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Cruising #234796
07/13/11 10:00 AM
07/13/11 10:00 AM
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 5,525
pgp Offline OP
Carpal Tunnel
pgp  Offline OP
Carpal Tunnel

Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 5,525
It's raining again and I refuse to work in high humidity..for a number of reasons.

Sitting here watching the rain I got to thinking about cruising. The rig we have is so powerful it's hard for me to just relax and enjoy the day(I've tried it, you can get wet surprisingly quickly). That led me to the thought of cutting down my old main and using the stock jib or possibly a roller furling jib.

What's gained, what's lost, what's the cost?


Last edited by pgp; 07/13/11 10:03 AM.

Pete Pollard
Blade 702

'When you have a lot of things to do, it's best to get your nap out of the way first.

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Re: Cruising [Re: pgp] #234798
07/13/11 10:39 AM
07/13/11 10:39 AM
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 1,382
Essex, UK
Jalani Offline
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Jalani  Offline
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Posts: 1,382
Essex, UK
I've thought a few times about a reduced area main for the Stealth - my conclusion? Turn an old main into almost a pinhead.
By cutting the square top and most of the roach off you get a large reduction n area plus the foot length stays the same as does the luff. It's a relatively cheap and straightforward alteration.
To complete the setup I'd probably fit a shortened spin pole with a furling hooter.


John Alani
___________
Stealth F16s GBR527 and GBR538
Re: Cruising [Re: Jalani] #234799
07/13/11 11:09 AM
07/13/11 11:09 AM
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 5,525
pgp Offline OP
Carpal Tunnel
pgp  Offline OP
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That's a thought. Of course I want my cake and eat it too! I want ALL the performance up to about 10 knots of wind speed, hence the thought about the furling jib.

Can you carry the hooter to weather?


Pete Pollard
Blade 702

'When you have a lot of things to do, it's best to get your nap out of the way first.

Re: Cruising [Re: Jalani] #234800
07/13/11 11:12 AM
07/13/11 11:12 AM
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 893
W
waynemarlow Offline
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waynemarlow  Offline
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Posts: 893
But what about the good days when you need all that power you normally have. Most sails have reef points to tie the excess sail into the boom, what about replacing the main halyard with D12 or such and loop it around the mast base block and back up to the boom gooseneck, tie it off to lower the sail to what ever the reefing patches you have had sown into the old main. Even roll it around the boom AKA Farrier style but don't go cutting good sail area off.









Never done it but often thought about it.

Re: Cruising [Re: waynemarlow] #234802
07/13/11 11:19 AM
07/13/11 11:19 AM
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 1,382
Essex, UK
Jalani Offline
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Jalani  Offline
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Posts: 1,382
Essex, UK
Point taken Wayne but my thought was to keep luff length while reducing overall sail area. Easing a tall, narrower main dramatically reduces drive over a lower aspect sail eased the same amount. Also no messing around with reefs.

Pete, you could carry a correctly cut hooter to weather in lower wind speeds (guessing at sub 8kts) and that would make up for the lost sail area from the main on those lighter days. Dropping the whole lot onto the tramp when it's breezy would reduce the windage and keep the performance when una rigged.


John Alani
___________
Stealth F16s GBR527 and GBR538
Re: Cruising [Re: Jalani] #234803
07/13/11 11:35 AM
07/13/11 11:35 AM
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 5,525
pgp Offline OP
Carpal Tunnel
pgp  Offline OP
Carpal Tunnel

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What is D12? Some kind of line?

I'm in the sub tropics, we can get really strong downdrafts when thunderstorms are in the area so I need to be able to reef in an instant.

I sailed a TheMightyHobie18 quite a lot and relied on the furling jib. It made me feel very secure. Usually I could just run away from anything really nasty but then there was the problem of the calm after the storm.

Also, I've been thinking about a cleat for the spin sheet, even when racing.

Last edited by pgp; 07/13/11 11:39 AM.

Pete Pollard
Blade 702

'When you have a lot of things to do, it's best to get your nap out of the way first.

Re: Cruising [Re: pgp] #234807
07/13/11 01:33 PM
07/13/11 01:33 PM
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 4,118
Northfield Mn
Karl_Brogger Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Karl_Brogger  Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 4,118
Northfield Mn
I've got cleats for the spin sheets. I rarely use them, but they're handy when needed.

I'd probably use them quite a bit just cruising, if I did much of that.


I'm boatless.
Re: Cruising [Re: Karl_Brogger] #234809
07/13/11 01:48 PM
07/13/11 01:48 PM
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 5,525
pgp Offline OP
Carpal Tunnel
pgp  Offline OP
Carpal Tunnel

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Posts: 5,525
The Staymasters?


