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[E32-3] How to keep genoa from fouling during tacks

Geoff W.

Makes Up For It With Enthusiasm
Blogs Author
Hi all -

Just had my first proper sail in my new-to-me E32-3 today, got her up to about 5.5kts and had great fun. One issue I'm encountering, though, is that the genoa has a hard time getting over all the things around the mast area during each tack. Here's a pic showing the sheets being run (blue lines):

40898144_487578055075781_3737697582856536064_n.jpg

It seems like on each tack, the bowlines on the clew get caught on one side's shrouds, then sometimes the center cowling/bars, then the diesel heater exhaust, then the other side's shrouds, and then eventually the wind pops enough force in it to kick the clew out towards the bow and around the boat as usual. I'm a novice skipper, so there's a good chance I'm doing something wrong with the sheets, or is there something wrong with the way the sheets are rigged? I have them running back to the blocks on the inside rail, then to the winch.

Thanks!
 

GrandpaSteve

Sustaining Member
We are one hull number apart! I suggest that you may just need to wait a second or two longer before releasing the working sheet. Also rigging a single sheet with a larks head or cow hitch on the clew cringle instead of two sheets with bowlines gives less material to hang up during the tack.
 

Loren Beach

O34 - Portland, OR
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
Sheeting Trivia

We are one hull number apart! I suggest that you may just need to wait a second or two longer before releasing the working sheet. Also rigging a single sheet with a larks head or cow hitch on the clew cringle instead of two sheets with bowlines gives less material to hang up during the tack.

Good advice! We used a 'cow hitch' on our jib sheet attachment for over a decade. Only changed to bowlines after I had to cut it loose very near the clew one day on a Big Air Thrash when the sheet (fully wound in) got a "tight as iron" override on a primary winch.
Aside: when we arrived at the St Helens town dock for the night soon after that, several over boats that were sailing within a quarter mile told us they heard it and guessed immediately what happened.... It did indeed sound like a rifle shot! :0

Nowadays we have all cockpit winches raised and leveled on custom base risers to prevent overrides (see blog entry for details).

Also, when tacking the boat, bring the helm over by ten degree increments. Take up the new sheet as fast as you reasonably can. In big air I let the old sheet stay just tight enough for a bit, to somewhat backwind the jib and turn the bow quicker. While newer crew may want to let the old sheet fly because they saw it in a movie once, it's also a way to let that flailing sheet wrap around the other sheet and/or catch on other fittings. The slack sheet often finds the bulls-eye on the track... it likes it! :)
 

Geoff W.

Makes Up For It With Enthusiasm
Blogs Author
Sounds like this might be a "skipper skills" issue, then :) I like those, they're relatively cheap.

In the pic I posted above, do you see any issues with the way the slack sheet is lead across the shrouds and foredeck? One guy I know said that was a bad idea and that I should use snatch blocks, but didn't give any meaningful advice on how to actually rig that without affecting sail shape. We let the sheet do the same thing on a Ranger 33 I race on.
 

GrandpaSteve

Sustaining Member
I don't see any issue except I would like to see the sheet in front of the dorade box rails instead of behind, but that should not really be a problem. There is enough crew on your boat to handle any issue :egrin:.
 
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