Hi,
Has anyone out there installed a trysail and used it? Am trying to figure out whether it would be a worthwhile addition for sailing one of the ARC rallys, or whether my double-reef in my main would get me down to short enough sail for heavy winds..
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Josh McElwee
Sailing from East Greenwich, RI
2000 C36 MKII, M35B, "Chinook", Hull#1900
Hi Josh
We installed a separate track on the mast and halyard for our trysail for our trips from New Zealand to the South Pacific Islands. We have never required this, and hope we never do :-) It's a bit of a pain to set up. We did fly it once in 15 knots, and there's not enough cloth for it to move us at that wind speed.
We have two extra turning blocks on the aft end of the transom so the trysail sheet is taken through it , across the transom, through the other turning block and forward to the windward main winch. This way the storm jib can still use the leeward winch.
In 35 knots it would be fine. If we have a storm forecast, I might fit the trysail...
But if we have 35 knot headwinds we won't be going upwind, we'll heave to.
Generally we use the third reef, and I will recommend this to anyone sailing in gales. It's much easier setting the third reef than hoisting the Trysail, and the main is not a huge amount larger than the trysail anyway.
Photo attached before the separate track was fitted.
Other photo shows the third reef. Please excuse the lazy billowing bunt!
Hope this helps
S.V. Wind Star
Rob & Margie Kyles: Auckland ,New Zealand
Mk I Hull #105 1983 Std Rig, Std Keel
Thanks Rob, that's great to know!
I'm now thinking a dedicated trysail might be more than I'm willing to go for, given I don't plan for extended offshore cruising. However, a third reef does sound appealing, which is what I'm now leaning towards. If I can ask, how do you rig your 3 reef points? My boom only has in-boom hardware to run 2 slab-reefing lines, so I've been wondering how to go about rigging for 3 reef points. Would appreciate any pointers!
-J
Josh McElwee
Sailing from East Greenwich, RI
2000 C36 MKII, M35B, "Chinook", Hull#1900
No Problem, Josh :-)
Our reefing is all to cheek blocks on a sliding track at the aft end of the boom. We just had to add an additional cheek block to the track.
We almost never use the first reef. As the wind builds our usual practise is to furl the Genoa a little (ours is 125%, original 150% was way too big for our conditions) If this is not enough, we use a single line furling system to put in the 2nd mainsail reef straight away. We can do this from under the dodger.
Next, as the wind builds we will probably put in the 3rd reef. For this we have a 10mm line kept permanently attached from the 3rd reef leech cringle tied to the 2nd reef leech cringle. We lower the main halyard and it is in reach to untie the line from the 2nd reef point, take thru a cheek block and tie to a cleat on the boom. This can be done by me standing on the cabin top. Then I move to the mast and tie down the luff with a short line kept attached to the base of the mast for the purpose. Tighten main halyard. (We now have a stackpack, so I don't need to worry about the bunt.)
Beyond this we will furl the genoa to about 50%. If we are close hauled, we may roll it completely and hoist the 100% staysail on the inner forestay (goes from anchor well to spreaders on a hyfield lever)
Next we hoist the storm jib on the inner forestay. By this time we would have 35 knots on the nose and we would likely heave-to. (Or sail somewhere else!)
In your case, perhaps you can use the two reefing lines you have to put in just your 2nd and 3rd reefs depending on the set up and angles?
Having said all this, if you're racing you might need your first reef...
Hope this helps
Rob
S.V. Wind Star
Rob & Margie Kyles: Auckland ,New Zealand
Mk I Hull #105 1983 Std Rig, Std Keel
Josh-
Keep in mind that the vast bulk of the sail power on the C 36 originates from the Genoa. (Compare the Sq Footage of the Genny to the Main.) I would think with two reef points on the Main and Roller Furling on the Jib, you'd be able to accommodate most conditions. I'm still relatively new to the 36 (and haven't raced her), but experimented in heavy air last season. ( I have in mast furling on the Main). When I got to the point of what would have been a 3rd reef on the Main, the sail didn't seem like it was contributing much to the boat performance....just my take.
Paul & Wendy Keyser
"First Light"
Rye NH
2005 C36 MKII #2257
Wing, M35B
Great, thanks all! Paul, I agree with your assessment, personally. I'm actually asking because I'm considering signing up for one of the ARC rally's, and one of their safety requirements is a third reef in the main (and I'm unconvinced that is necessary at all for our boats). If I ever get to the point of thinking a third reef in the main is needed, I'm probably to the point I should be considering running under bare poles anyway, and will have set some kind of a jib storm sail....
Josh McElwee
Sailing from East Greenwich, RI
2000 C36 MKII, M35B, "Chinook", Hull#1900
A big advantage with having the third reef comes when you want to heave-to in a decent gale.
I can highly recommend a removable inner stay for a storm jib, we find it a big help as any sail area on the
forestay tends to hold the bow too far off the wind for heaving-to.
Not a fan of bare poles unless actively running off, which I've not done (though once I should have). Lying ahull is not often recommended nowadays...
S.V. Wind Star
Rob & Margie Kyles: Auckland ,New Zealand
Mk I Hull #105 1983 Std Rig, Std Keel