Sail story and teaching point...

[dlandersson]

Went out with a sailing buddy late yesterday - did some really nice sailing. Same boat, different levels of experience. My partner could get us up to 5.5 knots at 30 degrees near reach. I could get us up to 5 knots at 60 degrees near reach or later, 4.5 knots at a far reach.

Waves and wind began picking up (small craft advisory today), went behind the breakwater and turned my 97X into the wind to lower the mainsail. Two of my sail ties blew off the cabin top into the water before I cold wrap the main with the. Recovered one from the water, figured the other one had sunk. Tried to start the engine - it shuddered and shook considerably. We are a couple hundred feet from a rocky shore. Raised the engine, the other sail tie was wrapped around the prop. Shut everything down, buddy went behind the cockpit and unwrapped the sail tie. Lowered engine and all was well (plus I had both my sail ties back). Could have been a bit more hairy.

Lesson learned: stuff the sail ties into my shirt (or perhaps put some velcro strips on the cabin top.

[Highlander]

Just attach them too the boom & leave them their

J

[March]

I use specific bungee cords: a loop with two plastic balls that can be twisted agains each other. While I wrap up the main sail, I keep them around my neck. Looks silly but I never lost one. When I am done, I hang them from their proper hook. They're always at hand in one bundle

[Steve K]

Many years ago;
I was anchored off the beach @ Campland in Mission Bay (San Diego) once. We woke up to see all the other boats about 30 feet up on the beach (due to low tide)

Being so very proud of myself for having the forethought to anchor out a ways, the night before, I fired up the outboard to go retrieve my anchor from the beach, as it was now high and dry.

As I backed back off the beach, my outboard started shuddering like you describe and soon it would not move the boat at all.
I started drifting toward a group of jet skis that had just pulled into the beach and couldn't get away, couldn't sail or motor out of the situation. I ended jumping off the bow into knee deep water and actually pushed the boat, by hand, out of the way of a potential collision. (a plus, for having a very lite boat)

When all was secure, I raised the outboard and where the prop usually is was a giant ball of green sea grass
So, I guess this grass grows close to the bottom, as it didn't cause issues @ higher tides. I was mowing the underwater lawn

I cleaned off the prop, and then had to anchor out and clean it off again, after getting into deeper water.

Just thought I'd share this.

Best Breezes,
Steve K

[mastreb]

Went out with a sailing buddy late yesterday - did some really nice sailing. Same boat, different levels of experience. My partner could get us up to 5.5 knots at 30 degrees near reach. I could get us up to 5 knots at 60 degrees near reach or later, 4.5 knots at a far reach.

Bet you money he was handling the mainsheet constantly. I've learned recently from a better sailor that I can get a much more stable heel and increased from averaging 4 knots to 5.5 by keeping the mainsheet in my hand at the helm and actively spilling when heeling beyond 30 knots, tightening right up when the gust is past. I've got a 1' line between the traveler car and the lower block of the mainsheet that gets the cam-cleat off the deck and right where I can easily snap it down one-handed and then locked back in simply. After trying four or five different configurations for the mainsheet (including inverted with the camcleat at the top), this is the configuration I like best.

Lesson learned: stuff the sail ties into my shirt (or perhaps put some velcro strips on the cabin top.

Back pockets work perfectly!

[bscott]

mastreb--playing the traveller is another way to depower the main in puffs. When using the traveller you do not change the mains sail shape maintaining it's flatness. Dumping the main sheet will increase the draft of the main negating the full effect of trimming the main to lee.

In my J-boat racing days we had a crew member dedicated to traveller trimming to keep the boat on its feet. The can be trimmed the same way once you convert the traveller blocks to at least 4:1.

Bob

[Retcoastie]

I guess I use lighter weight sail ties. My prop would go thru them no problem. Maybe yours a more than is needed for holding the sail.

[dlandersson]

Actually no. He has been doing this for several years tho.

Went out with a sailing buddy late yesterday - did some really nice sailing. Same boat, different levels of experience. My partner could get us up to 5.5 knots at 30 degrees near reach. I could get us up to 5 knots at 60 degrees near reach or later, 4.5 knots at a far reach.

Bet you money he was handling the mainsheet constantly. I've learned recently from a better sailor that I can get a much more stable heel and increased from averaging 4 knots to 5.5 by keeping the mainsheet in my hand at the helm and actively spilling when heeling beyond 30 knots, tightening right up when the gust is past. I've got a 1' line between the traveler car and the lower block of the mainsheet that gets the cam-cleat off the deck and right where I can easily snap it down one-handed and then locked back in simply. After trying four or five different configurations for the mainsheet (including inverted with the camcleat at the top), this is the configuration I like best.

Lesson learned: stuff the sail ties into my shirt (or perhaps put some velcro strips on the cabin top.

Back pockets work perfectly!

[dlandersson]

Mine are pretty lightweight (which is why they blew off) and very flexible - which is why they wrapped around the propr, rather than fight it. The prop kept runing, but it shook like an out-of-balance washing machine.

I guess I use lighter weight sail ties. My prop would go thru them no problem. Maybe yours a more than is needed for holding the sail.

[Retcoastie]

Okay, I mis-understood. I thought the engine shut down. I use parachute shroud line for my ties, 600 lb min strength. I did hit a dock line out in the water once and it shut-r-down. Engine started easily but when it went on gear she stopped. Finally got smart and checked the prop. Sure enough is was a line wound tight. That was in Lake Okeechobee. I was getting ready to go in the water to un-wrap it when a passing fisherman cautioned me there were alligators all in the area. Some restaraunt guy dumped left over food there. I laid across the top of the engine.

[dlandersson]

Which reminds me - I LOVE "Seminole Wind" by John Anderson.

Okay, I mis-understood. I thought the engine shut down. I use parachute shroud line for my ties, 600 lb min strength. I did hit a dock line out in the water once and it shut-r-down. Engine started easily but when it went on gear she stopped. Finally got smart and checked the prop. Sure enough is was a line wound tight. That was in Lake Okeechobee. I was getting ready to go in the water to un-wrap it when a passing fisherman cautioned me there were alligators all in the area. Some restaraunt guy dumped left over food there. I laid across the top of the engine.

[RobertB]

If you do wrap a line around the prop that stops the engine, you may need to get a new hub in your propeller as I am currently waiting on mine to be completed after fouling an anchor line. The test is to see if you can get full speed at full RPMs. If not, your prop hub has spun.

[kmclemore]

If you wrap a line around your prop, can you just pull on it to start the motor?

[Highlander]

If you wrap a line around your prop, can you just pull on it to start the motor?

Yep just tie off a tow line to the fouled line from the prop too another boat & have him pull start U

J

[Retcoastie]

If you wrap a line around your prop, can you just pull on it to start the motor?

Sure, but you go backwards!!!!