Cape Dory 30 Sail Plan

[John M]

I have a CD 30 cutter and the previous owner equipped it with a 150 Genoa with roller furling. The original Yankee is not equipped with a bolt rope to use it in the furler and the stay-sail is quite old. The major downside of this is I have to take in the Genoa each time I tack to get it past the inner forstay. I have thought about restoring the sail plan to the original but want to be sure the Yankee will tack through cleanly. I assume the former owner was planning on not using the stay sail and removing the inner fore stay.
I very much like to use the self tending stay sail in heavy weather when single handing.

I would like to hear what other owners opinions are.

_________________
John M.

[Steve Laume]

The yankee will tack through the slot very nicely with several conditions.

The staysail must be set or it will tend to wrap around the inner stay. It helps to use a continuous sheet with a larks head at the clew instead of a pair of bowlines. It also works better if you allow the sail to backwind, slightly before you let go of the old sheet.

If you are going to keep using the gennoa, I would suggest getting a detachable fitting for the inner stay. That big sail is just not going to want to go through the slot very well, Steve.

[Larry DeMers]

I use a 150% genoa on roller furling, along with the club-footed staysail. When tacking, the genoa is rolled up about 40-50%, the boat tacked, and then when on the opposite tack, the genoa will partially fill, and pull through the slot, pulling out the rolled up portion too.

In light wind conditions, the genoa will have to be furled, boat tacked, then the genoa can be unfurled. Slower, but we have actually gotten pretty fast at this operation...considering the process.
he mast is one I am looking into. Yes, the staysail will have to be removed fromthat the stay before the stay can be released and stored, and then reattached before the sail can be used. But I figure that we use that staysail in higher winds forward of the beam, so that is a fact we will know before leaving an anchorage and not something that is likely to change too often in a single sail...so not a bad problem.

The Spitfire Jib that is the supplied CD supplied sail for the jib and it is a great sail when making miles into the heavier winds, with large waves, as they pass underneath the sail nicely. Visibility also improves over the big 150% genoa. That said, our boats are a speed demon when using the 150% genoa, pulled in tight, staysail adjusted so that the wind is slipping back onto the mainsail smoothly, and the mainsail fully pulling with smooth flowing telltales.

So use what suits your conditions, have fun and be safe.

Cheers,

Larry DeMers
s/v DeLaMer CD30c sailing Lake Superior

[John Stone]

I don’t have a CD 30. But the same issue applies when using a big jib on most any cutter. I agree with Steve L that it makes a lot of sense on a cutter to have a removable forestay. After looking at rediculously expensive after market release levers I designed and installed an a release assembly made from Dynex Dux, Amstel Blue, and a few Antal low friction rings. I eliminated the stays’l boom which I think has little value (many other sailors love it). It takes about 30 seconds to release our forestay and because it’s synthetic I don’t have to worry about it banging on the mast. I leave the stays’l hanked to the forestay and just drag the whole thing aft to the mast or side deck. Then we can short tack to our heart’s content in heavy or light air without any foul ups on the forestay. I don’t think removing the stays’l boom or incorporating a synthetic forestay makes the stays’l less relevant one bit. In fact our stays’l is a key component in our new larger rig.

You might be able to make the same style release system work with a stays’l boom.

Here is a link to how we built the release system. https://farreachvoyages.wordpress.com/2 ... se-device/

Below is a picture of the stays’l still connected to the forestay but relocated aft to the side deck while beating up wind in light air.

[mgphl52]

Looks like you had a carriage return before the ending URL tag...
https://farreachvoyages.wordpress.com/2 ... se-device/

[John Stone]

Thanks Michael. I fixed it so the link should work now.

[Tom Keevil]

Great to see a post from you, Larry. When we bought Rover in 2002 you were a major source of useful information for us newcomers. I've often wondered how you're doing, so it's nice to see that you are still out there sailing.

[Larry DeMers]

Great to see a post from you, Larry. When we bought Rover in 2002 you were a major source of useful information for us newcomers. I've often wondered how you're doing, so it's nice to see that you are still out there sailing.

Tom,
I check in occasionally,but mostly lurk I guess. Yes we are still sailing our Cd30c, making 27 years now. We live aboard from now through Oct 20-25th, still enjoy our lives, and Lake Superior.

I hope all is well with you

Larry DeMers
s/v DeLaMer
CD30c Sailing Lake Superior