Down wind?

George Hart

George Hart

homeless
I use to sail a canoe and when I put the wind to my back and let the sail out to 90 degrees I could move at a fast pace down wind.

My new to me Sunfish seems to sail as expected into the wind close haul and a close reach. But my issue is down wind I don't seem to be able to let the sail out and catch the wind. I can do a board reach but straight down wind it acts like it has weather helm? Is that my issue that the goose neck is too far forward or should I be looking for another issue?
 
How much wind, waves etc?

Gooseneck should be around 16 as a starting place, measured from where the black cap and the boom meet. If there was wind you need to heel the boat to weather and this will stop the weather helm. Heeling moves the center of pressure over the hull. Is your sheet long enough to get the sail 90 degrees out? Do you have your centerboard up? Are you sitting at the front of the cockpit?

Need more info to help.
 
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I am sailing in a very shallow lagoon, and the center board is only about a foot below the hull. I understand I don't need the center board to sail down wind but was unaware it had to be up to go down wind. I do have enough sheet to have the boom to 90 degrees. Heeling is to lean the boat into the wind that would be the stern if I am going down wind? I do have a since I can sail down wind if I do a broad reach. But it is much slower than going into the wind.

Thank you for your comments Sailflow
 
Downwind is slowest part of sailing.

Look at the boat this guy is racing against, 3:39 and pause the video.

 
Movies are very helpful. If understand your point, Ill set the sail out to 90 degrees to say starboard and lean out to port to try to keep the wind in my sail?

And the point that down wind will be slow is good to rap my brain around... Thanks again for clip and comments.
 
Now if I can get the hang of standing in mud ankle and knee deep in water and get in a boat that is under sail. I will be making head way.....
 
George Hart said:
Movies are very helpful. If understand your point, Ill set the sail out to 90 degrees to say starboard and lean out to port to try to keep the wind in my sail?

And the point that down wind will be slow is good to rap my brain around... Thanks again for clip and comments.
Click to expand...
Still a misconception:
As Sailflow explained, heeling the boat to windward (going downwind) with the sail at 90 degrees is to keep the steering neutral (tiller in the middle). This technique is used by racers, but is not obligatory for going downwind. If you want, you can just sit in the back and enjoy the beverage of your choice, while contemplating that sailing is a nice way to spend time.
 
Not racing...
I use a modified rigging so I can get in the boat THEN haul up the sail.

You can get in, paddle out a bit using the daggerboard as a paddle, then raise sail and off you go. Key is a loop with a clip for the downhaul on the gooseneck, so you don't have to do the gooseneck tie
while you are on the water.
 
I am seriously considering a pulley at the top of the mast and a pulley and lock at the bottom. This was how my canoe worked. Tell me about your loop or a photo of your rig?
 
Just a loop around the gooseneck with a dog chain clip to hold the gooseneck down. Skips all the winding to hold the gooseneck down so you can just grab the halyard and pull the sail up and then cleat it in place.
 
Now if I can get the hang of standing in mud ankle and knee deep in water and get in a boat that is under sail. I will be making head way.....

Sunfish are beach boats. Rig on shore. Get the boat in the water, centerboard out, rudder up, push from the stern and climb on from the stern. Push the rudder blade down when deep enough and put the centerboard in and go sailing.
 
If you want a mast head cap with pulley on the side, I have them for $15 + about $6 shipping (USPS Small Flat Rate ship anywhere box.) E-mail me if you want one, see address below. The pulley rig does have less friction but does not hoist the gaff right to the top of mast, not a big deal unless you are racing.

Alan Glos - Cazenovia, NY
[email protected]
 
You can install a cam cleat or a clam cleat on the deck in place of the horn cleat that comes stock with the boat. You can then hoist the sail from the cockpit and secure it to your new deck cleat without having to wrap it around the horn cleat. You can also uncleat the halyard from the cockpit by simply lifting the halyard out of the cleat.

Alan Glos
 
Alan S. Glos said:
You can install a cam cleat or a clam cleat on the deck in place of the horn cleat that comes stock with the boat. You can then hoist the sail from the cockpit and secure it to your new deck cleat without having to wrap it around the horn cleat. You can also uncleat the halyard from the cockpit by simply lifting the halyard out of the cleat.

Alan Glos
Click to expand...

I was considering such a set up until last week when I got out in a big wind and decided that a day sailor a sunfish my not always! I was getting wind that was teaching me about hiking and turning in the wind. And such mistakes as kicking the sheet out of the cleat in the cockpit was one that made me consider the better option for the halyard is to tie it to a fixed cleat. And learning how to hoist the sail and take it down while underway.
 

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Looking at your picture. Are you holding the tiller or the extension? A good tiller extension would allow you to sit farther forwards and more on the windward side. Both would help you keep the boat flatter.
 
I am holding the extension but as you can tell I am still in the back of the cockpit. I understand what your saying and appreciate the tips. I will work on doing just that, keeping the boat flatter... So far my sailing this boat has been in a little short lagoon witch doesn't offer me much run on a tack. So my short spurts of excitement have been only for a few minutes at a time and its time to turn around. I am looking forward to being on a larger lake soon. This lagoon is also shallow and I only have a small portion of the dagger board down.
 
I'm not sure what I did but here goes another photo. I got so into uploading the photo I lost my train of thought for having uploaded it???
 

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