Yup … the two Bungy Snubbers go a little above the padeye. interesting to find out that these neat little things are not UV resistant. i’ll have to check them for degradation, now and then.
Ernie A. in Toronto
“Winter is the winter of my discontent”
Bob - thank you so much, as you hit the nail on the head and confirmed my thoughts. I turn to lessons from those who sailed the old windjammers that could not tack in heavy air with their perpendicular spars so they employed a technique called “wearing” where they performed the same 270 degree maneuver but in reverse fashion. I’m comforted by the smaller dimensions of my N22, and understand that the effort required is considerably less than on her bigger sisters. My wife and my older self are not into wild wet rail sailing, we just wish to arrive with my comb over in place and enjoy the beautiful Florida nature, and the cold beverages - naturally. I prefer going below without stumbling over all the stuff that was previously in higher locations, so I’m encouraged by the remarks in another conversation here that suggested the optimum angle of heel to be around 15 degrees. That’s a nice relaxing feeling of being on a big forgiving sailboat.
Thanks again to all who shared their wisdom and experience. It is an honor to be exchanging thoughts with a group of sailors who really really understand what it’s all about.
Ron Weber
N22 Magic Time
Punta Gorda Fl.
One achieves a better airfoil on the run with the choker eased. I have reservations about tightening the choker ahead of gybing to ensure that the wishbone clears the bimini. A better solution is to raise the topping lift, if that is a problem. A tight choker will increase the jarring forces on all components when the wishbone slams over in a breeze. A slack choker mitigates that. I have sailed with a bimini since 2007 and completed gybes both ways. Based on that experience, I stuck with a slack choker while I had the wishbone rig which I changed in 2018.
Cheers and wishing all fair winds and fresh air in 2021
John Newell
Mascouche 26C1
Toronto
Why would you do such a thing?
John Gialanella
Tourmaline NS22 #8
Bolles Harbor, MI
Hi John G. -
Probably, like a few others, I do not understand your question of " Why would you do such a thing? ".
I am not sure as to who you are asking about what. Could you clarify ? I am curious (as always).
Ernie A. in Toronto
Ernie,
Why would ANYONE enjoying something as pleasurable as a sail, in a boat as wonderful as a NS22, go through the horrendous exercise of gybing the sail?
Happy New Year!
John Gee
Tourmaline NS22 #8
Bolles Harbor, MI
It’s not horrendous. It’s routine, easy.
Why would I do a Hudson River Gybe? Because at times I like to.
I have a number of friends that sail and race sloops (I know, hard to believe that I have friends). Many of them are curious about the strange rig on my boat so I take them for a sail to show how it works. At some point they ask “How do you gybe it?” At that point I smile and say " I will show you". I love the open eyed expression on their faces as the boom goes whipping past at 200 mph and then gently comes to a halt on the new tack. Tacking around, aka the chicken gybe, is less dramatic but involves more work as I have to sheet in the main as we come about.
At one of our summer rendezvous we took Respite, my brother’s 26 and La Reina, our 26 out for an experimental sail. Both boats were loaded with between 6 and 7 crew each. Both boats were built in 1982 and had Bott sails that were 1-3 years old. The boats were well matched but Respite had the better crew. The wind was blowing about 10-12 knots. We played with various rig adjustments to see what they did to the performance. Near the end of the session we headed downwind and compared the Hudson River Gybe to the Chicken Gybe. Every time the Hudson River Gybe was faster.
Any time my tummy tells me that it would be a bad idea to do do a Hudson River Gybe I do a chicken gybe and am very happy with the results. If I am good (read lucky) the tacking around takes less than one boat length.
The First Sea Lord and I had a very exciting/bad experience doing a controlled gybe so we do not use that maneuver anymore. Only Hudson River of Chicken.
Mark Powers
The key to a soft landing on the new tack is to sail well to the lee before gybing. That will result in the point of sail being in the neighborhood of a broad reach when the sail comes to rest. Then simply fall off to your heading. Practice in light to medium air (6-12 knots true) and you will become quite comfortable with the whole experience.
Pat Furr
NS 26C #133
Bandolero
Charlotte, VT
Anyone who has not gybed their Nonsuch better start practicing. The time to learn is not when you have to!!
Joe Valinoti
S/V iL Gatto NS30U #221
Sea Harbour YC
Oriental, NC USA
Well !! (as Jack Benny would intone to Rochester …)
I LOVE to sail my boat (and ached last summer when I couldn’t, not due to COVID but due to a repair that took 1450% longer than it was supposed to). And I love to be able to do, with the boat, what it is capable of doing. That means that I need to develop the proficiency to sail it better (and faster). I love seeing what she will do, plain and simple.
