Tacking without drive: frustrated at first; found a trick

K-bay cruiser, thanks very much for your testing and detailed analysis. This is great information for me! This really helps me (at least in trying!) improve my sailing.

In these stronger winds, the difference between tacking and gybing results seems to get rather small, so Chris, I agree that gybing then (when done cautiously, furl!) could be a rational solution. But my (few) experiences with moderate winds suggest that tacking then wins by a (far?) bigger margin. To be continued...


Why exactly are you doing this, k-bay? Helm balance I guess, or are there other reasons? Do you also rake it in less windy conditions? My dagger sits rather loose, do you use tricks to keep it raked or does it stay there by itself?

BTW, I still think that the fact that it is so quick and easy to furl and unfurl the sail opens up possibilities that many conventional sailboats don't have that way. Tack assisting in moderate winds and safely gybing might be two of them.

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skua

It is definitely for helm balance. Since I mostly sail in moderate to stronger winds, I just find it easier to rotate it about half way and leave it. Perhaps I'm not getting the top performance, but I get near neutral helm at most times and can let go of the tiller for periods of time. Plus, there are shallow reefs that I sometimes cross without knowing whether I'll come across and hit something extra shallow. When the DB is fully vertical, it is loose and can kind of float up in the well without my awareness. Not only is it still deeper than when rotated, but if it hits something when in this position, it can't swing, and so it will tear the hull. Rotating it a bit keeps it down in the well where it can kick up on its own. Once rotated, it definitely seems to stay (maybe there's sand in the well, because I never remove the DB. It's too shallow where I launch/retrieve from the dolly so I can't get it out. Thus, I designed the dolly to leave the DB in). Also, I never used the bungee correctly and it broke anyway, so I now just have a rope tied to the end to tug on and to keep it from falling through.

Maybe there is a need to design a centerboard that sits further back. It wouldn't be too hard to make an opening rudder that the main bulk of its surface could open further back along the hull. It would probably have to be inserted from underneath, could use the same mounting point to attach to the hull and have a pivot arrangement within the main unit that allows it to open and shut in shallow water further back.

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Either lead, follow, or get the hell out of the way!

k-bay cruiser, thanks for your answer. That's quite a few reasons, actually.
Today in winds around 10 knots, gusting 'till 15, tacking wasn't a problem. Some tacks were slower than I liked, still have to work on my technique...

For those, fighting helm balance, would (besides raking and reefing) experimenting with a fore stay be an option? Might be easier than making a different daggerboard. I can imagine, especially clause hauled with stronger winds, that pulling the sheet hard brings the center of effort back, increasing weather helm. A forestay might lessen that effect to a certain degree. It's not hard to make it so that you can bring the forestay back to the mast (from your seat), so you still can reef again (with some delay and no fore stay when reefed of course). Adding more stays could help the trimming and keep the sail in shape also, but adds even more complexity, you probably don't want in higher winds...

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skua

The problem with a forestay is keeping it clear of mast rotation, particularly that top batten. A few of us have put jibs on the AI, and there are descriptions of putting an extension on the tip of the mast with an attachment that is free to rotate and keeps the forestay clear of the batten.

I keep my jib halyard on the mast, rotating with the mast, until the sail is fully deployed, then launch the jib using a tack line and the halyard. Since I only use the jib in very light winds, it doesn't matter that I can't reef the main with it out.

I don't think bending the mast forward at the top is practical, nor will it do much good as far as completing a tack.

I pretty much follow the same procedure KBay outlined, except that if I remember to do so I'll put the daggerboard vertical prior to tacking. My thinking is that doing so should create more lift from the board and move the center of effort further forward.

Without the drive, if you blow a tack you will drift downwind. If you gybe, you will sail downwind. Sailing is faster than drifting, and if the object of the game is to get upwind, a tack is going to be better. Speeding downwind is no way to get upwind.

Tom, you are correct that it doesn't help tacking, it is only meant as a possibility for influencing helm balance. I don't mean to bend the mast forward, only to limit the bending of the mast backward. This might be enough to make the wheather helm less strong. Sometimes I used a fore stay on my oasis and I felt that that made some difference to the helm balance, especially close hauled.
But you are correct, in that this is not very practical, for you loose direct furling ability of the sail, and you have to fiddle with stays and halyards. That is clearly not for everyone. Still I think it might be easier to try this out than to make a custom daggerboard yourself or adapting the AI to use two daggers at the same time, but that may be me. At least with a halyard system (like we both use for jibs) everything can be controlled from within the cockpit. I think I will try it on my AI. I like trying things out I guess... for I don't even find the AI unbalanced, but I'm still cautious and probably reef too early

Still like your jib. I need to find a nice white tarp...

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skua

Ah, but if you blow a tack, you'll be drifting downwind and you'll still be pointing the wrong way. If you gybe, you may be going briefly downwind, but you are guaranteed to complete the turn.

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At the hobie Bravo forum, I found this advice by Matt in an interesting thread called "How does one come about in a catamaran?":


Obviously, this advice is very much in accordance with what the more experienced sailors here said. Although the thread may not contain much new information, I thought it is relevant and clear enough to mention here. Much good information here, even outside the AI and kayak forums!

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skua

Just caught up with this Post a Month later, sounds good to me and like everything works best with practice.

Previously if I got stuck it was grab the Paddle and start sweeping it about, (as I am a drag-fins out/plug-in man), more recently I have fitted the PA sail well forward and use it in combination as a, "jib-effect", turning aid and a 22 SqFt downwind spinnaker).

Furling, reefing, hauling the PA sail over, letting off the Barber Hauler, Rudder-twisting etc make the AI cockpit a busy kitchen in some turns but don't we love it when we get it right.

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Fair Skies, Max.

So how are you finding the PA sail overall Max? Do you always use it when sailing now?

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