Rigging

[David Smith]

Hi group,

 

Nice to hear that the Bahia performs well and provides some excitement. Also, interesting comments on the manpower needed to beach launch with a dolly. I hope to launch from the dolly mounted on a trailer and using the car on a ramp. I might have rather a lot of egg on my face if this is impossible to do single handed! 

 

I have just heard that my boat has arrived at the dealership (Fogh) but due to having house guests, I will not be able to pick it up until July 4th. Morten Fogh will spend the morning setting up and taking down the rig with me at that time and I will try to get some shots of how the pro does it and post them to the group. No doubt everyone will have found their own solutions by then!

 

For what it is worth, we had the same Cunningham problem on the test sail I did last month and were able to (largely) solve it by making the bight end loop as small as possible and then re-rigging the whole thing. Also, I asked Morten about the top batten issue and he suggested putting the batten in the pocket as loosly as possible. He reckons that even the slightest tension will give that problem. On the test sail we had 20 flukey knots so it wasn't an issue! Here is me sounding like an expert and I haven't even got the boat yet. Take all the above with a very large pinch of salt - the reality may be something quite different!

 

Happy sailing,

 

Dave

 

[David Smith]

[Christian Mitchell]

Dave,

I don't think that you are going to have a problem launching the boat
from a boat ramp if you are not going to detach the dolly. The dolly
takes some manpower because the wheels don't handle the sand well and
getting the dolly back on the trailer takes some strength.

Very interested to hear tips / tricks from a pro on rigging the boat!

On Jun 23, 7:16 am, "David Smith" <david.smith...@googlemail.com>
wrote:

[Jeff Fedor]

also interested in the "pro" guidance. Couple of specific questions:
1) curious how the jib is folded. We're assuming it rolls just like when it is on the furler however the sail bag for the jib is quite short so there's some significant folding required
2) jib furled or unfurled while the kite is out?
3) on the kite itself, do you take up the slack on the downhaul?

thanks all
j

[David Smith]

Thanks for the encouragement regarding launching Christian. As to Jeff's questions, my best recollections are:

1. The jib is folded concertina fashion starting with a straight line from tack to clew and folded at about 18" intervals, at least, I am pretty sure that is how Morten did it. I think the main was done the same way.
2. Jib can be furled or flying with the kite up. The jib might rob the kite of some air, making the kite a bit more difficult to fly until you are used to it. Also, the decision might also have to do with how much crew you have available! With three people, everybody can have their own sheet to play with!
3. I do not recall any use of downhauls with the kite. (I should think it might be possible to bend the bowsprit if you added too much tension). The whole kite is raised to the top of the halyard travel (there is a stopper to prevent overhoisting). After that, the kite seemed happy to take it's own shape being fairly loose luffed and leeched.

I will add any changes that Morten tells me about.

 

Cheers,

 

Dave

 

 

2008/6/23 Jeff Fedor <jeff....@gmail.com>:

[Jeff Fedor]

Thanks David inline:

On Fri, Jun 27, 2008 at 8:22 AM, David Smith <david.s...@googlemail.com> wrote:

Thanks for the encouragement regarding launching Christian. As to Jeff's questions, my best recollections are:

1. The jib is folded concertina fashion starting with a straight line from tack to clew and folded at about 18" intervals, at least, I am pretty sure that is how Morten did it. I think the main was done the same way.

We roll the jib along the wire, head to tack, just like it is furled. I'm not sure you could actually fold it that way. The issue is that to fit the sail bag we have to fold it. so we bring the head down to resize the sail and then roll it.

2. Jib can be furled or flying with the kite up. The jib might rob the kite of some air, making the kite a bit more difficult to fly until you are used to it. Also, the decision might also have to do with how much crew you have available! With three people, everybody can have their own sheet to play with!

We finally figured this part out... the kite halyard kept getting tangled but essentially it was an order of operations thing.
  

2. I do not recall any use of downhauls with the kite. (I should think it might be possible to bend the bowsprit if you added too much tension). The whole kite is raised to the top of the halyard travel (there is a stopper to prevent overhoisting). After that, the kite seemed happy to take it's own shape being fairly loose luffed and leeched.

I will add any changes that Morten tells me about.

Awesome thanks
j

[Christian Mitchell]

Got out again today but had to hastily leave the water when a big
thunder storm blew in.

I have one more rigging question to add to the list. How tight to rig
the lower shrouds?

On Jun 27, 9:54 am, "Jeff Fedor" <jeff.fe...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Thanks David inline:
>

> On Fri, Jun 27, 2008 at 8:22 AM, David Smith <david.smith...@googlemail.com>

> wrote:
>
> > Thanks for the encouragement regarding launching Christian. As to Jeff's
> > questions, my best recollections are:
>

> >    1. The jib is folded concertina fashion starting with a straight line

> >    from tack to clew and folded at about 18" intervals, at least, I am pretty
> >    sure that is how Morten did it. I think the main was done the same way.
>
> > We roll the jib along the wire, head to tack, just like it is furled. I'm
>
> not sure you could actually fold it that way. The issue is that to fit the
> sail bag we have to fold it. so we bring the head down to resize the sail
> and then roll it.
>
>
>

> >    1.
> >    2. Jib can be furled or flying with the kite up. The jib might rob the

