So my wife and I went sailing for our second time on our Prindle 16. The boat handled great in the 8-13mph winds off Honeymoon Island, FL. The started the afternoon off sailing North, into the wind (wind was coming from the NNE early and shifted to more NE), (by a suggestion of another cat sailor).

We made some great speed close hauled and reaching. On our way back down south, we tried to get the cat into a broad reach (expect great speed) but every time we did, the jib would start flapping and the tell-tales on the main sail would flutter on the back side. As soon as we turned the boat into more of a reach, the tell tales would straighten out and the jib would catch the wind. At one point I had the mainsheet and jib sheet all the way out but it just didn't matter as we would immediately start to lose speed and have the same issues.

What were we doing wrong? I am hoping to get the cat out once more this fall before the weather gets too cold (70 is much to cold for me)

konzekat

We made some great speed close hauled and reaching. On our way back down south, we tried to get the cat into a broad reach (expect great speed) but every time we did, the jib would start flapping and the tell-tales on the main sail would flutter on the back side. As soon as we turned the boat into more of a reach, the tell tales would straighten out and the jib would catch the wind. At one point I had the mainsheet and jib sheet all the way out but it just didn't matter as we would immediately start to lose speed and have the same issues.

What were we doing wrong?

It sounds like you were going too deep downwind. Do you have a bridal wind vane? Or just put some cassette tape streamers on your bridals to judge the apparent wind. Most beachcats don't want to sail deeper than 90 degrees to the APPARENT wind, if you are hooked up and sails are trimmed, and the apparent wind is at 90 degrees (wind indicators streaming sideways) then you are actually going much deeper on the actual wind.

This can be a hard concept to grasp if you came from monohulls, the difference is that beachcats can sail faster than the real wind, creating a big shift in apparent wind.

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Damon Linkous
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Also the prindles should be rigged with a barber hauler on the front beam. Pulling the barber hauler will open up the slot between the jib and main while running on a broad reach. I don't have any pics ... but im sure someone on the forum still has a manual that would show it.

mark c



Edited by turborat on Oct 20, 2015 - 05:46 PM.

DamonLinkous

It sounds like you were going too deep downwind. Do you have a bridal wind vane? Or just put some cassette tape streamers on your bridals to judge the apparent wind. Most beachcats don't want to sail deeper than 90 degrees to the APPARENT wind, if you are hooked up and sails are trimmed, and the apparent wind is at 90 degrees (wind indicators streaming sideways) then you are actually going much deeper on the actual wind.

This can be a hard concept to grasp if you came from monohulls, the difference is that beachcats can sail faster than the real wind, creating a big shift in apparent wind.

90 degrees is all? WOW! I was around 135 from the true wind (based on a ne wind) and to me it seemed like the cat would catch the wind and slow (probably sailing at around 180). I tried running but that was ever more of a disaster.

After looking at my sailing track from my phone, at times I was sailing directly into the wind and could create great speed, which is confusing.

turborat

Also the prindles should be rigged with a barber hauler on the front beam. Pulling the barber hauler will open up the slot between the jib and main while running on a broad reach. I don't have any pics ... but im sure someone on the forum still has a manual that would show it.

mark cEdited by turborat on Oct 20, 2015 - 05:46 PM.

Mark, Yes I have the barbed haulers and had them set as far to the port or starboard as I could. When I was trying to run, I set them out further but due to how the previous owner setup the lines for the jib, ran out of length to get them out any further.

As Damon said, you want to be at approximately 90 degrees to the APPARANT WIND when going downwind. Forget about true wind direction, on cats, it's all about apparant wind. Get yourself a Telocat bridle vane. When you want to go downwind, turn until it is pointing perpendicular to the hulls and then adjust the trim of your sails until the telltais are flowing on both sides. This is a generalized description of how to sail downwind, but it is a good starting point.

sm

konzekat

So my wife and I went sailing for our second time on our Prindle 16. The boat handled great in the 8-13mph winds off Honeymoon Island, FL. The started the afternoon off sailing North, into the wind (wind was coming from the NNE early and shifted to more NE), (by a suggestion of another cat sailor).

We made some great speed close hauled and reaching. On our way back down south, we tried to get the cat into a broad reach (expect great speed) but every time we did, the jib would start flapping and the tell-tales on the main sail would flutter on the back side. As soon as we turned the boat into more of a reach, the tell tales would straighten out and the jib would catch the wind. At one point I had the mainsheet and jib sheet all the way out but it just didn't matter as we would immediately start to lose speed and have the same issues.

What were we doing wrong? I am hoping to get the cat out once more this fall before the weather gets too cold (70 is much to cold for me)

the wind can be deceptive on the causeway due to being in the lea side of n/ne wind, and we typically get a sea-breeze that effects wind direction around 1pm

I don't use a bridal fly but i ALWAYS have tape on my bridal wires - they are a great help

Feel free to come up to any up us "regulars" on the causeway and discuss technique

Newcomers to catamaran sailing quickly pick up the concepts of close hauled and close reaching, downwind is where the art begins, a tad bit ironic. Head directly downwind and your fastest speed is the speed of the wind, your sails are merely acting as drag devices, two sheets of plywood will work equally well.

Heading directly downwind you are blanketing the jib with the main and see that it is luffing. Begin turning across the wind and the jib begins to fill, the sails begin to shape. Now continue turning across the wind, and trimming the sails in until it 'feels like' it is at your back. This is the 'apparent wind' that you are feeling, not the true wind.

The sails are now creating lift forces, (plywood will no longer work as well.) It may feel slow but you are actually moving faster than the 'true wind.' Gybe in angles towards your destination, you will travel a longer distance but arrive faster than had you sailed directly downwind.

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