I have feared gybing my boat for years and felt that it was not designed to do that manoevre safely. WRONG. I have heard from many Nonsuch sailors (and watched the video) and know that this efficient move can be done, under the right conditions (not in a blow with high waves, etc.) if you know how. As Joe and many others have said, PRACTICE. Chose the right time and practice. Knowing how to put one’s boat through one its most basic activities (being gybed) is, I feel, a must.
There are probably a thousand things that I could do with my boat that could get me into genuine serious trouble if I screw them up, to whit, leaving the dock, arriving at the dock, dropping the power cord into the water, dropping myself into the water, trying to untangle a line that is wrapped around the prop while two miles offshore on a windy day. I sail alone 98% of the time. Within reason, I would like to be able to perform any and every activity on my boat that might be required, especially in a “situation”.
I know how to chicken gybe her. I’d like to say that I can gybe her. Soon, soon. That’ll come this summer. I cannot wait.
Truth is, the real reason that i want to be able to do this is the same as the reason for doing anything with MOUSTACHES - because it’s a hoot.
Happy New Year to all.
Ernie A. in Toronto
All the dialog’s explanations are interesting and informative. Just a clarifying question – would a Hudson River Gybe be suitable for a boat with dinghy davits off the transom? My understanding from the dialog is that the transom railing needs to be wholly clear of any fitting that could possibly catch the mainsheet, which would include davits, correct?
Richard Fried
Melita
NS36 02
Marblehead, MA
I presently have a small reel of polypropylene line on my taffrail, (for stern tree tie in narrow anchorages), which has so far not “hooked” the gibing sheet. However I think I
may remove it this spring since deploying and entering the before dodger dinghy is perhaps questionable with my poor balance sense.
Dick Lane
NS26c, Swoose
Port Townsend
Richard,
If you allow the sheet to pass aft of the forward most margin of the pushpit, it will most assuredly foul on anything and everything that is in its path. That certainly includes a davit rig. I’ve had it foul on the stand-off struts of my swim ladder, and even the latches that secure the swim ladder section to the rail. That’s why I have adopted the technique of gathering the three sections of sheet hand over hand and piling it quickly into the floor of the cockpit aft of my position but forward of the pushpit. It’s not as dramatic as it sounds. If you choose to try it out, do so in light air.
Pat Furr
NS 26C #133
Bandolero
Charlotte, VT
(attachments)
I would say emphatically no Richard. Things happen very fast and there is no time to “unhook” a hang up. The more expensive the obstruction the worse an idea it is.
My pushpit is absolutely clear and the sheet still finds places to catch. Mine are no problem to clear but my point is that the sheet is looking for trouble. If you provide it with an opportunity, it will surely take it.
(attachments)
Pat:
OK; got it; thank you. The lengths of mainsheet are brought in hand-over-hand and dropped on the cockpit floor aft of the helm and (in my case) forward of the mainsheet block on the aft coaming.
One more question: You said: ” I sail to the lee upwards of 20 degrees.” Does this mean that the approximate direction of the wind is 20 degrees beyond dead downwind? And, if so, what is the position of your boom – it must be well forward of a 90 degree angle to the boat, correct?
Richard
Melita
NS36 02
Marblehead, MA
(attachments)
Paul:
That’s my concern, of course, and I take your advice to heart. In my experience, I have gybed only in light to very moderate airs and seas and would continue accordingly in the future. So, I’m considering the HRG as possibly of value and manageable risk in those conditions. Otherwise, in stronger airs I have either brought in the boom to a close haul position before gybing or, in the strongest winds and sea state, come about 270 degrees after bringing in the boom, a most cumbersome maneuver.
Richard
(attachments)
I do have a single smooth aluminium bimini strut inclined sternward that so far has allowed the sheet pair to pass OK overhead whilst I duck low, but I should get rid of the unused reel since my anchoring days are likely over. Restaurant cruising from now on!
Dick Lane
NS26c Swoose
Port Townsend
Richard,
Everyone has different experiences and advice. You need to find out for yourself. As I have said before, I find the HRG easier as the wind increases, simply because I am able to turn faster. I would never have the sheet in the cockpit and never touch it during the gybe. For me anyway, it always remains behind the cockpit where I like it and again, in more wind it is thrown farther away.
(I do have a bimini arch)
For me personally partial sheeting a Nonsuch before gybing is a lot scarier than HRG, except in very light winds.
(attachments)
Exactly Paul. Each of us need to learn what works, is comfortable and acceptably safe for how we sail our boats. I hope my inputs are not being construed as the best way to gybe a Nonsuch. It is “a” way and is how I prefer to do it. We each must find the way we prefer. And we have many options to try out. Happy New Year all.
Pat Furr
NS 26C #133
Bandolero
Charlotte, VT
(attachments)