> >    kite of some air, making the kite a bit more difficult to fly until you are
> >    used to it. Also, the decision might also have to do with how much crew you
> >    have available! With three people, everybody can have their own sheet to
> >    play with!
>
> > We finally figured this part out... the kite halyard kept getting tangled
>
> but essentially it was an order of operations thing.
>
>
>

> >    1.
> >    2. I do not recall any use of downhauls with the kite. (I should think

> >    it might be possible to bend the bowsprit if you added too much tension).
> >    The whole kite is raised to the top of the halyard travel (there is a
> >    stopper to prevent overhoisting). After that, the kite seemed happy to take
> >    it's own shape being fairly loose luffed and leeched.
>
> > I will add any changes that Morten tells me about.
>
> Awesome thanks
> j
>
>
>
> > Cheers,
>
> > Dave
>

> > 2008/6/23 Jeff Fedor <jeff.fe...@gmail.com>:

> >>> > Dave- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

[Dave]

Hi everyone,

The trailer did not arrive until mid day so I went to Fogh for the
latter part of the afternoon. Morten was very generous with his time
and I felt I should quickly correct earlier posts as follows:

1. Getting sails in the bag.

a) Gennaker - Two people, hold out tack and clew between you and
concertina fold alond the leach (about 18" folds). Finally fold
towards each other.
b) Main - start at head and roll so that battens remain parallel with
the roll.
c) Jib - several versions including "leave it on the boat if using the
next day"
The "correct" way seems to be to start at the head and roll
keeping the leach in line. This effectively makes the wire in the luff
in to a big coil spring. It took me several attempts to get the coil
the correct size to go in the bag!

If sailing with furled jib and launched gennaker, Morten suggests
launching the jib again just before dousing the chute - that way there
are no halyard problems with the chute halyard getting twisted in the
unfurling jib.

Unlike the rigging manual, Morten set the lower shrouds "fairly
snugly" when first rigging the mast. i.e. the temporary forestay was
doing it's job under virtually no tension. Then when reasonable
tension was taken on the jib halyard, the whole rig gain good tension
including the lower stays without further adjustment. I have left well
enough alone and don't plan to touch them again.

Correction to my earlier post - as you know (because you have a
Bahia), there is no stopper at the head of the genny halyard. Sorry
about that. The only stopper is on the tack pole line where it exits
the tack pole (bowsprit). On the same subject, Morten demonstrated how
in light air it is desireable to let the genny head fly about a foot
or two which allows the boat to sail further downwind without
collapsing the chute.

My comments about the top mainsail battens was completely wrong! I
missunderstood what I had been told. All roachy sails which are held
out with full battens will "stick" on the wrong side during tacking in
light air. This is not in the least unique to the Bahia. Morten's
favourite correction method is to "snap" the mainsheet, and apply a
little temporary vang tension if needed.

Lastly, Morten's method of Cunningham rigging is so different to the
Laser manual that I hesitate to mention it. I will experiment afloat
and get back if any bright ideas come. The Laser Rigging Manual looks
best bet to me.

With all that was going on, I failed to take any photos of value
today. Tonight the boat is on my driveway, tomorrow down to the club
where my wife and I will re-rig it. Winds are forecast northerly and
very light so I don't know if we shall sail or drink beer! If any
photos look worth posting then I shall do so. Can't wait to get on the
water. What has everyone else been up to?

Dave


On Jun 23, 8:16 am, "David Smith" <david.smith...@googlemail.com>
wrote:

[David Smith]

Hi Jeff,

 

Seems that in answer to your question about taking up the slack in the kite downhaul, the expert is happy not to, and lets it drag in the water rather than distort the shape of the kite! He reckons Laser has the line length about right and to leave well enough alone! I'd be interested in your take on it?

 

Dave

 

2008/6/23 Jeff Fedor <jeff....@gmail.com>:

also interested in the "pro" guidance. Couple of specific questions:

[Jeff Fedor]

Dave thanks for the info and congratulations on your new Bahia.

We got a quite a few good sails in this week including some windier situations (~15 knots) which were more then fun. We had the boat planing and the centreboard humming we also broke several things and flipped several times. :-)

Happy to report that one person can easily right the Bahia as long as the main is good and loose. We were also able to recover the chute while the boat was in the water which was good to know.

Last evening we were out in no winds but we kept getting dripped on. We discovered that our masthead float plug was not in tight enough and had filled which explains why we had a full inversion of the boat one time.

A couple of notes:

1) watch the plastic cap on the rudder pintle. Ours disappeared during our first gusty night which made heading to shore fun. We're having the pintle machined and are going to use a split ring in the future.

2) we were able to point significantly higher by double sheeting the jib. Dang shouldn't be telling you this if we end up racing each other. Basically use the lazy sheet to position the jib in tighter and I bet we picked up 5 degrees.

3) make sure there's a stopper knot on your chute's halyard (ahem, recovery is this weekend's project)

4) everything loosens up after the first couple of sails. Tighten every screw (especially on the gudgeon) and expect to adjust your shrouds fairly frequently, particularly the lower shrouds.

j

[Jeff Fedor]

we've pretty much resorted to the same. We also eventually discovered the same advice that Morten gave you on the jib and chute, now we just have to remember to always implement it :-)

j

[David Smith]

Thanks for the info Jeff, I will have my "Leatherman" at the ready -  we are off to the club for day 1!!! Not sure what double sheeting the jib is - perhaps you can explain when you get a moment.

Dave

 

2008/7/5 Jeff Fedor <jeff....@gmail.com>: