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As some of you know I am new and have about 2 months of sailing my Ariel under my belt. I was thinking about taking my boat out single handed for the first time today. Winds are 10-12 knots, and I am curious about sailing her on the Main Sail only.
pro's or cons??
thanks in advance, I used the search function and didnt get anything.
It might be a good day to learn how to tuck a reef into your main before you go out - it'll be more manageable. Also, under just the main alone, expect a lot of lee way when reaching (wind off the beam) and very little (if any) headway when sailing into the wind. I did it one time sailing off my mooring and almost got blown into the boats behind me because I couldn't get enough headway to clear them. I probably should have just gone straight downwind and turned below them, but then there was a lee shore. A real white knuckler...
It's certainly doable. You just have to lower your expectations without the drive of a headsail. Have fun! It's fun to experiment and get to know your boat!
thanks, and I think your right about learning how to reef, thats a good idea i will do that today.
I appreciate the response!
You're welcome. I wish I were out sailing instead of sitting in front of the computer. Let us know how things turn out!
Sailing with the main is not a productive endeavor. Fortunately my wife decided to come with me and I tried it for a couple of minutes, and clearly the headsail is needed. That being said, while she was there, I tried as a (single hander would) pointing the boat into the wind, raising the sails and hopping back into the cockpit to trim the sails and cleat the Jib. It was not with out complications, the boat turned just enough (does not take much) where my battens got caught on one of the lines of the lazy jack cradle. My wife corrected our point, but if I was truly by myself I would have been moving back to the cockpit to repoint the boat, and back to the mast and halyard to try once more....... any comments appreciated...
That being said here are a few observations now that I have a whopping 2 months of sailing under my belt.
I bought the correct first boat, its sturdy, incredibly unmolested for 48 years young, and proves I have a good eye for a nice line. (haha).
Its huge fun, and my wife likes it. My kids 6 and 7 like it, as long as there are snacks (the one time without was a big tactical error)
The owner of the marina approves of the Ariel.
I am now constantly aware of the wind, and get a bit ancy if conditions fit my abilities and i cant go....
I just won 24 yards of marine grade sunbrella fabric for 100 bucks on ebay, and am unnaturally excited about it.... (my wife wants cushions... so do i frankly)
I am about to take my first overnight trip from Baltimore to Rock Hall, and i am really looking forward to this.
On daysails I get free beer... from my friends...
A couple thoughts:
Great choice in selecting A417!
These boats are very headsail driven. Going without isn't really workable - as you've discovered. Lucky Dawg has hanked on foresails - a 100% jib, a sturdy 135 genoa, and a very similar but super light 135 drifter. I've never found that reefing is necessary till a good steady 20kts. If (and I assume you do) you have a traveler, easing the traveler leward dumps a lot of sail and flattens the boat in stiffer winds. This lets me fly the genoa and get the best of the wind. I use the jib infrequently and only to placate my bride when she is aboard - she is not fond of heeling to any degree!
Re your bounding forward to raise sails: I sail almost exclusively with small children! That being said, I'm always single handing. I have a very simple tiller-taming setup - a 4'(ish) bungee cord that I attach to the port and stbd coaming cleats (on LD, these are approximately at the head of the tiller and on the outboard side of each coaming - see post 176 in LD gallery thread http://www.pearsonariel.org/discussi...3631#post23631.) I loop it around the tiller and in a pinch, this holds the boat on course briefly enough to raise the main, raise the foresail, adjust vang, cunningham, grab a beer...... You can do something similar with the jib sheets to hold course for a minute or two. As you've found, changing tacks mid-sail-raising is a bummer. The bungee works, but despite a 3400lb pig in the keel, my relatively fit body weight can alter course more than I'd imagine when moving to the bow. After 6 years or so of sailing her, I know how much my BMI impacts course and can balance accordingly! You'll figure this out too.
Knowing how to heave-to makes reefing the main easyfleasy. Doing so without is maddeningly noisy and difficult.
Now, some pix of A417, Man!
Caferacer
I'm at Young's off Old Road Bay. Are you in Rock Creek?
Heaving to is mainly a matter of back filling the jib and properly opposing the rudder position so as to counterbalance the boat in the wind correct? I read about it, it's on the list for the weekend to try. The weather this weekend is not your usual mid Atlantic July ...low 80's no humidity and a nice breeze all weekend. Def out tomorrow, lining up today too hopefully. The hurricane passed by yesterday, the air is sparkling clean and the light is like a San Francisco day....
And yes skipper jer I am across from you at oak harbor on rock creek, very happy with my choice of marina, it's a snug harbor, people at the marina very nice, and ken Brohman, though I don't know him we'll is a good guy. Would love to meet you sometime.
A good video that cuts right to it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XU-8lk3C7U
with a little more detail and discusses heaving to by gybing as well as by tacking: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbjwP6F_N9s