Sails

Vaquero
Fri 25 Sep 2009 22:52
I dislike furling headsails for two reasons  -  I like simplicity, and the mechanical contrivance of a furler has the ability to fail when no outside expert help is at hand  -  and secondly, the more you furl the more inefficient the sail shape becomes.  Whilst in the first case I would readily admit that furlers are pretty much sorted and serious problems rare, sail inefficiency in high winds is a fact of life.  It seems to be the modern solution when the wind picks up, to motor sail to windward under mainsail alone, not really an option for a long haul across the Atlantic to windward.  I would readily admit, after half an hour of wrestling with wet sails on a bucking foredeck, a furling system becomes a most attractive notion.  But there are two advantages to offset this  -  my chosen headsail is always more efficient to windward than any partly furled genoa; and constant practice on the foredeck in all weathers creates a surefootedness that sitting in the cockpit pulling a furling line can never achieve.  So until I am physically unable to change headsails I am happy as I am.
 
So shortly after buying Vaquero, I dispensed with the furling system, replacing the one-size-fits-all-winds sail with a set of nearly new headsails from my previous boat;  sails expertly and carefully crafted by John Parker and his team at Quantum Parker & Kay.  I quickly added a No 1 to the wardrobe and have spent this season debating about the addition of a new mainsail.  Finances dictated that I should soldier on with the existing fully battened sail, of unknown vintage, but after last year's trip to the Azores and back I have come to much dislike its performance in light airs, its weight and susceptibility to severe chafe.  So a new mainsail is ordered and I know that like the rest of my sails, it will be made with the highest quality materials and finest craftmanship; it is important to remember that the lowest price is not always the cheapest option.  There is a snag, though.  With a complete wardrobe of high quality bespoke sails, there will be no excuse for poor performance other than my own inability to get the best out of the boat. 
 
For those who are interested in the nitty gritty, I carry the following sails: No 1 Genoa, No 2 Genoa, No 3 Jib, No 4 Jib, Storm jib, Mainsail, Trysail and Spinnaker.  And for the uninitiated, the No 1 is the largest for light winds, the storm jib the smallest for strong winds; the trysail replaces the mainsail in storm conditions and the spinaker is a very light sail for downwind sailing only.  The mainsail is always fitted to the boom and the storm sails are stowed away in lockers, so in practice only three headsails and the spinnaker are stowed in the forecabin.  In moments of high stress, my expertise at sail folding deteriorates with the result that sail bags stuffed through the forehatch are bulkier than they should be, so the forecabin can be a bit of a squeeze at times.  As this has become the sail locker, the berth cushions have been removed ashore and I sleep on either of the settee berths in the saloon, the most comfortable part of the boat, with lee cloths rigged to hold you safely in the bunk whatever the motion of the boat.