Down wind in following seas with big waves can be a work out. I've never heard of anyone reefing on a downwind run. You must have had a lot of wind. When i sail downwind, wing and wing in big waves i always set a preventer.
Most C&Cs don't have keels that make up a significant length of the boat so they turn easily and nimbley. Unfortunately that means big rollers from the rear can wash out the hips and spin the boat as the wave rolls under the boat. The helmsman has to work quick and anticipate. Josh On Aug 13, 2015 6:42 PM, "Patrick Davin via CnC-List" <cnc-list@cnc-list.com> wrote: > Thanks, good tips here. > > I want to minimize going forward. So using the topping lift is probably > not something I'm going to do. Unless that were run back to the cockpit, > but that seems excessive and I'd need to add clutches. > > I don't mind going forward in conditions with moderate or low waves, but > this procedure I'm trying to improve is for big waves. I know 6-8' close > spaced waves are not "big" to some of you, but it's enough that I'd rather > minimize crew going forward in that. We did have jacklines and tethers in > use. > > I don't have dog bones but plan to get them. We never rigged the 2nd reef > point, so didn't need them (although we should have rigged it just in > case). > > The sail gate is an excellent idea. > > >>* - Do you use boat speed over water as a criteria for when to reef? If so > >>*what's the speed for an LF38 at which you consider it overcanvased? > > > This is really a function of wind speed not boat speed. More importantly > TWS not AWS. With my 37+ i can carry full sails to ~15kts but it is > getting uncomfortable and increasingly difficult to reef. > > > Hmm, true, but we don't have a wind speed indicator yet so can't measure > that. Just have to go by judgment. I thought some people used boat speed as > a secondary indicator (eg, as you approach within X% of hull speed that's > when you know it's reefing time). > > We were going downwind wing-on-wing at about 6.5-7 kts, then wing-on-wing > started getting difficult so we switched to a standard broad reach. As boat > speed started going over 7 that's when I knew it was time to reef. It's > harder judging wind speed when going downwind so that's why I was hoping > for another signal until I get a wind anemometer. > > Also usually am judging by helm, but that can be more a factor of waves > sometimes. Helming was getting more difficult, with slightly greater than > 1/4 turn movements to each side needed to stay on course (this may have > been more a function of the waves, which were mostly dead aft but since > they're coastal waves going around points they don't have a completely > consistent direction). > After reefing we continued downwind broad reach with single reefed main > and 100% genoa but helming was still a lot of work so we furled the genoa > and went on main alone. We were making about 5.5 - 6 kts then. > > I've also heard some people (one who said he raced on C&Cs) say C&Cs don't > track well downwind. Is this what they mean? > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Email address: > CnC-List@cnc-list.com > To change your list preferences, including unsubscribing -- go to the > bottom of page at: > http://cnc-list.com/mailman/listinfo/cnc-list_cnc-list.com > > >
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