Loose footed vs fixed foot mainsails

[Steve Linkinhoker]

I have a Cape Dory 30 currently with a fixed mainsail and I am considering changing to a loose footed main. I was wondering if anyone has done that in the past and if anyone has any thoughts on the matter. I was thinking I would have better sail shape at the foot especially in light winds.

[tjr818]

Steve,
I think most people have switched to loose footed these days. We just purchased a new main from UK Halsey two years ago for our CD27, at the time I received quotes from many sailmakers and all indicated that loose footed was the preferred configuration.

[Jim Walsh]

I have purchased three new mainsails in my life. Two had fixed feet (rather an awkward description ) and one was loose footed. I would rate each of them equally as far as performance goes. The key factor in my satisfaction with each was the fact that they were NEW. The baggy old mains which they replaced had imperceptibly lost their shape and by the time I decided to replace them I was making more leeway than headway. It is the draft which suffers as a sail ages. It moves aft and pointing ability and boat speed are diminished. My current mainsail is beginning its third season and has a fixed foot. I am more than happy with both its performance and my decision.
Keep in mind a fixed foot mainsail is handy for scooping up flying fish and depositing them in the cockpit when the boat rolls. This is a feature which many experts fail to emphasize.

[David Morton]

In conjunction with full battens, with its limiting effect on the ability to change sail shape, I felt the loose footed sail provided some increased opportunity to effect sail shape via the outhaul, especially under light air conditions. But like Jim says, a new sail is a thing of wonder, regardless.

David

[Anthony P. Jeske]

Hi;
A loose footed main will allow you to tie up the bunted portion of a reefed sail without having to wrap the ties around the boom, eliminating the potential of tearing the sail at the reef.

Regards,
Tony Jeske
C&C 27 MkV
FLYING CIRCUS
San Diego

[Jim Walsh]

Hi;
A loose footed main will allow you to tie up the bunted portion of a reefed sail

I have followed the example and practical advice of one of my sailing hero's concerning the bunt of a reefed mainsail. For the last thirty years I have left the bunt loose. I still have the cringles installed mostly because it's hard to break old habits. I never have the reef points in place. As a practical matter the press of the wind in the sail keeps the bunt in place and I have never experienced any noise or flapping once the reef is taken.
As Hal Roth stated "As a practical matter I don't use these ties, which I find unnecessary and a waste of time".

The great part of being the masters of our vessels is that we get to pick and choose which sail handling techniques satisfy our needs.

[Markst95]

Keep in mind a fixed foot mainsail is handy for scooping up flying fish and depositing them in the cockpit when the boat rolls. This is a feature which many experts fail to emphasize.

Jim- Can you share some of your sail flying fish hunting techniques? The only Thing I've caught so far at the mouth of the Mystic River is a whiff of the Clams cooking over at Costello's.

[Jim Walsh]

Keep in mind a fixed foot mainsail is handy for scooping up flying fish and depositing them in the cockpit when the boat rolls. This is a feature which many experts fail to emphasize.

Jim- Can you share some of your sail flying fish hunting techniques? The only Thing I've caught so far at the mouth of the Mystic River is a whiff of the Clams cooking over at Costello's.

Step 1) after passing Costello's continue down the Mystic River until you enter Fishers Island Sound
Step 2) head west around Fishers Island till clear of The Race
Step 3) head southeast from The Race ensuring you keep west of Montauk Point and the surrounding reefs.
Step 4) continue to head in a south-southeast direction for approximately 175 nautical miles.
Step 5) as dusk approaches set an alarm for 60 minutes and go to sleep under full sail leaving the self steering wind vane to maintain your heading
Step 6) when the alarm goes off check your cockpit for flying fish, if flying fish are present pop them in a freezer bag and place them on ice, if no flying fish are present reset your alarm for one hour and repeat as necessary.

Even I can catch flying fish using this foolproof technique

[Markst95]

Now I see what my problem is, I forgot the 175 nautical mile thing. Gonna have to try that on a really long weekend.

All kidding aside I wonder if there are any flying fish in long island sound. We've got whales, dolphins, seals, I've even seen a basking shark. Possible some got swept up the Gulf stream?

[moctrams]

You cut the head and tail off and eat raw, chewing the bones slowly and completely.

[John Danicic]

Keep in mind a fixed foot mainsail is handy for scooping up flying fish and depositing them in the cockpit when the boat rolls. This is a feature which many experts fail to emphasize.

Jim:

As a lake sailor who gets his fish fillets wrapped in white paper. I have read seafaring books about how delicious flying fish are. Could you tell me....

How does one prepare a flying fish for breakfast? They seem so small as to be just a few bites. Do you remove the head? The Wings?

I can't believe you eat it raw. It seems that in books they are fried up by Killick...the steward.

[Steve Laume]

I didn't eat mine raw or freeze them. When you are waking up at odd hours or you find them on the deck in the morning, then eat them ASAF, (as soon as found).

I scaled them a bit, cut off the head with the flying fins, then gutted them and tossed them in a fry pan with butter and garlic. They make a great late night snack or a nice addition to whatever is for breakfast.

I had read a lot of stories about finding them on deck and always wanted to try them. It really bothers me to watch videos of people just tossing them overboard. Unless they get wedged into a place that you don't find them right away, they are delicious, Steve.

[Jim Walsh]

I just collected them till breakfast in the icebox then I dredged them in breadcrumbs and fried them in butter. Never got more than three that were big enough to to bite into at one time. Some were the size of dragonflies. Sometimes large schools would break the surface but I never did see anything chasing them. I also never had one hit the deck in daylight, only at night.

[Joe Mac Phee]

One issue to consider about loose footed mainsails is the loads imposed on the boom. For a loose footed sail, the loads are concentrated at the ends of the boom instead of distributed along the boom. If you have mid-boom sheeting on your boom, there is a stress between the end of the boom and the sheet bail that may overload the boom and bend or break it. Be aware of the forces involved, the cross section of your boom and make your choice.

Joe

[jbenagh]

I switched to loose-footed when I bought new sails just after I bought Christine C (CD30) in 2011. It wasn't until this summer that I really got the most out of it. To do so, you want a ~4:1 purchase on the outhaul to get the best tension when beating. Be sure to account for the block sizes before making tha sail as you may need to sacrifice 1-2 in of clew to get it right; with a high roach the loss at the clew makes no difference.

Also, rig a cleat very far forward on the boom for the outhaul. If you leave enough line, like 4-6 ft, when running you can let out a lot of clew and get the main to billow out like a jib and it is super-powerful. It takes a bit of practice with just the right crew and conditions. Once you figure it out, I thinkyou can get it right in many conditions.

Enjoy!

Jeff