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From: Rick Kennerly (no email)
Date: Sun Feb 03 2002 - 15:05:31 EST
Apart from broad reaching and running in lightish
=weather when it shades the big jib, I hardly ever drop the
=staysail at sea.
You use your staysail about the way we do ours, Owen. But you forgot to
mention what I think of as the real appeal to a cutter rig that flies the
staysail all the time. Several times we've been hit by sudden squalls that
seemed as though they would pass quickly but for which we were way over
canvassed to handle. Our tactic? Instead of going on deck to reef the main
and pull down or reef canvas, we just crash tack, furling the jib up as we
go about. Now this won't work with a club footed, self tending staysail but
if your staysail is sheeted to tracks like a normal headsail, then the
staysail will back when you go off on the other tack. Then you just let the
main loose to stream with the wind--what used to be called a fisherman's
reef. Normally the main doesn't flog much because it's mostly blanketed.
Than all you have to do is place the tiller or wheel in the correct position
and there you have it, instant heave-to.
Once we crossed the Gulf Stream Herb on Southbound II began tracking 8 lows
in the Atlantic region between Hattaras and Rhode Island. That many lows
popping out was actually good because no one low could squeeze enough energy
out of the atmosphere to really spool up into a big storm, but it meant that
on our run out of Norfolk to Bermuda this last time we were overtaken by a
cold front every 24-hours, and this tactic worked very well.
To get going again we just jibe around, roll out the headsail, harden up on
the main, and we're underway again.
Rick
----------------------------------------------------------
Rick the Mouseherder - nh2f
Westsail 32 Xapic, Hull #438
Cabo San Juan, Puerto Rico
A small boat and a suitcase full of money
beats a 40 footer tied to the Bank.
Visit our Westsail 32 Xapic
http://www.mouseherder.com/xapic
The Westsail Owners Assn. Homepage
http://www.westsail.org
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