Ride 'em Cowboy!

12º 37.268n 120º 21.076w

Wed Apr 24 2019

Our jib is small. This boat gets its real sailing power from the main. Catamarans with diamond mast rigging really aren’t at their best trying to go deep downwind using the main; the sail will suffer a lot of chafe damage, so it’s best to tack (jibe) downwind at a good apparent wind angle. For us, that’s about 135 degrees max.

Problem is, that creates a zigzag course towards the objective, rather than a rhumb line course. When you’re trying to remain in a narrow band of favorable current or thread the needle between storm cells, that’s not a great strategy.

Or you can just call us lazy.

Our Simbo rig is two little jibs hanked on to a two slot furler. Each sail is hauled out to the side to create a big barn door using what we call a barber hauler. The loads on the sheets that pull the sails out aren’t terribly high, but then the safety stantions on this boat aren’t installed with backing plates, so using their bases as attachment points isn’t a swell idea. Instead we put an Alpine loop in a section of line, and secure the line to the forward and midships cleat. A dyneema loop secured to a low friction ring tags onto that loop, and the sheet runs through that low friction ring, attaching to the clew of the sail up front, and running to a winch at the cockpit. We’ve duplicated this installation on each side of the boat, and played with the longitudinal position of the Alpine loop to optimize the barn door effect. Works great, lasts long time.

Pretty much a “set it and forget it” kind of rig.

However, the upwind sail isn’t happy if the apparent wind is more than perhaps 40 degrees off the stern. At that point, the sail wants to travel across and lay on the downwind sail, and all we have to do is release the sheet and let that happen. Last step is to secure the clews together with a soft shackle. It does require clipping on and going forward, but the exposure is minimal.

With 20 knots of wind on the stern and seas at 1.5 to 2 meters, it starts getting a bit rowdy. The boat can be slowed down by doing the same procedure if the apparent wind angle hasn’t made it necessary, only we have to help it across.

It’s all happening at once tonight; wind coming around and piping up over 20 knots, seas creating a rowdy rolly ride, speeds as high as 11 knots. The upwind jib is now resting securely over the downwind jib, and we’re still honking along at better than 6 knots in 17 knots breeze.

Feels a lot faster in the dark.

You’re on the team, Shawnee!