Don't force me to issue a subpoena! After watching your video in the "foraging" thread I hereby formally demand that you post any and all videos, images, drawings etc. pertaining to your boat. Particularly your fascinating, unusual sail plan. Your video stopped working about halfway through but I was left bewildered and mind-buggled. Did this design come from an ancient civilization, aliens, lizard people, all of the above? Incredibly cool!
Dear Mr. Sidecar
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MultiThom
Super Anarchist
It did move pretty well in that tiny breeze, didn't it?
Hell-Bent
Member
Well try as we might we couldn't get the boat to do much less than a knot in glassy calm conditions where I was convinced there was no wind at all. The boat just refused to stop sailing, so I haven't ruled out the possiblity that there is some wizardry involved...
All of the above.
Sadly, with the latest changes on SA, all the info (a lot!) i had on my profile page got wiped. Spoke to the moderators about it, and they said I had to put it all back again myself, and then I found that you can’t post photos, images or videos in the profile section now anyhow…..
There isn’t a lot of video or photos, because there aren’t many boats around here, and in anything more than 10 knots of breeze, the boat needs my full attention and a hand on the mainsheet. I sail a lot of the time in seriously shifty, gusty winds. Sidecar flies the ama at 9 knots boat speed upwind, in about 9-10 knots TWS. AWA ~ 23-25 degrees.
The other “problem” is that the boat slips through the water very quietly and doesn’t show a lot of wake or make a lot of fuss, you could be doing 8 knots and think you are doing 4 or 5. Often it is so quiet, you can hear the wind passing over the sails. So not a lot of video-able excitement.
The rig is effectively a sloop rig set up laterally instead of longitudinally. Pull the boomed clews towards a “stern“and off you go as a biplane rig. To tack/shunt, dump the sheets, the boat stops dead very quickly, and sheet them in towards the new “stern”. The rudders usually flip over by themselves as soon as you have way on the new tack and start rounding up. Controlling the rate of rounding up is key to shunting success. I don’t bear away, as is shown on the classic Proa diagrams, why speed up and lose ground when you know you have to stop and “reverse” anyhow? Plus lose rounding up distance and angle.
The point of the video was that I have a lot of control in manouevering, even being caught aback, despite the unplanned stop, and distracted by having a conversation with another swinging boat in shifty, gusty winds. Coming in towards the camera boat at the beginning, I could have been doing anything between 5 and 8 knots, depending on the gusts/lulls at the time. Sidecar accelerates and decelerates very quickly.
Mundt, I have made the offer before…. Get on a plane and come on over for a sail. We will make sure to give you a good time……..
I hasten to add that it wasn’t glassy calm all day. The wind never got above 10 knots and we did hit 8-8.5 knots, white sails, a couple of times. Today was glass calm all day, so we did some sight seeing. The next few days promises more wind than we have has so far, so with Hell’s GoPro now fully charged, we might try to get a shunt and video tour for Mr Mundt…..
No, not that I am aware of….. I never let it heel far enough or long enough. Am getting more risk averse with age as well. Might do if I get steady enough conditions on the bay, which is rare/never. And what do I compare it against?
I am still learning about the boat and rig. So many things still to improve on or try out…..
Come for a sail? Boat will be out of the water August to November for maintenance….
I am still learning about the boat and rig. So many things still to improve on or try out…..
Come for a sail? Boat will be out of the water August to November for maintenance….
MultiThom
Super Anarchist
There is a couple good reasons why innovation isn't rampant among sailors...primarily, though, conservatism occurs because it isn't safe to try something new and the ocean is pretty unforgiving. BTW, I'm sure you've experienced what a shunt is like in your L7. Basically it is about like a blown tack. You head up...luff...back down and switch the rudder over...jib fills and off you go. I know the you are switching sides and all so it isn't the same, but takes about the same time. Proa's are cool boats and good cruisers and historically at least, very good pointing to weather.
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Sir, are you publicly accusing me of blowing a tack? This place is overrun with crass individuals! I thought sailors were supposed to abide by the rules of gentlemanly conduct. Actually the L7 would usually obey my semi comatose commands without much of a fuss. My last Nacra though, I almost used the 12 gauge on it for making me look incompetent in front of witnesses by refusing to tack in the middle of the harbor without the jib flying. Now that's humiliating!
MultiThom
Super Anarchist
A blown tack is like a lot of things nobody talks openly about...everybody does it.
SeaGul
Super Anarchist
Now - this being on the multi-forum - there is not much resistance to new ideas - as long as they are good...
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- #19
GHO10227 no music, shows the great speed etc. Here's a semi-rational question, whatever you call the little hull (ama?). It just stays at a very steady ride height? How? Why? And your "jib"... What is it and why does it work so well? It looks like a kiteboarder style kite...? How did you come up with your sail plan?
^^^ re the “ama” flying, it really was mid winter champagne sailing conditions, remarkably steady wind for around here, and I had @Hell-Bent sliding up and down the wing beam/aka out to weather while he was filming to help keep the ama steady. You also can’t hear/see me playing the main sheet a little as well. or see me slightly feathering to keep the ama just skimming when @Hell-Bent couldn’t react fast enough. All exactly what you would do on any other multihull sailing on one hull.
Rig was principally designed to avoid duplication of headsails as per Jzerro for faster shunting, minimising air drag of furled foresail(s) aft and economy. Was also hoping for some leebow/sesqui (bi)plane effect as well, which I think there is, in winds over 5-6 knots upwind. Jib has a big square head, which used to have a conventional gaff batten, but now I use a strut and bridle on the head to help keep shape and eliminate shroud deflection.
Biggest disadvantage of a weather jib is being unable to check it easily, because it is behind you. I still have a lot to learn, refine and try out…..
Rig was principally designed to avoid duplication of headsails as per Jzerro for faster shunting, minimising air drag of furled foresail(s) aft and economy. Was also hoping for some leebow/sesqui (bi)plane effect as well, which I think there is, in winds over 5-6 knots upwind. Jib has a big square head, which used to have a conventional gaff batten, but now I use a strut and bridle on the head to help keep shape and eliminate shroud deflection.
Biggest disadvantage of a weather jib is being unable to check it easily, because it is behind you. I still have a lot to learn, refine and try out…..
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