. Good luck!

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PostPosted: Wed Aug 03, 2011 2:40 pm 
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Joined: Sat May 14, 2011 12:33 pm
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reconlon wrote:
There are 2 holes in the mast spool, one to use for the downhaul and the other for the reefing line.


I found it, reconlon. Next time I will pay more attention to the parts :-)


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