Do you know the first step you need to take to boost the power and speed of your small cruising boat sails? Once you know this secret, you will learn how to sail a boat better in any type of sailing weather.
The secret of sail draft location
Your sail maker designs your mainsail or headsail with a specific amount of depth--called draft. Imagine that a wedge fills the windward, concave side of each of your sails. Draw horizontal, straight lines across this wedge from the luff to the leech of the sail.
Sail draft lies where the wedge is deepest along each horizontal line. Sailmakers specify proper draft location as a percentage of this line length, measured from the luff. In mainsails, draft should stay between 45%-50% aft of the luff. In headsails, draft must remain between 35%-45% aft of the luff.
Use your sailboat halyards to move draft forward or aft in each sail. To move draft forward, you tension the halyard. This creates a flatter sail for more speed. To move draft aft, you ease (or slack) the halyard. This creates a fuller sail for more power.
Light Wind Draft
If you sail in areas with light winds and smooth water like Long Island Sound, use a flatter sail shape for speed. Tension the sail halyards just enough to keep the luff smooth from the tack to the head. If you sail in areas with light winds and choppier waters, use a fuller sail shape for power. Ease the sail halyards a bit to punch through the chop like a hot knife through butter.
Moderate Wind Draft
In moderate winds up to about 12 knots, tension the halyards just enough to remove puckers (called "crows feet") from the luff of each sail. This shapes each sail for equal amounts of speed and power. If your mainsail has a Cunningham ring (a large, round grommet just above the tack in the mainsail), use this device instead of the halyard to get proper luff tension. Boats with roller furling headsails might want to have their sailmaker install a Cunningham ring for fast, easy headsail draft adjustments.
Heavy Wind Draft
As sailing winds increase over 12 knots, the draft in each sail moves farther back. This results in heeling and weather helm--just what you don't want! Use your sail halyards or tension the Cunningham ring to move draft forward. Watch the luff of each sail as you grind on the winches. Grind until you just start to see a shallow, vertical crease build along each luff. Now your sailboat sails are set to perfection.
Use your halyards to keep the draft in your small cruising boat sails in the best position for blazing performance. With this secret you will learn how to sail a boat better and achieve more power, speed, and drive.
Captain John Jamieson shows small boat cruising skippers how to reach their sailing dreams today! Get his popular free report "Seven Tips to Save You Hundreds on Your Marine Ropes for Sailing" at http://www.skippertips.com/public/231.cfm
John offers free reports, videos, tip-of-the-week, and a free ezine with subscription ===> http://www.skippertips.com
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