outhaul,cunningham tensions

lasersailor2006

New Member
i was wondering if anybody had any pictures of were people put markings on their booms and masts to be able to use these as a guide to making adjustments to the cunningham and outhaul.
 
Personally, I would discourage using markings. For one thing, they won't carry over to another boat. You should use the guide in the above link and try to get it right by the look and feel. That way, you better understand what the sail is doing and you can carry your sail-trimming skills over to other boats.
 
I mark my lines with a sharpy at the typical max on and max off settings where the lines pass through the cleat. This allows me a reference in a busy mark rounding. Once things settle down I fine tune the adjustments based on conditions and sail shape. I don't necessarily adjust to the max on or max off setting, I just use the marks as a reference. I prefer to mark the lines rather than the spars because many times the sail binds durring an adjustment and takes a boat length or two to settle. With the lines marked near the cleat I have a better idea of where things will settle when I am making my major adjustments at a rounding.
 
computeroman2 said:
Personally, I would discourage using markings. For one thing, they won't carry over to another boat. You should use the guide in the above link and try to get it right by the look and feel. That way, you better understand what the sail is doing and you can carry your sail-trimming skills over to other boats.

That may work if you know what sail shape you are looking for in a given condition and also have a large capacity for storing and retreiving info on the fly, but if you are just starting out in a class new to you, or aren't sure what the sail shape should be, having marked settings is the best way to ensure that you are in the ballpark. It also helps shorten your learning curve.

Could be why there are tuning guides available for nearly every OD class sailing....

In the Laser I like to mark outhaul, vang and 90 degrees on mainsheet. I'll put my stopper knots/handles for outhaul and vang at my max ease - makes it really idiot proof :D

On my outhaul I have marks that represent the clew moving about an inch apart between max ease and max tight. On the vang I have a mark for reaching between two blocked and max off. Don't have a mark for my cunningham, as that control for me is more visual (it's easy to see where the ring is relative to the gooseneck and easy to see how much tension is or isn't on the luff)
 
Do trim tapes cause binding, because during the summer I sail pretty much everyday and I know I can't tie a very consistent bowline (length wise) everytime so I would think trim tapes would be easier. Thanks.

Tim
 
I generally make my outhaul and cunningham lines in the max off position before going sailing. Then I create the pull handles with a simple bowline. This way when I round the weather mark I can just pull the ropes slack until the handles are at the cleat in front of the daggerboard.

As far as the mainsheet goes, I tie the end of it off at the back of the hiking strap. I should mark my mainsheet to show me what 90 degrees out is. Ive been having a hard time seeing this. I do know I have been very slow if I let the sheet out past 90 though.

Im always cranking my traveler on, so not an issue.

I have an adjustable hiking strap that I pretty much sail in the loosest position at all times. I have learned that instead of tightening the strap I just hike off the leward toe rail when the wind is not fully hikable.

I also have used the Peter Katcha rule with one fist two fist for foot to boom measurement. He was my Laser 2 coach.

When it comes to boom vang, I tie the loose end to my daggerboard for easy access upwind. And only use vang when it is really blowing, and have to ease the sheet so much and stay depowered. Otherwise I just keep it in my downwind sailing position, unless reaching.

My painter ties off at the bow and comes straight back into the cockpit. There is only enough extra line that a foot of rope sits in the cockpit and never gets tangled with the mainsheet block or anything so far...

I know on bigger boats, like J22's, 24's, and 80's most halyards are marked but on a laser I could see markings for the outhaul where the clew tie down is. This topic is also very much based on your own past experience and what helps me change gears may not work for someone else. I would take suggestions and decide how you want to do your boat.
 
I don't mark my lines, I look at the sail shape a lot. But I have marked the mast at 2 places at deck level so I know when it is rotated 90 degrees either way. I then sight the mark between the blocks on the deck, so I can easily tell where the boom is relative to the boat when I am on a run. It has helped quite a bit.
 
ON the subject of sail shape, when i two block the main i get diagonal creases in sail running from the mast to the clew. Is there a control i should alter to get rid of this?? The cunningham gets rid of the creases but i thought i wasnt ment to pull on the cunningham until overpowered??
 
LPW said:
ON the subject of sail shape, when i two block the main i get diagonal creases in sail running from the mast to the clew. Is there a control i should alter to get rid of this?? The cunningham gets rid of the creases but i thought i wasnt ment to pull on the cunningham until overpowered??

The diagonal creases are telling you that between the two ends (clew and mast) there is not enough cloth.

You don't want to pull on a LOT of cunningham until overpowered, but once you are two blocked, you need to pull the cunningham down just to pull the excess luff cloth down the mast. I typically pull it down just to take the slack out and then release in conditions where I don't want any cunningham on (A great reason to use 4-1 or 6-1 purchase in light air, as it lets you "feel" when you have taken the slack out vs actually tightening it)

Check your outhaul setting as well. To tight lengthens that distance between clew and mast.
 
49208 said:
The diagonal creases are telling you that between the two ends (clew and mast) there is not enough cloth.

You don't want to pull on a LOT of cunningham until overpowered, but once you are two blocked, you need to pull the cunningham down just to pull the excess luff cloth down the mast. I typically pull it down just to take the slack out and then release in conditions where I don't want any cunningham on (A great reason to use 4-1 or 6-1 purchase in light air, as it lets you "feel" when you have taken the slack out vs actually tightening it)

Check your outhaul setting as well. To tight lengthens that distance between clew and mast.
Thanks for the advice, ill try it out next time im out. Being a light weight I was thinking of upgrading the purhcase on my cunningham, but now i see a point to their not being that much purchase.:eek:
LPW
 

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