Posted: Thu Jun 21, 2007 5:54 am    Post subject: an alternative to tracks
 
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I wanted to get rid of the boom on my boat but also wanted to avoid drilling more holes in the cabintop that would be required by tracks. In addition, I have a pilot house boat so leading lines to the cockpit can be problematic. 

I came across a posting on the SSCA web site from a guy who had rigged his staysail to be self tending without a track of any kind. I have a traveler for the staysail (used to be used with the boom) but its in the wrong place and design to do much good (even with the boom) so I wrote it off and gave the SSCA guy's idea a try. Since it did not involve drilling any holes I figured all I had to loose was an afternoon of less than perfect sail shape. 

It turns out that it works just fine. The only negative I have found is that I end up with more lines to dodge when moving forward. 

Addenda Dec. 6, 2009: The one change I would make to the staysail arrangement is:  I would use stand up blocks with springs next time.  The blocks I used chipped the
finish on the cap rail.  I fixed these blocks by securing them to the life line with bungee cord but springs would be a more elegant solution.

Rich pointed out that, since this approach requires adding a double block to the clew of the sail, it is just as hazardous (or maybe more hazardous) as the boom I wanted to get rid of. In practice I dont find this to be the case. The block is high enough that I can avoid it and bearing off fills the sail and keeps the clew from flogging. The sail is on a profurl roller furler so I usually furl it before I go forward anyway. When it is half furled the block on the clew is over my 6' head. 

Here's how it works. 

1. Install a small double block on the clew of the staysail. 

2. put two stand up blocks on the front end of the genoa track. One with the becket, the other wihtout. 

3. On my boat I had a spare secondary on the starboard side (I use the one to port for the roller furling lines) so I put the becket block to starboard and the other to port. 

4. Secure the sheet to the becket and run it up through the double block on the clew. Then run it down to the block on the port side and back up through the double block again. Then run it to the block with the becket. 

5. At this point I run it forward for a few feet to a stantion block (this is just to get a fair lead. At the stantion block it does a 180 and heads back to the cockpit. I know a 180 turn is the largest stress you can put on a block but the fact that there is a double purchase on the sail means tha the load on the block is not too great. Maybe Ill have to put a padeye on the deck for the turning block someday but maybe not. 

6. From the turning block the sheet runs back to the cockpit where my secondary (behind the primary) controls the sail. Actually I have not needed the winch in up to 30 knotts of wind but since the winch is there I use it rather than installing a cleat. 


This arrangement has worked just fine as far as I am concerned. I can tack out of the narrow Alameda estuary just fine. I think it works about as well as the boomed staysail. The twist may be a little more than you would want but i plan to try adding a small boat boom vang to a padeye behind the mast to flatten the sail if I will be on one tack long enough for subtle differences in sail shape to matter. 

This rig does not work as you bear off the wind. To get the sheeting angle as good as you can you need to move the blocks on the genoa track back a couple of holes on the track. When you fall off the sheets then cross over the forward lower shrounds. To counter that problem I added a set of secondary sheets that lead through a second set of stand up blocks in the middle of the genoa track and back through the big fairlead block that the genoa sheet runs through. That seems to work OK when you are off the wind with the staysail but I have not really tested it that much. Most of the time I use the genoa when close reaching and beyond. 

Im going to be sailing the boat to southern california over the next two weeks and will probably get an opportunity to work this arrangement a bit once I get below point conception. I am assuming that the gods will smile on me for the run down the coast. 

I took some photos of this rig and sent them to Harvey but they are pretty big files and not suitable for posting on the ftp site without being reduced in size. Ill get in touch with Harvey and see if he wants me to do that so he can post them. 

Interestingly enough, the very weeekend I was getting ready to give this rig a try there was an article in latitude 38 (local sailing rag) about a similar rig that satisfied the owner's needs. He added the additional refinement of separate leads aft on each side of the boat so he should position the clew a little more accurately. Im not that fussy.

Contributed by 
John K. Lewis
Tayana 37 PH
“Active Transport”
June 21, 2007