DaySailer.org Forum

I also roll my sail to store it, except that I clip the main halyard to the aft end of the boom and cleat it to hold the boom up, tightening the sheet to keep the boom stable and on the centerline while I roll the sail and secure it with sail ties.

I use lazy jacks. You just drop the sail, and it stays on the boom. Very useful for dousing as you pull into an anchorage, when you need to keep the cockpit clear so you can continue to maneuver the boat. You can pull the lazy jacks out of the way while sailing, but I usually just leave them deployed, just lazy enough to not interfere with the sail draft. After you're at anchor, you can furl the sail any way you want. I use sail ties and a cover, supporting the boom with the topping lift and the jacks.

Disadvantages:
A little more weight aloft.
If you are trailering, it takes longer to rig.
If you want to use the lazy jacks to support the boom while the sail cover is on, the sail cover has to fit around the jacks.
With a standard mainsail, the lazy jacks tend to snag the batten pockets when raising sail. (Lazy jacks are usually used on larger cruising boats with full-batten mains.)
Aesthetically, some of my neighbors at the marina object to seeing a small boat with extra rigging.

Anyway, I like 'em. Our main nautical activity is "dinner on the lake," and nothing spoils the ambience more than dropping the sail and boom on your date just before opening the wine.

I took my DSll out for the first time in 12 yrs 2 weeks ago. I stopped off at the lake my Brotherinlaw has a place and showed him and my 2 nieces how to sail. The first thing he did when I got there was give me a trolling mtr he had bought iso we could get out on the lake. I told him you could not put a mtr on this small boat because it would be to heavy and would drag in the water. I see by looking at the pics that I was wrong. I could have used a mtr getting out of the marina at my lake. The wind was very shifty in there and I did 2 360s and hung up on the break water till the wind shifted to my favor and I could backwind the jib and get off of it.

A few things I learned the 2 weeks I was sailing. The main looks better when you don't forget to put in the battons. I rigged up the jib down haul. very simple and it works great and I was over thinking it. all my sailing was single handed. It is fun to hike out even though it is like sitting on the edge of a 2x4. I think I would like to put hiking straps on the boat if I can figure out how I want to do them. I think it would be more fun and more effective with them.
The parking lot is hard when you fall out of the boat backwards over the gunwell while its on the trailer. It is impossible to fold the sails by yourself in the dirt or on the parking lot with a 15 mph wind, so I stuffed them. I was a little afraid of blowing over at first in the 15-18 mph wind but I soon got good at it. Don't go sailing on a Saturday in the summer on this lake with all the power boats it is like washing machine water. My boat seems to perform very well and points high. But I had no reference such as another DS to sail with. I might get taken to school very fast at the wurstfest Reggatta.

Wow, I've not managed to fall off my boat into the water, let alone onto pavement. That does sound painful.

I roll my sails. I never spread sails on the ground.

The jib has a wire in it, and I roll it along the wire. I let the other end just hang down. With wind, I predict the only change would be that down changes into downwind.

For rolling the main, I've lately left the boom on the trailer, but not on the mast. I just hook it behind a shroud and rest it on the transom on the other end (on some cushion or block of foam). That tends to hold the main in a convenient place for easier rolling. Once I have the roll, I slide it off the boom into the bag.

+1 on the battens in the mainsail. Been there, done that.

I usually manage to get the sails wet when taking them down at the end of the day so I'm not too worried about neatly rolling them at the ramp. I lay them out on the grass at home to dry and then roll them up. I have a shelf where I store my boat stuff that is long enough for the boom. Most of the time, I roll the mainsail onto the boom (leaving the battens in) and store the boom and sail together under plastic to keep it clean. The mainsheet and boom vang both have snap shackles for quick connect/disconnect. This saves a little setup time at the ramp next time out.

15-18 mph is my prevailing wind and I've found the DS to be a stable boat in those conditions. When solo, I always rig at least the first reef point so I can depower the main going upwind. I rigged single line jiffy-reefing so I can reef the main in seconds.

Salty Dog, good to hear you plan to sail your DS2 at the Wurstfest Regatta. Hopefully there will be enough Day Sailers for our own fleet. Maybe we can get our boats together on Canyon Lake before then. I've fallen off my boat a few times, but not on the pavement from the trailer, that had to hurt.

