26X headsail and mainsail question

[Dguy]

Do any of You have experience with a loose foot/ropeless foot main sail with a single outhaul slide ,vs. The standard rope-in boom mainsail. One of my main worries is that a single outhaul slide might break under a heavy load.
I have a 21 year old standard single reef mainsail which needs replacing (worn out and some rips). I do have bwy’s single reef-line installed and am considering bwy’s dual reef main sail.
My headsail ,a 20 year old 150 furling genua needs replacing as well (leach is in tatters). I was hoping to replace this one with a 100% furling jib, as I found the boat overpowered with the genoa. And as I am basically always sailing single handed being older I think this might make my live a bit easier. Most sailing is on Lake Huron.
What are Your experiences with these type of sails on a 26X. I am not into racing or squeezing the last 1/10th of a knot out of my boat, cruising and relaxed sailing are more my style.

[NiceAft]

I have an , but over the years I have been on this board, I don't recollect anyone complaining about a failure in the outhaul.

I know Highlander has loose foot sails, but if you're not concerned about sqeeeezing something more from your boat, why the concern.

I do like your thinking on the jib, makes sense. If you were sailing in light winds often, then 150 is the choice, but apparently, you're not.

[Starscream]

I recently bought a new main and jib from Precision Sails.

The main is loose-foot. I see zero risk of the slug breaking, tbh, especially because of the outhaul line which attaches the clew to the boom at another point. The loose foot is much easier to set up than the original main, and so far I haven't seen any disadvantage at all. I thought maybe it would be more difficult to flake the sail on the boom, but it's not. Same thing. It feels like the outhaul is a lot more effective in shaping the loose-foot sail.

I have an original MacX genoa still in the bag, never used. I'm not a racer, and prefer the ease of handling of the jib, especially when tacking.

[Starscream]

Picture is worth 1,000 words:

[wakataka]

I agree that there is little chance of breaking the outhaul slide on the loose footed main. The stress is almost all on the outhaul line. You'll need to reef long before the wind gets strong enough to break that slide, and when reefed, the slide isn't stressed at all.

I've also got a Genoa that I never use. With the standard jib, the boat is so well balanced that in light airs (<12 knots) it will sail hands-off to windward all day long. It tracks the wind shifts like a built in autopilot. I could never get it to do this with the Genoa. I find the asymmetric spinnaker to be a more useful sail than the Genoa in light air.

I would definitely go for the double reef set up. I use the first reef quite a bit in moderate condition. I recently purchased the double-reef main from BWY and am very happy with it.

[Be Free]

I have a loose-footed main with slugs and a single outhaul. I've been in enough wind to knock the boat down and tear the clew out of the jib but I've never had any problems with the main coming loose at any attachment point. I find it to be a very versatile sail.

[Be Free]

I agree that there is little chance of breaking the outhaul slide on the loose footed main. The stress is almost all on the outhaul line. You'll need to reef long before the wind gets strong enough to break that slide, and when reefed, the slide isn't stressed at all.

I've also got a Genoa that I never use. With the standard jib, the boat is so well balanced that in light airs (<12 knots) it will sail hands-off to windward all day long. It tracks the wind shifts like a built in autopilot. I could never get it to do this with the Genoa. I find the asymmetric spinnaker to be a more useful sail than the Genoa in light air.

I would definitely go for the double reef set up. I use the first reef quite a bit in moderate condition. I recently purchased the double-reef main from BWY and am very happy with it.

+1 on the balance upwind. It's a beautiful thing when the sails are balanced and the boat is responding to shifts without any input from me. I just wish it would not try to round up when I go to the head while it's on a starboard tack.

Around here I could never do with anything less than two reef points. It opens up a lot more of the season to comfortable sailing.

[NiceAft]

Picture is worth 1,000 words:

I have to ask this; how inconvenient is it to quickly go forward on the deck, with the dodger not allowing easy access? I've always been interested in getting a dodger, but seeing your photos, I just had to ask.

Picture is worth 1,000 words:

[Starscream]

I have to ask this; how inconvenient is it to quickly go forward on the deck, with the dodger not allowing easy access? I've always been interested in getting a dodger, but seeing your photos, I just had to ask.

Picture is worth 1,000 words:

You see that red/white line and the black line to the right of the compass, coming out of the jammers beside the winch? Mainsail halyard and and a downhaul. I can raise and douse without going forward.

Lunch hook is an 8 lb mantus (which could be a primary anchor, actually) hanging off the stern rail.

RF jib.

All so that I don't have to go forward. If I have to, then it's close the main hatch and slide out through the unzipped dodger window. A bit of a drag, but well worth the added space and spray protection on those cold, lumpy days.

[Dguy]

Thank You all for Your kind and valuable input. It makes my decision-making so much easier based on the experience in this group. I will go with loose foot main and furling jib. Now it will be figuring out how to adjust the single line reefing . Maybe guiding the existing setup to the second reef and adding a second reefing line to the first reef. It will be easier when I see it…boat is on the hard and winterized.

[NiceAft]

Dguy,

This forum is here to express our thoughts, and to help if we can.


Starstream,

This part is exactly what I am interested in.

If I have to, then it's close the main hatch and slide out through the unzipped dodger window. A bit of a drag, but well worth the added space and spray protection on those cold, lumpy days.
Top

P.S. How much time does it take to just collapse it; is that even possible, or does one need to disassemble the dodger

[Starscream]

Starstream,

This part is exactly what I am interested in.

If I have to, then it's close the main hatch and slide out through the unzipped dodger window. A bit of a drag, but well worth the added space and spray protection on those cold, lumpy days.
Top

P.S. How much time does it take to just collapse it; is that even possible, or does one need to disassemble the dodger

It's not too bad, but also not easy, to slide out through the forward roll-up window. Need to be a bit flexible, to not have a cell-phone in your pocket (learned this one the hard way), and be...ummm..kinda skinny, for lack of a better way to say it.

The dodger does collapse by unhooking the side straps and un-snapping a bunch of fasteners. Then you end up with a mess of canvas on the cabin top. I've never taken it down to go forward, nor would I want to try that while underway. It doesn't take long to get it down, but it's not terribly easy to undo the side-fasteners from the cockpit. And then, you have to get it backup again, which always takes longer.

We do a lot of jumping-in from the cabin-top, so there is always traffic going up through the dodger window. We just slide/roll/shimmy through, with the occasional skinning of an elbow or a knee on the non-skid. A small price to pay, in my opinion, and I wouldn't want the dodger any other way.

The space under the dodger, beside the hatch (around the winches) is very convenient for stashing towels, and sail covers, and water-shoes, and life vests, without worrying about losing them overboard.

[NiceAft]

I go up on the deck often, whether it’s to toss a dock line, to free a Genoa sheet, to drop anchor, retrieve it, to stand on the bow while my wife takes the helm.

A dodger would not be convenient for me. It would interfere with my tendency to jump at a moments notice.

I wonder if there are dodgers that are just a little wider than the sliding hatch. That might be better for me. It might allow better bow ingress and egress.