We’ve got another video for you this time. We thought there might be some interest in how we transition from motoring to sailing, so we shot this video of the process. It actually takes longer. The entire process clocks in at about 11 minutes, but we all know nobody is sitting through an 11 minute video where 8 minutes is coiling lines and organizing stuff. So, we edited it down to 3 minutes. You can see Kim at the helm and I start out on the deck by the mast for the mainsail haul and then move to the primary winch for deploying the genoa. Enjoy!
The link to the video is: Setting Meraviglia’s Sails
June 10, 2024 at 2:41 pm
Since it is difficult to tell from the back, how much overlap is there between the two sails when they are fully deployed?
June 11, 2024 at 11:20 am
Probably about 8-10 feet. It’s actually expressed as a percentage. Our genoa (headsail) is a 130% headsail. That means that 30% of the sail’s area extends behind the mast. A 100% headsail would extend to the mast but not past it. Our genoa is actually too large for world sailing. In the Caribbean and beyond, the winds are so strong that we would be better off with a 110% sail, but we’re not replacing it at this point.
Your question also raises the question of the “slot”. That is the vertical space between the genoa and the mainsail. Wind funneling through the slot needs to be laminar to produce maximal thrust. If the flow is turbulent, the wind will backflow onto the mainsail producing drag.
June 10, 2024 at 4:29 pm
WOW! Looks as if it requires a lot of brute strength—-I’m certainly impressed!
June 11, 2024 at 2:41 am
Amazing! I’m in awe!