Scandalising the mainsail (Bay Raider)

[Simon Knight]

What are the forum's opinion (s) on the best method of reducing power/speed yet leaving the main available for re-deployment when needed?

I shall start experimenting with using a topping lift to raise the boom on my next outing - has anyone else tried this?

best wishes

Simon

[Peter Cockerton]

Simon

I have fitted a topping lift on "Joybells" my bayraider along with "lazy Jacks on one side of the boom only. The "lazy Jacks" attach to a sail bag i made by creating a net made from nylon pleat rope with a thicker nylon pleat for the outside surround. At the mast end the width of the net is wider than the end of the boom because it has to hold more sail when it's dropped. One edge of the net sail bag is attached along it's length to the boom with a running stitch. I thought of the net concept so any water would not get trapped as it may do in a solid bag. When the sail is up the net bag offers no wind resistence either. So when i want to drop the main i attach the topping lift which i leave on the mast cleat, attach to boom, release the main halyard, pull the main down into the bag from the clew end (going forward as it gets tight) and flake the sail into the bag and tye it as i go along. It's not always perfect as depending on wind direction it can spill over the other side before i can tye it. The downside is more lines to tangle as you raise the main, i have fitted some bullseyes on the front of the mast to keep some of these tidy which also seems to work. Let me know if you need any pictures.

Peter

[Peter Cockerton]

Having considered your question again my last response is not what your looking for is it, the main needs to be kept raised but as much drive power removed as possible hence the term "scandalise". So topping lift comment to loose the lower half of the sail and some sort of snuffer needed for the top half. Apologies for not reading the question correctly.

Peter

[Julian Swindell]

I've got no experience with the gunter main, but if you released the tack of the main at the bottom, whilst keeping the sail fully hoisted and the sprit boom in place, that would loosen and spoil the shape of the sail, which should reduce its power. Maybe you could haul the tack up somewhat with a thin line to increase the effect? Gaff rigs used to drop the peak of the gaff as well, but you can't do that on a gunter unless you rig a second halyard to the throat to keep it up. But then you would technically have a high peaked gaff instead of a gunter lug. Does that matter?

[Simon Knight]

Hi,

Don't worry about not reading the question as you have answered my next one as I need a method of not throwing most of the sail over board when lowering the main (although this technique does amuse Julian) and re a photo yes please.

As to scandalising the main I think I shall try a hybrid of all published methods i.e. a topping lift, a tricing line to lift the tack and possibly some brailing lines to bundle the sail to the mast; that lot should add to the tangle nicely!

The addition of a second halliard could work well.  I use to lower the peak on my Lune Whammel and it use to tame the beast very nicely.

Thanks for the tips..

Simon

[Michael Rogers]

It would be mischievous of me to mention junk rig in this context, so I won't

[Simon Knight]

I think I will wear my sails out before I swap to junk rig.... now where is my jig saw?

Simon ;-)