Went through Whitby swing bridge at 8.30 expecting light winds from the south but very soon had two reefs in the main and then got rid of main altogether and tried to sail close to the wind with just the jib - very difficult to keep on a course. I was wondering about contingency plans at this point as i'd only just started my 23Nm trip. Could definitely do with a third reefing in the main sail which would give me more options when i only have me for ballast.
Then things calmed down a bit and i ended up close-hauled pretty much on one tack all the way with the wind veering favourably and many reefs coming in and then going out.
Somehow i managed to catch some intense sun though it had seemed to be a basically cloudy day. Had my clothing a bit more sorted with long trousers under my salopettes but will try fleecy long-johns next time.
Hooked up with Geoff & crew, fellow boaties and had a good pub meal and got an angle on a sail loft on the Tyne, which is probably my next stop.
3rd reef would place centre of effort very far forward. Is there a different solution that would move it back?
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment.
DeleteAt the moment, if i feel overpowered with a fully reefed mainsail (with lots of twist to spill wind from the top) then my only choice is to take the main down completely. With only the foresail the boat is very unbalanced pointing towards the wind, and I was thinking that a third reef would result in less imbalance than sailing with just foresail. It would also be more convenient to have the boom and sail on the mast rather than in the boat.
Maybe i need to improve my technique. Remember this is sailing solo without crew to help keep the boat from leaning over. I'd be interested to know what more experienced dinghy sailors might think about managing the boat upwind in breezy weather