I was sailing all last week and learning a lot about how fun this boat can be. One problem continues to stump me though. When sailing on a reach or higher I often found it impossible to get the lowest telltales on the windward side of my main to stream properly - especially as the wind picked up and a hull started to fly. All the other telltales would look great and I would be going like heck, but those lower telltales on the windward side would either stall or actually flow backwards (towards the mast). I travelled in and out, I sheeted in and out, yet the same thing kept happening. I think my downhaul was very tight, and on one occassion I had my mast raked so far back I could not put my stepping pin back in and could barely steer the boat.

Does anyone have any opinions as to why this particular newbie is having this problem?

Dave

Try to change the outhaul... more tension should result in a flatter profile, especially in the first 1/3 of the main. This might help with the telltail (not sure).
Too much mast rake could result in a situation where you sheet in block to block but have not sheeted in tight. The first 1/3 of the main would be effected the most. Less mast rake might help with the trim of the main - it will help a lot reducing weather helm.

Patrick

what exactly do the telltales do for you? and how do you read them? my boat is so old they have fallen off my sails... i just do it all by feel anyway, and i seem to get going crazy fast... for my old boat

My outhaul is as tight as I can pull it by hand. My sails are brand new and it seems like the outhaul can be either tight or loose insofar that there is not really any spring/give in that line. ie. when I pull on the outhaul more it does not give at all, and if I let it out an inch it appears quite loose.

As for the mast rake and sheeting, I am sure I could use some experienced advice here. I think I went from too little rake - where the boat was easy to steer, had a tendency to bury a hull and seemed to be sluggish to accelerate - all the way to the other extreme. However, when I raked too far back, the boat was not only VERY hard to steer but also seemed slow to accelerate. Unfortunately, I have no one to help me out by checking out my boat. I have read through 2 books and Ricks videos, all of which helped me out a great deal and had me flying my hulls and completing my tacks within 10 minutes of sailing the boat for the first time. But, the books and videos cannot really convey hands-on experience or (more importantly) give me comparative differences regarding the setup of my particular boat.

Dave

They make the air flow over the sails visable. The tell tails will follow the direction of flow. You want the flow running generally fore to aft. If the air flow is disturbed, you can see it in the tell tails.

You can make adjustments in helm and or sail to correct the flow for best performance.

Basic adjustments are:



Hobie Cat recommends the following placements:



Leech tails are used as fine adjustment of the main and should flow aft then hook to the back side and alternate between those two. Hooking all the time is over sheeted. Flowing aft all the time is generally under sheeted.

Windward telltales flying backward could indicate that the mast is not correctly rotated. Have you checked that the mast goes into the correct position (rotates to the other side) after tacking?

Claus,

My mast is rotating. That was one of the first things I checked because I believed that some sort of turbulence could make those lower telltales flow backwards. When my mast rotates following a tack it goes from one extreme (stop) to the other...I am also assuming this is correct.

It may be worth mentioning that the lake I was on is between 1/4 and 1 mile width at most and 14 miles long. So, when the wind blew up there was a lot of tacking and jybing - especially when the wind blew straight down the lake. There was also a lot of irregular wind because the shores are all heavily lined with trees.

My suspicion is that my trouble may have to do with some combination of excessive rake for the conditions along with too much downhaul and how hard I am sheeting the main. But, as I have said, I really don`t know and am seeking advice.


Dave

I, too, cannot get the lower main windward telltales to flow properly. When I turn to the point where they are flowing, it seems like I have lost power and I am going slower than before. Question: Could this be caused by the mast over rotating and disturbing the airflow on the luff?? I have the older Seaway 5:1 blocks and when sheeted tight they seem to "push" the mast past the stopper on the mast base and cup.

Mac,

My experience and equipment is the same as yours - with one exception - my mast does not rotate past the stop. But, when tacking/gybing it always rotates TO the stop. In other words, the mast never settles at some in-between spot...only goes from stop to stop. I assume this is normal.

I thought this post was toast and I would get no more answers. I hope someone sets us straight.

Dave

I'd say ignore the lower tails and concentrate on leech tails once you are moving and sheeted tight. I think I have seen the same from the lower tails when close hauled. Downhaul and outhaul best you can, then just ignore them.

Thanks Matt,

My new Hobie sail doesn`t have the telltales on the leach yet. But, I have the telltales already and will install them on the leach as per your diagram.

- me thinks (perhaps) twas something ado about nothing!


Dave