Thoughts on the Main Sail Wrapped on Boom
Nice sail out to Caya Costa, a barrier island between Charlotte Harbor and the Gulf, just south of Boca Grande Pass, to meet up with other sailors from West Coast Trailer Sailing Squadron [Florida] for a weekend outing. Everyone sails in from various ramps and marinas in the area, and camps out on the very nifty lagoon in the Pelican Bay are of the island. Camping on the boat helps to understand what is needed on the boat for short cruises and then by default points out all the extra stuff that was brought and not used. Also lends itself to renewing fellowships with other sailors and to meet new friends. So along with the crazy beach cuisine and camp fire talk, there are serious conversations about small boat sailing on the gulf coast waterways, boat design, construction and personal modifications and upgrades. Always ready to learn from others as there are literally thousands of years combined boating experience in this group.
One of the modifications to Embouchure that has been the most useful is the addition of a topping lift on a boom end spindle. Most of the boating friends have sail slides and the main flakes out on the boom with lazy jacks. Purchased sail slides from Sailrite, read the install instructions, watched the videos, but in the end the stiff Dacron main does not want to flake. Decided that after some use, take the main to a sail loft and get an expert to evaluate and install the slides when the sail is more flexible. As received from the factory, the main was rolled up on the boom. When unfurled, it is crisp. So determined that with the topping lift, threading the bolt rope into the slot, can hoist the main and lock down the Cunningham in less than 15 seconds, while underway by myself with motor or jib. Then let some slack out on the topping lift, snug the outhaul, and good to go. If my lovely mate is at the helm, the topping lift keeps the boom aft end from targeting her head.
Before deciding on this boat, did watch all the videos out there on this unit and other Astus models. There was an instructional video on raising the main, from the dock, in no wind, and that just never happens when i go out. Previous to the topping lift, could raise the main as it unfurled from the cockpit and companion way with that hatch out of the way. That works, and in fact dousing the sail in a hurry (had to do that once or twice) by dumping the main into the cockpit and companion way makes a mess and not real pretty, but gets the job done fast when needed.
Furling up the main takes a bit longer. Still working on improving that technique. The mast crank handle as shown on some Corsairs is brilliant. Just crank down the main in about 10 seconds when needed. When furling up the main is required, point into the wind, uncleat the halyard and while belaying the halyard with the line running under foot for friction, start the roll from the mast end, then progress to the aft end of boom to continue the furl.
On the way back to the marina from this trip to Caya Costa, the main was reefed to the second point (first time for me) from the outset of the return cruise. The wind was out of the NW at about 10 – 15 Mph. The route could have put me on the lee side of Boca Grande for less rough water, but the prediction was for 25 Mph in a few hours. So instead of unfurling the full main, getting out on the water and then deciding to loose some sail surface by myself on the water, just rolled the main out halfway and cinched down the second reef clew and tack grommets, then threaded the two in between grommets with extra line, still all rolled up nice and tidy.
The boom end spindle is constructed of short section of schedule 80 PVC pipe that was turned to meet the round boom inside diameter. That PVC replaces the boom end cap and is screwed into the boom with four stainless screws. The main out haul threads through a fairlead that was riveted in the boom end. That outer rivet was drilled out and longer rivet through the PVC. There is an encap, Sched 80 PVC, that was center drilled for the spindle bolt. On the inside if the cap are stacked washers to support the stainless bolt through, which is the spindle. On the outside end, that bolt has washer and lock nut to secure to the end cap. The remainder bolt is the actual spindle. Used a piece of stainless chainplate such that one end (pointing up) is available to the topping lift Cunningham, and the down pointing end, with a stainless quick link, is the connection point for the main sheet tackle. In that configuration, the main sheet tackle and lines do not pull straight down to the traveler car, but at a slight angle. It is that slight angle pull that provides some forward tension to the boom toward the boom pintle on the mast. Remember the pintle was changed out for a stainless unit (Hobie part), and not the stock cast aluminum pintle that is tapered and provides some friction hold to the fore end boom cap.
Very similar to the boom mod that was made on my old WR17.