Pete Pollard
Blade 702

'When you have a lot of things to do, it's best to get your nap out of the way first.

Re: Cruising [Re: pgp] #234816
07/13/11 05:51 PM
07/13/11 05:51 PM
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 4,118
Northfield Mn
Karl_Brogger Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Karl_Brogger  Offline
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Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 4,118
Northfield Mn
Yep, on the base of the Sta-Masters.



I'm boatless.
Re: Cruising [Re: pgp] #234896
07/15/11 09:04 AM
07/15/11 09:04 AM
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 3,906
Clermont, FL, USA
David Ingram Offline
Carpal Tunnel
David Ingram  Offline
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Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 3,906
Clermont, FL, USA
Stamaster

[Linked Image]


David Ingram
F18 USA 242
http://www.solarwind.solar

"Do or do not. There is no try." - Yoda
"Excuses are the tools of the weak and incompetent" - Two sista's I overheard in the hall
"You don't have to be a brain surgeon to be a complete idiot, but it helps"
Re: Cruising [Re: David Ingram] #234898
07/15/11 09:10 AM
07/15/11 09:10 AM
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 5,525
pgp Offline OP
Carpal Tunnel
pgp  Offline OP
Carpal Tunnel

Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 5,525
There's one with a cleat attached. Robbie put them on some of the Vipers. Like THE REAL Karl's.


Pete Pollard
Blade 702

'When you have a lot of things to do, it's best to get your nap out of the way first.

Re: Cruising [Re: pgp] #235586
08/02/11 07:43 AM
08/02/11 07:43 AM
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 43
NQLD, Australia
Learning to Fly... Offline
newbie
Learning to Fly...  Offline
newbie

Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 43
NQLD, Australia
Another way of detuning the boat is to add weight rather than reducing sail area( but you will increase the rigging loads) If you use water balast then you can dump the water in the light stuff. I've just finished a cruise around the Whitsundays on my Taipan, write up is at link below

http://catsailor.net/forums/showthread.php?4190-Taipan-4.9-Whitsunday-Islands-Cruise

Re: Cruising [Re: Learning to Fly...] #235587
08/02/11 07:59 AM
08/02/11 07:59 AM
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 5,525
pgp Offline OP
Carpal Tunnel
pgp  Offline OP
Carpal Tunnel

Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 5,525
Nice article, thanks.


Pete Pollard
Blade 702

'When you have a lot of things to do, it's best to get your nap out of the way first.

Re: Cruising [Re: pgp] #237833
09/19/11 03:51 PM
09/19/11 03:51 PM
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 1
Alan Bickell Offline
stranger
Alan Bickell  Offline
stranger

Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 1
I've cruised since buying my stealth, although it is pre-F16 (503), and have just returned from a weekend cruising the blackwater estury. I've two mains of 12.5 and 10 sqM and a jib. I check the forecast and choose sailplan for maximum wind strength, so anything from 15 to 10 sqm. The 10sqm is full length luff, just shorter foot. Problem is when blowing hard, F6+, the full length luff puts the power too high up the mast. If you're going to change a sail, I'd suggest normal reef points on the main, above batterns? Also as you reduce the main, ideally you'd reduce the jib so a furling one would be ideal. Only problem I've had was yesterday off Brightlingsea in a force 2. We tacked, there was a bang and the mast went over the side snapping the gooseneck fitting as it went. All the rivits holding the mast ball to the main beam had sheared off, 11 or 12 years of abuse? Anyone know where to get a new mast ball and gooseneck for rectangular alloy boom as I love the boat but can't really justify buying a replacement?


Alan Bickell
Stealth 503
Re: Cruising [Re: Alan Bickell] #237898
09/20/11 01:15 PM
09/20/11 01:15 PM
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 893
W
waynemarlow Offline
old hand
waynemarlow  Offline
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W

Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 893
Try John Pierce at Stealth, everyone seems to having problems contacting him but I seem to always get through simply ringing on the landline number about 1.00pm.

Somewhere I have a mast ball foot but not the ball although the early Stealths had a Hobie ball. If you are stuck contact me.

The gooseneck was a casting John had made up, later versions use a standard gooseneck with a simple round Ali tube. It maybe cheaper to replace the tube and gooseneck together. The alternative is have an engineering shop re create as a one off for the oblong shape, you only need a plug with a stainless standard rod end screwed in.

Re: Cruising [Re: waynemarlow] #238335
09/26/11 01:44 PM
09/26/11 01:44 PM
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 976
France
pepin Offline
old hand
pepin  Offline
old hand

Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 976
France
The mast ball on your Stealth is the same as the one on all the Nacras. Ask Grant for one.


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