Re: Loose vs fixed main sail

What about the outhaul that you currently have to stretch the foot of your main? The loose foots I’ve seen have a slide that goes in the rope slot and is hauled out by the outhaul that you (probably) already have. George Balow Ft. Worth, TX

If you haven't read Joe Coopers stuff on prepping an older boat for offshore low crew, you should. He has some good points on out hauls as outlined in the article. http://www.windcheckmagazine.com/easy_upgrades_for_safer_shorthanded_sailing_part_ii_the_mainsail Tom Serendipity Cal 39 Crane Island, WA

On 4/22/2016 10:00 AM, Thomas Bridge th… [at] yahoo.com [Cal_Boats] wrote: > If you haven't read Joe Coopers stuff on prepping an older boat for offshore low crew, you should. He has some good points on out hauls as outlined in the article. > > http://www.windcheckmagazine.com/easy_upgrades_for_safer_shorthanded_sailing_part_ii_the_mainsail That's a really nice article. I agree with his recommendations. He hits all the little points that we often over look--ease of use, friction, mechanical handicaps. And of course, the big one, sail shape. The best way to learn about the importance of sail shape is to buy a new sail and experience the "Gee, my boat isn't sailing on her ear any more" moment. But my one question is this. He goes on about the Cunningham. I've always wondered about that. My assumption is that it replaces the good old downhaul as a luff adjuster because of the modern black-band limit for racing. Booms tend to be fixed now instead of movable. But both of my boats have real downhauls, and they serve quite nicely for shape control. I've never used a Cuhnningham adjustment. What am I missing? Chris Campbell >

I think it is a little easier to pull down or release a Cunningham than to move the boom up or down but I think you are correct that the motivation was the rules and the black bands. Allen On Fri, Apr 22, 2016 at 7:18 AM, ccampbell cc… [at] lsnm.org [Cal_Boats] < Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com> wrote: > > > On 4/22/2016 10:00 AM, Thomas Bridge th… [at] yahoo.com [Cal_Boats] > wrote: > > If you haven't read Joe Coopers stuff on prepping an older boat for > offshore low crew, you should. He has some good points on out hauls as > outlined in the article. > > > > > http://www.windcheckmagazine.com/easy_upgrades_for_safer_shorthanded_sailing_part_ii_the_mainsail > > That's a really nice article. I agree with his recommendations. He > hits all the little points that we often over look--ease of use, > friction, mechanical handicaps. And of course, the big one, sail > shape. The best way to learn about the importance of sail shape is to > buy a new sail and experience the "Gee, my boat isn't sailing on her ear > any more" moment. > > But my one question is this. He goes on about the Cunningham. I've > always wondered about that. My assumption is that it replaces the good > old downhaul as a luff adjuster because of the modern black-band limit > for racing. Booms tend to be fixed now instead of movable. But both of > my boats have real downhauls, and they serve quite nicely for shape > control. I've never used a Cuhnningham adjustment. What am I missing? > > Chris Campbell > > > > > > ------------------------------------ > > ------------------------------------ > > > ------------------------------------ > > Yahoo Groups Links > > > >

Allen, on our Cal 25s in Annapolis, most boats bring the halyards back to the cockpit since we cannot go on deck during Frostbite races. So I can modify jib/main halyard tension with some deck winch grinding. A very competent sailor once told me that the Cunningham requires much less force for the same luff tension (i.e., easier to adjust) due to the spreading of the downward load across the fat part of the sail down low versus pulling up on the skinny part at the head. I’ve not worked out the mechanics, but it is true that one can make a Cunningham adjustment more easily than raising the halyard. We have bands on the mast and boom, but none of the sails are cut to oversize, thus requiring the Cunningham. Make any sense? Thanks Charlie Annapolis From: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com [mailto:Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com] Sent: Friday, April 22, 2016 12:13 PM To: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com; ccampbell <cc… [at] lsnm.org> Subject: Re: [Cal_Boats] Re: Loose vs fixed main sail I think it is a little easier to pull down or release a Cunningham than to move the boom up or down but I think you are correct that the motivation was the rules and the black bands. Allen On Fri, Apr 22, 2016 at 7:18 AM, ccampbell cc… [at] lsnm.org <mailto:cc… [at] lsnm.org> [Cal_Boats] <Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com <mailto:Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com> > wrote: On 4/22/2016 10:00 AM, Thomas Bridge th… [at] yahoo.com <mailto:th… [at] yahoo.com> [Cal_Boats] wrote: > If you haven't read Joe Coopers stuff on prepping an older boat for offshore low crew, you should. He has some good points on out hauls as outlined in the article. > > http://www.windcheckmagazine.com/easy_upgrades_for_safer_shorthanded_sailing_part_ii_the_mainsail That's a really nice article. I agree with his recommendations. He hits all the little points that we often over look--ease of use, friction, mechanical handicaps. And of course, the big one, sail shape. The best way to learn about the importance of sail shape is to buy a new sail and experience the "Gee, my boat isn't sailing on her ear any more" moment. But my one question is this. He goes on about the Cunningham. I've always wondered about that. My assumption is that it replaces the good old downhaul as a luff adjuster because of the modern black-band limit for racing. Booms tend to be fixed now instead of movable. But both of my boats have real downhauls, and they serve quite nicely for shape control. I've never used a Cuhnningham adjustment. What am I missing? Chris Campbell > ------------------------------------ ------------------------------------ ------------------------------------ Yahoo Groups Links