trimming mainsheet in high wind

T

tvanderburg

New Member
Is there a trick to trimming in very heavy winds? First, I'm very new to sailing and recently acquired a used sunfish. I was sailing the other day in 20+ knot winds (gusts around 40mph) and every time I let the sheet out for a gust I had a very difficult time pulling it back in to readjust the trim. Do you wrap the line around your leg? I had to use my bottom or my knee as a cleat to real in the sheet. After a few hours of this I was getting very frustrated and concluded there had to be a better technique. Any suggestions? BTW- I have a Harken Carbo Ratchet, but the line still flew through it being so windy.

Thanks,
Ty
 
Very high winds indeed. I wouldn't wrap the sheet around any body parts under those conditions. The only thing I can suggest is to get stronger by exercising.

BTW, how did you set up your fish? We move the gooseneck back and adjust the sail controls (cunningham and outhaul) to flatten the sail when it blows.
 
You can head up a little to relieve pressure on the sail, but if the ratchet block isn't holding a major percentage of the strain I'd be checking the line I was using. I've seen quite a few folks using the wrong type or diameter line for their ratchet block. Personally I used 3 different mainsheets for different wind speeds.
And I agree with not wraping any line around any body part.
A major help is reading the "Sunfish Bible" available from the class website. It tells all.
 
As mike4947 says, the line may be undersized (or the ratchet oversized). If the ratchet teeth are sharp and the springs are still strong, buy the next size-up line. (Though ratchet defects are highly unlikely).

When it's not under strain, your line may measure correctly, but shrinks in diameter under/after strain—especially if you're using nylon (bright white in color, limp, and designed to stretch). Get dacron line, or whatever this Forum recommends. I think mine's dacron—it doesn't stretch.

As you're new to this, from where on your boom does your mainsheet arrive to your hand? It should leave the boom from a pulley located about in the middle of the boom.

In lighter winds, I just reel the the mainsheet around my hand and release it—as needed—in gusts. (Real men don't use ratchets :) ). I weigh over 220 pounds, and even my butt isn't enough ratchet-action in those winds! :eek:

OK, now I remember.

A tip I learned here, was to raise the halyard on the "wrong" side of the sail in heavy winds: it depowers the mainsail on both tacks.
 
When I started sailing I was on the water when a really stiff wind came up and lasted a long time. I was far from the dock so I just hauled in the main sheet to keep the sail flat then headed almost dead into the wind to move at a reasonable speed toward the dock. They call that "pinching" and it works well in high winds. When you get puffs it's a little different. You have to read the water to know they're coming then get ready by heading into the wind and hauling in the sail. You'll get used to it as you get more experience.
Fred
 
How are you holding the tiller? My kids are always telling me to hold the tiller like a microphone not a frying pan. You should be able go grab the main sheet with your tiller hand while sheeting in; no need to grab the sheet with your knee.
 
Went sailing today and since the winds were decent (~15 mph), I paid attention to what I was actually doing going upwind. I am a lightweight and have to hike and trim routinely under those conditions. Turns out that my method (technique is too fancy a word) is (very) close to what pmc_Super 17 describes.

On starboard tack, I grab the sheet with my right hand close to the block, haul it in, transfer it to my tillerhand (between thumb and forefinger), grab the mainsheet again close to the block with my right hand, haul it in, transfer it to my tillerhand etc. And yes, you do want to hold the tiller extension like a microphone.

As has been pointed out in prior messages, the width of the sheet matters. Some racers rig a thicker (3/8") sheet for high wind days; easier to hold on to, especially once your hands get tired. The need for the sheet to be compatible with the block has been alluded to. On a final note, if the sheet is slipping through your fingers, gloves might help.
 
I've sailed a flying scot for 4 years, but just went out with my wife on 2 sunfish. I had the oddest and most frustrating experience, and I hope someone out there can help us. I got caught in irons, and couldn't get out for 40 minutes and had to be towed in--I was pushed across the entire lake. The winds were modest, about 8, the halyard set at 74 inches to give lots of height (I have muscle damage and am 55), goosneck set at about 24, then reset at about 14 trying to get out--and it did nothing. When I'd push the tiller to leeward, as on the Flying Scot, expecting the bow to go into the wind, the boat was pushed the other way. Same if I pulled the tiller windward, the boat went opposite. I guess cause I was going backwards. But then I 'd pick up air in the sail, trim in a bit to get some bite and accelerate, and the boat got pushed back into the center of the wind and caught in irons again. I rocked and rolled this way the whole way, could not get a beam reach for the life of me. The fella that gave me a tow said that sunfish are very hard to work upwind, and that's why he got rid of his years ago. But I read about sunfish going windward a lot, and the advice is similar to what I do for the Scot. At any rate, HELP. I cannot risk going out there again by myself without figuring this out. By the way, my wife whose sunfish was rigged the same, managed to go windward, but slowly. She's never had the helm before and has no idea what she did right. HELP!!!!!!
 
Frank,

A similar thing happen to a friend and he was pushed back from the first mark back to the starting line. He was too impatient to get out of irons and did not let the boat fall off the wind enough to get going again. Patience is key, the boat has to be blown far enough off wind to gain back control. As you have learned, let the wind push you backwards with the rudder pointed the way you want the stern to go (tiller away from the desired direction) and hold it there until the hull is nearly broadside to the wind, it takes patience. Once you are almost broadside, trim the sails to get some forward motion and let it build speed before pointing higher and then make your tacks smooth and quick. Foot off if you have too to maintain or gain speed and maybe tack more often if possible. Your gooseneck was set a little far back, 16-18" is pretty good for general sailing. I don't believe a SF will point as high as a Flying Scott, about 45° to the wind is about the best a SF will do. Your tow boat guy was wrong, the SF do go to windward, just not as fast as some other boats.
 
Supercub is right, patience is the key. You can't expect the same results as from a Flying Scott.
When in irons you also can hold the sail out to windward to turn the boat to leeward and get moving again. With a boat as small as a SF you should always be able to get out of irons. Don't leave the sail trimmed for a close haul when you get the wind on the beam, let it out to get speed.

Fred
 
When I show kids how to get out of irons, simplicity is best. Grab the tiller with one hand, the boom with the other, and push them both away from you. The boat will fall away towards where you are "pushing" it. Give it a minute..it sometimes takes a few seconds.
 
Scott:
Do you push the boom and tiller in the same direction or in opposite directions?
Seems to me the boom should be pushed to windward and if you're moving backward the tiller should be to leeward; if moving forward or stopped, the tiller should be to windward as well.

Fred
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top