Sailing in breeze

rick perkins · 01 Oct 2006, 08:16

This weekend we had or first sail in the 12 in stronger winds. Needless to say we had a great time.

A few questions ...

1) Is it normal to get quite a lot of water flowing up the case or do I need better slot strips?

2) Downwind with me sitting out at the back and Sarah moving behind the twart to hike created a problem because my toe straps are not long enough for her - also as I am heavier when I hiked out it got worse for her as her strap effectivly shortened as I used up all the play?

3) How far are you dropping the rig back (inches of jib halyard moved where the hook attaches to the halyard)?

4) On the gybe does the crew usually stay behind the thwart?

Any help welcome.

regards,

Rick

Mikey C · 01 Oct 2006, 09:09

1, Better slot gasket...

2, could be worth doubling up the toestraps and having a second set there for the crew? I usually have a single long toestrap back from thwart to the transom and it works well, but I think it is provided the difference between helm and crew weight isnt too large...

3, personally never adjust it at all, all depowering on mast bend but I think I might be alone!

4, if you can get away with it (maybe a short tiller) then yes it would make it a lot safer as there is no going forward at speed...

Jane Wade · 02 Oct 2006, 12:08

rick perkins · 02 Oct 2006, 02:00

Thanks for the imput, Nigel May also gave me some top tips on the phone.

regards,
Rick

philipcosson · 02 Oct 2006, 02:06

Hi Jane, Mike Rick et. al.

This is a really interesting thread. I would really appreciate some more coments about crew work - as I am a novice sailor, it is difficult to direct my son (crew) in what he should/should not be doing.

I suspect the boat was set up for the helm to adjust most things (? very young crew). I would like to make the sailing a more participatory endevour for him and possibly only control kicker, main and tiller myself.

Any more lists of crew responsibiliteis and sequence of event would greatly help me and my son.

Philip
N3253

icecreamman · 02 Oct 2006, 03:20

Philip, your boat was built for Robin Steavenson and was probably set up for robin to most of the fiddling. If in any doubt ask Howard who I am sure will be only too willing to forward information on this subject. One obvious thing that small crews can do quite easily without getting too wrong is the easing of the leeward shroud. Once small has got the hang of this then bring other things into play one at a time. Depending on how small takes to this you should be able to come zooming in to a wing mark on a plane, and the crew will know in what things will need doing prior to the gybe. It will not happen overnight however, so small may not be so small when this goes smoothly and you do not end up in the drink as has happened to me several times.

Good luck :K)

icecreamman · 02 Oct 2006, 03:20

Philip, your boat was built for Robin Steavenson and was probably set up for robin to most of the fiddling. If in any doubt ask Howard who I am sure will be only too willing to forward information on this subject. One obvious thing that small crews can do quite easily without getting too wrong is the easing of the leeward shroud. Once small has got the hang of this then bring other things into play one at a time. Depending on how small takes to this you should be able to come zooming in to a wing mark on a plane, and the crew will know in what things will need doing prior to the gybe. It will not happen overnight however, so small may not be so small when this goes smoothly and you do not end up in the drink as has happened to me several times.

Good luck : :-/

Kevin · 02 Oct 2006, 03:38

I always wondered what Jane did behind my back to ensure our gybes are so elegant!

On the rake front, both Jane and Mike are correct. Once the breeze gets up so we are fully hiking and beginning to get over powered, we start to increase rig tension via the shrouds to put a little more bend in the mast and flatten the sail to depower it. As the wind increases, so we use even more shroud tension and begin to ease the jib halyard bringing the top of the mast progressively further aft. In survival conditions the boom can get a little difficult for the helm to get under whilst tacking and this is probably about one-third or less halyard easing, two-thirds or more additional shroud tension. At its extreme, the mainsail can be almost completely bladed.

Kevin Iles
N3491 - still for sale at a very modest price!

rick perkins · 02 Oct 2006, 04:53

[quote by=Kevin link=Blah.cgi?b=Cool,m=1159730203,s=7 date=1159799888]I always wondered what Jane did behind my back to ensure our gybes are so elegant!

On the rake front, both Jane and Mike are correct. Once the breeze gets up so we are fully hiking and beginning to get over powered, we start to increase rig tension via the shrouds to put a little more bend in the mast and flatten the sail to depower it. As the wind increases, so we use even more shroud tension and begin to ease the jib halyard bringing the top of the mast progressively further aft. In survival conditions the boom can get a little difficult for the helm to get under whilst tacking and this is probably about one-third or less halyard easing, two-thirds or more additional shroud tension. At its extreme, the mainsail can be almost completely bladed.

Kevin Iles
N3491 - still for sale at a very modest price![/quote]

The ability to adjust the rig in this way whilst sailing is one of the key reasons I brought the N12 as opposed to the RS200 that we used to own.

On the weekend it was pretty windy and we went out and they postponed the race ... we were sailing "quite" comfortably with our rig quite well raked. No idea of course how fast this is ...?

Rick

MikeDay · 02 Oct 2006, 05:35

rick perkins · 02 Oct 2006, 07:51

[quote by=Mike_Day link=Blah.cgi?b=Cool,m=1159730203,s=9 date=1159806952]

Otherwise you need to reduce your leg length or stretch your crew's!
[/quote]

Sarah has indicated she'd like longer legs but I am not aware that this is a pratical option ...

Jon_P · 03 Oct 2006, 09:45

Give her a sail in a Merlin and she will come running back to the 12!

Jon
3211

(still hunting for sails :-( )

rick perkins · 03 Oct 2006, 01:57

Eh?

Jon_P · 03 Oct 2006, 03:28

Sorry I will explain a little further!
Hiking in the merlin rocket in a blow is about as painful as it gets in my opinion. When my crew went to swap to crew for a chap in a merlin she came running back to the 12 as she said it was horrible hiking in it. It was a pretty old one though things might have changed!
Jon
N3211

Tom_Gruitt_www.fotoboat.com · 03 Oct 2006, 05:16

the merlin is the most comfy boat i have ever hiked from!
Anyways the crew trimming the pole and the jib downwind helps speed in a blow.