That said, I have at times left the jib set until quite late in the docking game, if I am in a situation of having to go quite close upwind, or tack upwind, especially in a confined space, to get where I need to go. The M17 is great in so many ways, but if there were any weaknesses, tight maneuvering in flukey wind with main alone might be one. But that could be said of many boats... :-) cheers, John On 11/2/21 8:34 PM, John Schinnerer via montgomery_boats wrote:
Yeah dousing the jib is for all the old salts I know standard procedure for coming up to a dock, slip, or mooring buoy. For me as well on my M17 and anything else I've sailed with a jib.
Ideally one turns head to wind at end of approach and stalls out at point of reaching dock or buoy or entering slip.
Not always possible depending on orientation of dock/slip and direction of wind... :-o At least somewhat into wind (at least more than wind on beam) can be good enough, as the main can still be de-powered by letting it out until it luffs.
And for sure it's less dicey with just the main and no jib to suddenly catch air and accelerate when one is trying to decelerate!
The times I've had a slip, I've almost always managed to have one with head to normal prevailing wind (or close enough) and could sail out and in. I am also mostly the only person who ever does sail out and in, in the marinas I've been in. Everyone else just fires up their motor.
For me that's a missed opportunity - great learning experience/challenge of sailing seamanship, to be able to sail on or off mooring, dock, slip, without needing a motor.
cheers, John
On 11/2/21 7:15 PM, Alex Conley wrote:
Keep the jib up if you need to beat to windward in a breeze, but by all means drop the jib coming in to dock as part of slowing down for a controlled approach! Making me miss the summer evening return under sail, knowing folks are watching how you’ll dock…
On Tue, Nov 2, 2021 at 7:40 PM Peter Zimowsky via montgomery_boats < montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com> wrote:
Hi folks: For years when I’m coming into the dock under sail, I’ve dropped the jib and come in on the main sail. Now I’m hearing people that you don’t drop the jib. What’s the consensus? Thanks,
Pete WinterSky (Zimowsky)
San Juan Islander lost inland - an old salty stuck in the sagebrush
outdoors writer and photographer Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pzimowsky Twitter: @zimosoutdoors The Northwest Outdoors Journey: https://outdoorsnorthwest.home.blog/2019/03/13/the-journey-begins/
"We Can Not Control the Wind But We Can Adjust Our Sails"
-- John Schinnerer - M.A., Whole Systems Design -------------------------------------------- - Eco-Living - Whole Systems Design Services People - Place - Learning - Integration john@eco-living.net - 510.982.1334 http://eco-living.net http://sociocracyconsulting.com