Chasing Elegua

[Jud - s/v Sputnik]

A floating ring system will achieve the same result - but be aware that anytime the sheet is loose, that ring WILL be flogging about
These systems mostly used with an 'inhauler' and/or an 'outhauler' to pull the lead inboard/outboard. And in most pictures of these systems in use you will see some stout bungee holding the ring up
And there is a fair bit of friction with those rings, they are mostly used with bare spectra lines

Thanks - looking at a pic (from last summer when winds built and built and I was a bit too chicken and/or lazy [“we’ll be in before too long; besides how much more can it increase?”] to put a reef in the main, so I just kept reefing the Genoa, and quickly began wishing for better sheet lead control), I don’t see how I could ever control a floating ring to keep it from flogging around when the sheet is loose. Seems like a traditional adjustable car system would be better.

 

[Elegua]

Thanks - looking at a pic (from last summer when winds built and built and I was a bit too chicken and/or lazy [“we’ll be in before too long; besides how much more can it increase?”] to put a reef in the main, so I just kept reefing the Genoa, and quickly began wishing for better sheet lead control), I don’t see how I could ever control a floating ring to keep it from flogging around when the sheet is loose. Seems like a traditional adjustable car system would be better.

View attachment 572506

For older masthead sloops like mine, where the mainsail is higher aspect, I found reefing the mainsail first works better, especially if you need to drive upwind into a sea. That’s why I really needed the adjustable cars. Once you’ve reefed the main as the wind builds you keep reefing the genoa until you don’t want to beat on it anymore, then you raise the staysail. I need over 20kts true to have the staysail work efficiently. My first mainsail reef is about 16% luff reduction, so closer to a double reef.

 

[Jud - s/v Sputnik]

For older masthead sloops like mine, where the mainsail is higher aspect, I found reefing the mainsail first works better, especially if you need to drive upwind into a sea. That’s why I really needed the adjustable cars. Once you’ve reefed the main as the wind builds you keep reefing the genoa until you don’t want to beat on it anymore, then you raise the staysail. I need over 20kts true to have the staysail work efficiently. My first mainsail reef is about 16% luff reduction, so closer to a double reef.

Thanks. Pretty much describes my set up too (high aspect main, two deep reefs, but I haven’t really had the chance to use the staysail much in higher winds.) More reefing practice needed…and much more free time to go sailing needed Soon…soon… (Going to Andalusia, Spain soon on a trip and lately I’m guiltily wishing I could go off sailing instead… )

 

[estarzinger]

As an aside, usually, when we wanted to move the cars forward we also wanted to move them a bit outboard, so we usually used blocks on the toerail rather than actually moving the cars on the track.

For a cruising boat, I personally would rate easy-to-adjust blocks (with ball bearings and 4:1 tackle) a 'nice to have' rather than higher than that. I do think Elegua is not yet in 'gentleman mode' and still sailing to windward when there might be other options

 

[Elegua]

Like a rental car?

I’ve discovered there is a reward for being ungentlemanly - an empty anchorage. If I were smart, or if my wife were here, I’d wait for better conditions. But, this is still all new and exciting, so beating into the trades is still fun. For now. I might not go around the top of Guadeloupe- there seem few harbors outside of places like La Desirade which don’t really have an anchorage.

The snatch blocks on the toe rail are my after guys - to pole out the asymmetric to windward for a little
more soaking, get a better sheet angle for wing-on-wing and they also do double duty as poor-man’s 3d sheet for reaching and running. I borrowed this idea from Jon Eisberg (sp?). I didn’t have a good solution for upwind, so I got the genoa leads.

Here we are being lazy slackers on the ICW - No mainsail.

 

[longy]

The herd cannot/will not go upwind. So the ability to sail the hard way will reap many rewards. Anything/everything/everybody goes downwind. So do 90% or more of the cruising fleet

 

[Elegua]

I found a treasure on my anchor when I went to pull it up today.

A whole tree. Took some sawing.

 

[accnick]

I found a treasure on my anchor when I went to pull it up today.

View attachment 574612
A whole tree. Took some sawing.

That does not look like fun.

 

[Elegua]

That does not look like fun.

Luckily it was calm. Just took patience and some help from neighbors.

 

[slug zitski]

Luckily it was calm. Just took patience and some help from neighbors.

Google anchor J hook

They are used to clear junk from an anchor

Good tool

 

[accnick]

Google anchor J hook

They are used to clear junk from an anchor

Good tool

Yeah, that's a really practical solution for a 38' sloop.

 

[Jim in Halifax]

Yeah, that's a really practical solution for a 38' sloop.

You just have to be careful not to strip the 38' sloop off the anchor pennant along with the trees/debris...
When I worked offshore we called these "chain chasers".

 

[estarzinger]

Luckily it was calm. Just took patience and some help from neighbors.

I Ireland we once pulled up a 300lb ancient Spanish fisherman-style anchor. The local historian said it might have been from one of the various invasion fleets. It is sitting in a museum now. Probably easier to deal with than a tree because while heavy it was not too hard to get a spin halyard on it and shift it off the Bruce anchor.

 

[toddster]

Just out of paranoia, I've been setting an anchor buoy on an Amsteel line in some of these old logging-area anchorages I've been frequenting. Haven't "caught" anything yet though.

 

[Elegua]

I Ireland we once pulled up a 300lb ancient Spanish fisherman-style anchor. The local historian said it might have been from one of the various invasion fleets. It is sitting in a museum now. Probably easier to deal with than a tree because while heavy it was not too hard to get a spin halyard on it and shift it off the Bruce anchor.

Now that’s a cool find.

The hard part about the tree was getting the chain untangled from the root-ball. Also had to saw off a couple limbs. Fortunately it weighed a lot less than 300#.

 

[Elegua]

Just out of paranoia, I've been setting an anchor buoy on an Amsteel line in some of these old logging-area anchorages I've been frequenting. Haven't "caught" anything yet though.

Someone will pick it up as a mooring. 😄

 

[sculpin]

I caught a submerged cable one time (un-used, un-marked), about 2" diameter. Holding was great. Pulled it up, luckily it came to water level. I worked a rope around it and tied that off, then lowered the anchor and got it free. Cut the rope, away we went.

 

[slug zitski]

Yeah, that's a really practical solution for a 38' sloop.

Educate yourself of you will forever be an amateur

The flukes cut off the smallest size Bruce anchor is the common small craft J hook

 

[Elegua]

Once all the boat chores are done…

 

[Kolibri]

A friend of mine was recently anchored just inside the breakwater in Haleiwa Harbor. He found a shopping cart attached to his anchor when he pulled it up.