Keeping Head to Wind When Dropping Sail

[dbybe]

I am new to sailing cat boats.  I went for my first sail yesterday.  (First solo outing did not count as I ended up in the lake.  At least the stern ladder works)  How do you keep the bow to the wind while lowering the sail when solo?  My bow fell off quite rapidly and then it was difficult to get the sail down and the boom onto the gallows.  Do you start the motor and then try to steer into the wind, with the tiller locked, while lowering the sail?  Any suggestions would be helpful.  (My prior boat was a Drascombe Dabber with a mizzen.  When sheeted in this keep the bow into the wind)

[bruce]

Yup, that's the modern approach, now that we have auxiliary power, and mizzens aren't common.

I will say that an experienced sailor I know, who owned a PC and HC at the time, offered this suggestion when sailing without relying on a motor to raise the sail. I'd tried playing with the CB to get the boat to come into the wind when lying a-hull, but that wasn't working. His idea was to raise the peak halyard a bit, keeping the throat down as required, exposing some sail aft, raising the mizzen if you will. That could weather cock the boat into the wind and facilitate raising the sail. I've meant to try this more seriously, but haven't so far.

To douse the sail I have come into the wind under sail and got the sail down before she fell off. Actually I had started the motor but it was still in neutral, so I had no auxiliary propulsion during the maneuver. I didn't realize it until the sail was down and I wasn't going anywhere. Duh.

Some variation of using the peak and lowering the throat to bring the boat into the wind when lowering the sail might be feasible. Let us know if you are successful!

[Ken J]

A tiller tamer really helps a lot to keep the boat going in the direction you want with the motor going

[dbybe]

I have a tiller tamer on the boat, which was the first thing I broke on this outing. I will replace this, or look at the Wavefront tiller clutch as an option.

[bruce]

I really like the WaveFront TillerClutch. I didn't realize how much I used it until the control line cover frayed and bunched up during a sail (after 6 seasons). I didn't have any suitable line on board, but no big deal I thought, I just won't have it for the rest of the sail. Then I noticed how often I was flicking the clutch on and off out of habit.
https://wavefrontmarine.com

The one thing I will caution about is the installation of the control line was much more critical than the manufacturer suggested (in 2011). This was on a PC, so YMMV.

The first attempt, I ran the line over the coaming, tensioned it with the tiller amidships, and tied off at the boom gallows stanchions. It worked great with the tiller within about 10-15 degrees either side of the centerline, but beyond that the line slacked excessively. The full range of the tiller was unimpeded, but the tiller clutch was useless for much of the range. For the next attempt, I backed out the top left and right screws of the tiller horn and temporarily fastened fairleads at these locations. Now, with the line again tensioned with the tiller centered, the line tightened significantly when the tiller was pushed to the side, and the range of the tiller was limited to about 25 degrees of the centerline.

At this point I mounted a scrap piece of furring using the top row of tiller horn fasteners and experimented with different attachment points. I found that if they were spaced 31 3/4" apart, centered, the tiller clutch control line would be under constant tension throughout the full range of the tiller. I used teak for the finished mounting board.

The rear coaming of the PC is straight across, not curved as it is on the SC, so a mounting board may not be the easiest way to proceed. I had tried some heavy duty suction cups as attachment points (like I used for the VHF radio in the photo) but didn't like the flexing under load. The critical thing is to find attachment points that you know will work before you start drilling holes.

[McNemo]

Dumb question,  but what diameter line works best with that tiller clutch? I have one installed on mine but haven't found a suitable line in the bucket-o-stuff the boat came with that works with it.

[Ken J]

Bruce - very nice install - yea seems like every time I move I'm clicking my tamer - gets to be an automatic response 😀

[bruce]

When I had to replace mine I did agonize over it a bit.

It came with NE Ropes 3/16" Sta-Set. Worked OK, but I felt something more durable would be better.

I decided on 5mm FSE Robline Dinghy Polytech (polyester/Technora cover, Dyneema core). At first I thought the cover might be too hard, but in use over 6 seasons it's been fine, no significant abrasion to the cover. Haven't noticed any extra wear to the clutch.

Thanks, Ken. The photo is a bit dated, I've since hinged my tiller. Photos on request.

[dbybe]

Thanks for the picture Bruce. I have ordered the Wavefront Tillerclutch. I did not mind the Tiller Tamer, but being plastic it did not hold up too well to UV. One of the side tabs broke off. The Tillerclutch looks like it is better made., though a bit more expensive. If it lasts longer though it is probably the better value.

[McNemo]

Thank you Bruce for that info. I like the way you have yours rigged.

[Bub]

I installed a TillerClutch as pictured in Bruce's Reply on a Sunday Cat. As he pointed out the aft coaming is curved so I installed port and starboard cam cleats in a vertical position forward on the coaming where the curve flattens. The lines run at about a 45 degree angle to the tiller and the line feeds over the top of the cleat thru a stainless fairlead. Works great anytime I need an extra hand under power or sail.
Bub

[bruce]

Good idea, Bub, takes care of the coaming curve. If you get a chance, what's the distance between the fairleads, and a relative position vertically in relation to the tiller. Save others from having to experiment.

I suspect there is some variation possible, and it doesn't have to be super precise. But, in my photo it looks like the boom gallows stanchion is roughly in line with my control line, with the tiller centered, but as an attachment point it didn't work at all.

[Jim in TC]

Thought I would jump in to the discussion, with some photos of my "quick and dirty" (as compared to Bruce's usual high-grade workmanship) tiller control. Our SC came with the "Tillerlock" and the simplicity and quality materials have served us well. Both ends of the shock cord are attached at the base of the boom gallows support, and using lengths of shock cord with a line in the middle has proven more durable than all cord and more flexible than all line.

While out single-handed yesterday in a blow far above the forecasts (I measured 15 mph but NOAA weather indicated gusts above 20 on a forecast of 5-10) I realized the importance of getting bow steadily to the wind. I was too quick to douse sail and things got...interesting, especially when the Torqueedo cut out at the worst possible moment. Turned out to be the second-ever connection issue, simply needing to tighten the connection between throttle and battery. But still.

[bruce]

Looks good! I'd forgotten that the tiller on the Rudder Craft rudder your PO installed comes over the coaming.

Outboards are great, until they aren't. I'm glad you were able to sort out the problem, being solo just added to the fun!

[Jim in TC]

Ya, the tiller-over is one of the relatively few "upgrades" the boat came with that I quite like. It allows easy standing with the tiller tipped up, and with the end blocked the original opening provides very handy storage for a few odds and ends.

The last photo provides a glimpse of one of the less useful changes: the boom gallows was re-installed on the cabin top as a removeable piece while under way. There seemed no good reason for that change and my "temporary" solution (also "quick and dirty") was to bring it back aft, using some old plumbing pipe I had on hand to restore the height. Each year I toy with the idea of ordering a new support from ComPac and each year the temporary solution remains in place.