Hello all
it is my first season sailing my Nonsuch 30C 1983 model with full enclosure installed . I wonder if I can go sailing with the both side panels as well as all back panels rolled up ? Or should I take off all the panels ?
Here is my boat now
Any suggestions are highly appreciated.
Shirley Cheung
Boat name : Shamrock
Model : Nonsuch 30C 1983
Location : Whitby Yachf Club, Ontario , Canada
Hi,
I’ve had my boat for 6 years and never sailed with my side panels, west coast of BC. I prefer to have free air flow to feel the wind, pressure and direction… even more so on a hot summer day. I do have a dodger and bimini to block sea spray and sun.
Cheers, Don
Like Don, I live on the west coast of B.C. We have a full enclosure on our 26. The enclosure has side panels, a corner panel on each corner and one central panel at the back. The central panel is about 30” wide. When the weather is nice we remove the corner panels and roll up the others. The dodger stays up but it it is hot we drop the centre panel on the dodger. In cold weather we sail with the side panels and the rear centre panel in place. The corner panels have to be removed otherwise the sheet will drag across them on a reach or run.
The starboard side panel does interfere with using a winch handle for the mainsheet winch. With the panel in place I can only swing the handle about 180 degrees. It is a two speed winch, so swing the handle back and forth works but it is easy hard, easy hard. Fortunately with the 26 the sail is small enough I don’t need to use a handle very often. If the wind is blowing and I am feeling lazy, I will head up into the wind until enough pressure is off the sail to allow me to sheet in by hand.
I can’t see enough details in your photo allow me to form an opinion on whether you can sail with the panels in place.
Mark
I agree with Mark P, the photo isn’t clear enough to determine if the enclosure is suitable to be kept up while sailing.
What I can see, however, is that you have a roll bar mounted on the pushpit. It also looks to me like the wishbone boom has been extended. This makes me suspect that the sail’s sheet is being kept clear of the corners of the tent. If that’s the case, you won’t have to worry about the back of the enclosure.
Do check what happens to the front of the tent when the lines lift up as they come under tension while sailing. Is there enough clearance for the halyard and the reefing lines?
As Mark mentioned, you won’t be able to operate the sheet winch with a winch handle, but there are other ways to haul in the sheet.
Good luck!
Mark H.
I have the same setup and only use the side panels at anchor or when motoring in rain.
I never sail with them in place.
Debbie made a giant square mosquito net that covers the entire bimini and dodger weighted down around the edges we toss it up when bugs are out. We even sailed with it once on Lake Huron when those biting house bugs attacked. Quicker and easier than putting up the whole enclosure and it fits in a small bag
