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.
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