John

There are hiking strap discussions on the forum. Based on other boats I had sailed, I put my first set (2" nylon seatbelt webbing) close to the CB trunk, bringing them together for the aft part of the cockpit. The next time I rigged 3" polyester webbing from the cuddy drain holes back to the reinforcing bulges on either side of the floor (i.e., they were close to the tanks.) Much, much better. You sit in a more natural position and it takes less ab-power to hike out. I used stainless footman loops and adjusters from West Marine. StrapWorks supplied the webbing. The poly material does not rot in the sun as does nylon, and the broader surface is easier on the feet.

Hi All

The Parking lot was not pavement it was road base or chad, But it was still hard. I thought I had cracked my collar bone. But it got better after 3 days so it was not cracked. It was while I was showing my brother-in law how to rig down and I was trying to remember myself and falling out of the boat was the last thing I expected.

I have had this boat since 1993 but never sailed it a lot and never hiked out. I tried it this time due to reading this site and it really works and is a lot of fun. I am going to rig me up some straps for sure.

John, I am going to sail in the Wurstfest. I don't know how much practice I will get in beforehand but I think I will be able to do alright once i get across the line. I've never gotten the" hitting the line at the gun" down very well.
Do You Have a wisker pole? I think it can be as long as the "J" length. I may make me one . Do you single hand in the race?
Is it legal to single hand in the race?

Salty Dog,

I'm sorry to hear about your man overboard in the parking lot. I'm glad that you were not more seriously injured. Sometimes when I'm rigging my boat, climbing in and out, and especially climbing out, I think about the possibility of falling.

Hiking out is fun, isn't it! It will be more fun with the straps, for sure. With the straps, it feels very secure. It might take you a little bit to get them adjusted and just where you want them, but that usually doesn't take too long. Every inch that you can get yourself further out allows you to handle a lot more power in the sails. With straps you can get your center of gravity past the edge of the rail, i.e. you can hang your butt over and then lean out. This makes a huge difference in righting moment. If the conditions are right, this boat planes fairly easily, but only if you hike out. With the straps you are much more in control in gusty situations, as well. You can lean out and quickly lean in, to adjust ballast, without going for a swim.

Getting a good start in a race is so satisfying. Unfortunately, most of the time, I don't get that satisfaction. There is an online sailing game that can help you with your racing skills, including the start. It's a way to practice mentally, at least. http://www.sailx.com/

To be class legal you need a crew of at least two. What I have observed with mixed class fun races, is that the rules are sort of on a sliding scale. That is, the rules apply much more seriously to the winners and those at the front of the fleet than those at the back of the fleet.

did anyone mention /discuss sailing with the main only? if i'm sailing alone and the wind is 10+ or i expect it might increase, i usually sail with just the main. one sailor, one sail, one sheet. everything is simpler and my boat sails fine without weird balance problems, ie weather helm. if the helm feels heavy i could retract the centerboard somewhat but it hasnt been an issue. am i the only one? am i missing something?
dan in port royal

Salty Dog;

I always race with crew. I think that Lake Canyon Yacht Club (LCYC) has a place on it to aquire crew if you need someone. Also, you might post on the Texas 200 site on Facebook for crew. I found 3 or 4 sailors this year that sail Canyon Lake and a couple that live near there.

I do have a whisker pole. I don't have a spinnaker. I added the barber haulers per the discussion on the forum, helped the boat to point better.

I usually get a decent start, just falls apart after that. Bob Hunkins was mentioning early this year or late last year about making the Wurstfest Regatta a Southwest Regional event. If so we will have several DS1's to race against. The DS1's are faster than the DS2's, plus those guys are good at racing.

John

It's more fun to sail with crew, even someone you just invite to join you for the race.

I dunno ... what little racing I've done (with the DS) has been singlehanded, and it's always kinda fun when you pass a "crewed" boat similar to the DS ...

Back to mainsail-only for a moment . . .
Sure, at some point, you have to pull down the jib, even if you reef the main and even if you have crew. Not sure what that wind speed is, but I imagine it's somewhere around 30 mph.
What I have noticed is that there is a dramatic drop in boat speed. One sail-trim book I have says that in general you do better to flog the main to keep the boat upright, but keep the jib trimmed. That said, I agree that it is a relief sometimes to get the jib down. It's all so simple.
Where it's a tough call is when you really have to cover ground. I'm thinking of trying to beat in during a squall. We should have stayed in camp and gone home the next day. Now the crew is hypothermic, the wind is worsening, and the lee shore is all rock. It would be easier sailing to douse the jib, but we seriously need to get out of there. That's a case where I would probably keep the jib pulling, even if I had to sacrifice the main and let it luff.

That's when you need your double reefed main

(No, I don't have one, it's too rare to even need a single reef).