Tacking difficulties w. sprit sail

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  • 176inches
    Senior Member
    • Apr 2012
    • 120

    Tacking difficulties w. sprit sail

    Hi all, me and my spritsail again. I had some difficulty tacking with it, it would stall while turning into the wind. I thought perhaps the clew was not far aft enough while sailing close to the wind (which the sail can do fairly well), so I shortened the traveler. Maybe the snotter was a little loose, maybe the tack not hauled down enough. Haven't had a chance to try again but I thought I'd ask the forum. Thanks in advance.
  • wizbang 13
    Senior Member
    • Oct 2009
    • 24799

    #2
    Re: Tacking difficulties w. sprit sail

    fotos puleezz
    A "sail" is not difficult to tack.

    Comment

    • WI-Tom
      Seaside Expat
      • Jan 2009
      • 15901

      #3
      Re: Tacking difficulties w. sprit sail

      Does your sail have a boom?

      If not, the proper sheeting angle is critical. Generally that means running the sheet to a point as far aft, and as far outboard, as possible (often a cleat on the gunwale just forward of the transom). If you sheet a boomless sail near the centerline--anywhere inboard of the gunwale, really--you won't get good performance.

      Having the sail setting well and snotter at the right tension is also important, as you mention. You want a smooth wing-like surface with no bagginess or wrinkles in the sail, and no creases from too much tension either.

      What kind of centerboard/daggerboard/leeboard are you using? And rudder? Those are also potential issues. As is crew weight--you may need your weight farther forward to tack well.

      Tom
      Ponoszenie konsekwencji!

      www.tompamperin.com

      Comment

      • Peerie Maa
        Old Grey Inquisitive One
        • Oct 2008
        • 62422

        #4
        Re: Tacking difficulties w. sprit sail

        Is it a long keeled boat, they sometimes need help to get through the eye of the wind by holding the jib aback.
        It really is quite difficult to build an ugly wooden boat.

        The power of the web: Anyone can post anything on the web
        The weakness of the web: Anyone can post anything on the web.

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        • 176inches
          Senior Member
          • Apr 2012
          • 120

          #5
          Re: Tacking difficulties w. sprit sail

          IMG_20200712_110124.jpg
          Not a good photo, from a dry run. It is a boomless sail with no jib, and the boat has what I think is a large enough centerboard (bigger than ones I had before with various boomed sails) weighted with lead shot. I have tightened the snotter, hauled down the tack and set up a traveler system for the sheet since the photo was taken. I think the traveler line was too loose and therefore the clew was not far enough aft, with the sail looking big bellied (rather than like an airfoil) while close to the wind. I have will try again soon with modifications. I hadn't realized how sensitive the spritsail is to all these, I knew about all factors people mentioned except the weight position. Maybe I should drop the CB deeper next time too.

          Comment

          • 176inches
            Senior Member
            • Apr 2012
            • 120

            #6
            Re: Tacking difficulties w. sprit sail

            Don't know what Nick means by long keeled, she has a 3 inch deep keel that turns into a skeg aft.
            IMG_20190827_105047.jpg

            Comment

            • P.I. Stazzer-Newt
              obnoxiously persistent.
              • Jan 2005
              • 26001

              #7
              Re: Tacking difficulties w. sprit sail

              Where do you sit in the boat?
              I'd much rather lay in my bunk all freakin day lookin at Youtube videos .

              Comment

              • Peerie Maa
                Old Grey Inquisitive One
                • Oct 2008
                • 62422

                #8
                Re: Tacking difficulties w. sprit sail

                It looks as though you need to build up enough speed to sail her round the tack so that she is well through before you power up the sail.
                It really is quite difficult to build an ugly wooden boat.

                The power of the web: Anyone can post anything on the web
                The weakness of the web: Anyone can post anything on the web.

                Comment

                • Thad
                  Senior Member
                  • May 2000
                  • 6364

                  #9
                  Re: Tacking difficulties w. sprit sail

                  Tacking is a function of momentum, hydrodynamics, aerodynamics, and turning radius. Momentum is speed + weight. She looks slippery enough and the rig not slowing you down much. The keel forward of the centerboard will lengthen the turning radius and speed coming into the tack is critical. More board down might tighten the turn enough and more weight aboard might carry your speed far enough. Keep playing with it. Or, have a paddle handy.

                  Comment

                  • 176inches
                    Senior Member
                    • Apr 2012
                    • 120

                    #10
                    Re: Tacking difficulties w. sprit sail

                    Thanks everyone. This is my third boat and fifth rig, all self designed and built, so everything is a work in progress. I am hopeful that the adjustments you all suggest will work, especially the sheeting angle. I sit aft to hold the tiller but I usually have one crew. Both of us can sit further forward if that helps.

                    Comment

                    • Tom Hunter
                      Senior Member
                      • Jun 2004
                      • 3134

                      #11
                      Re: Tacking difficulties w. sprit sail

                      How you handle the sheet may matter as well. Do you sheet in at the start of the tack and then ease the sheet as you go into the wind? Or do you just ride through (or not all the way through) the tack without adjusting the sheet? Could you give the sheet a bit of a tug to pull the bow around after you are mostly through the wind without slowing the boat too much?

                      I'd play around with the sheet location, sheet tension at various stages in the tack and also with where you sit in the boat.
                      Yachting, the only sport where you get to be a mechanic, electrician, plumber and carpenter

                      Comment

                      • Canoeyawl
                        .
                        • Jun 2003
                        • 37698

                        #12
                        Re: Tacking difficulties w. sprit sail

                        Windward ability is directly related to boat speed.
                        You might try falling off a bit and getting the speed up before you tack...

                        Comment

                        • Jay Greer
                          Senior Member
                          • Nov 2004
                          • 14425

                          #13
                          Re: Tacking difficulties w. sprit sail

                          And if Canoeyawl's approache does not work, try gybing. The lesser the wind that is blowing, the harder it is to come about in many boats. That is why the maximum hull speed for the conditions makes sense out of gybing as you have enough speed for the helm to answer.
                          Jay

                          Comment

                          • johnw
                            Senior Member
                            • Nov 2001
                            • 28589

                            #14
                            Re: Tacking difficulties w. sprit sail

                            With that big gripe and skeg, that boat just won't want to turn. It will track nicely as a rowboat, but unless you get rid of most of the external keel, I don't see it tacking well. One solution would be to have a small jib you could back to bring the boat around.
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                            • 176inches
                              Senior Member
                              • Apr 2012
                              • 120

                              #15
                              Re: Tacking difficulties w. sprit sail

                              Yes, I did wear in the end (turned through a gybe) and it worked fine but still I want to be able to tack, you don't lose as much way. Also managed to tack occasionally but with difficulty. I'll report back next time I go out (busy with my visiting toddler grandson right now). Thanks to all.

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