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 Post subject: Jibing in high winds
PostPosted: Mon Aug 06, 2012 5:43 pm 
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Site Rank - Captain

Joined: Thu Jun 21, 2012 11:35 am
Posts: 27
Purchased a used Getaway a few months ago and love it... these boards have answered a lot of questions for me from rudder adjustment to tacking issues, so I'm hoping I can get some advice about jibing in high winds. No problems in light winds, less than 10 mph, but I figure I'll need to jibe in winds over 15 one of these days, so I'm hoping to get some advice about the recommended procedure. Do you sheet the main in as you cross and then let it out quickly or do you cross with the main sheeted out and let the main fly across?

Thanks for any recommendations.


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 Post subject: Re: Jibing in high winds
PostPosted: Tue Aug 07, 2012 4:49 pm 
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Joined: Mon Jul 04, 2005 10:13 am
Posts: 1184
Location: Nepean S.C. Ottawa, Canada
Years ago, we used to loosen off the mainsheet and the traveler sheet, turn, and just let everything fly across.....then one day, we blew up a traveler car on a H16.

Today, we sail in a more controlled manner, and we 'judge' the wind and the waves with eyes that are better trained....we pick our gybe spot a lot more carefully.

Gybing: we usually begin our turn,
then center the traveler and tighten up the mainsheet,
pass through the eye of the wind,
then release the mainsheet under control, and of course the traveler.
This prevents slamming, and allows for more control.
With practice, this tightening/releasing can happen very quickly.

We also have a figure 8 knot tied in the mainsheet, so that when the traveler side is fully out, the knot prevents the traveler car from slamming into the end of the track.

_________________
2015 H16, with spin,
SOLD 1989 Hobie SX18 Sail # 1947 "In Theory..."
'Only two things are infinite, the universe, and human stupidity. But I'm not sure about the former.'


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 Post subject: Re: Jibing in high winds
PostPosted: Tue Aug 07, 2012 5:22 pm 
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Joined: Mon Feb 09, 2004 10:08 pm
Posts: 172
Location: Ottawa, Canada
Well I'm not a Getway expert but I'll try. Usually, unless it's blowing "dogs off chains" you leave the main all the way out,with the boat at full speed turn down, and about dead downwind grab all the "falls" of the mainsheet together and give it a good stiff yank to get it across, if the boat was turning this whole time you might want to turn down (a little bit of back the way you came), to keep the pressure off the side of the boat. Then you can get set and start to heat the boat up.

Some folk recommend in survival conditions turning down, sheeting in, jibing, and sheeting out. This sounds like a recipe for a capsize to me, but some folk do it.


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 Post subject: Re: Jibing in high winds
PostPosted: Wed Aug 08, 2012 6:08 am 
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Joined: Mon Jul 04, 2005 10:13 am
Posts: 1184
Location: Nepean S.C. Ottawa, Canada
Grabbing the falls was the way I was taught, and it works....

However, I often have two crew on my SX18, so I need to keep the boom under control, or I face the possibility of "Mutiny on Lac Deschesnes."

One of my crew will sometimes 'block' the boom manually, and help by easing it over at an appropriate time.
We're still experimenting with what works best for us.

When I am solo or with other crew, I use the 'falls' method, and tell the crew to stay the H$%@ out of the way.

_________________
2015 H16, with spin,
SOLD 1989 Hobie SX18 Sail # 1947 "In Theory..."
'Only two things are infinite, the universe, and human stupidity. But I'm not sure about the former.'


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 Post subject: Re: Jibing in high winds
PostPosted: Wed Aug 08, 2012 9:24 am 
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Joined: Mon Aug 08, 2011 9:21 am
Posts: 7
Location: Kansas City, MO
Hey guys, please explain what the term "falls of the mainsheet" and "grabbing the falls" mean. I've never heard those terms before.

I sail a Wave without a jib so would your method be the same for a Wave? After sailing on small lakes with flukey winds for several years, it feels safer and easier on the boat to turn down, sheet in, complete the turn and then slowly sheet out again.

But I would like to try your method if it is possible on a Wave.

Thanks.


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 Post subject: Re: Jibing in high winds
PostPosted: Wed Aug 08, 2012 9:38 am 
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Joined: Mon Jul 04, 2005 10:13 am
Posts: 1184
Location: Nepean S.C. Ottawa, Canada
Get yourself ready, kneel on the tramp facing the stern, one hand on the tiller.
Mainsheet all the way out,
Grab the mainsheet, the part that goes from the lower blocks to the upper blocks,
(that's called the 'falls')
begin your turn
pull the 'falls' over in the middle of your turn
and at the same time, change hands on the tiller,
(or else the 'falls' will remove a wrist)
move across to the windward side of the boat, and regain control.

If you have a tiller extension, do the same, just a little more complicated
(pass the stick around from one hand to the other before moving the falls all the way across).

Sounds a lot more complicated than it really is.
Like Nike says, go out there and do it.

_________________
2015 H16, with spin,
SOLD 1989 Hobie SX18 Sail # 1947 "In Theory..."
'Only two things are infinite, the universe, and human stupidity. But I'm not sure about the former.'


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 Post subject: Re: Jibing in high winds
PostPosted: Wed Aug 08, 2012 12:02 pm 
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Joined: Thu Mar 09, 2006 7:44 am
Posts: 53
All 3 methods, 1 - just let it fly, 2 - grab the main sheet ropes in mass and throw them across, 3- sheet in then let out after the jibe work just fine on a Getaway and a Wave. Without a boom all are comparitively gentle. The 16 and 18 have more sail and a boom for significantly more force. 3 gives you the most control. I am really uncomfortable with method 2 on a bigger cat with a boom. If you timing is off and it slams across with you holding on for the ride there are just to many possibilities for injuries. I use method 1 for anything short of survival conditions. I would use method 3 if I were concerned about scaring an inexperienced crew or small children.

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Bob


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