R22 Discussion Group

Michael,
Tightening stays under load is not recommended. Loosen all stays at dock  (no 
sails out) and tighten correctly. You can find many suggestions, many very  
detailed in the archives.

Rummy

In a message dated 6/29/2008 10:09:14 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,  
mticse at gmail.com writes:

Hello All,

After working on the boat for the past several  weeks and taking down the
mast for the 1st time to add a new pop-top  slider, windex and pre-wiring for
a vhf I was finally set to go. Replaced  my first impeller on the 20 year old
yamaha 8hp, hiking stick w/ coaming  box, all the wiring/lights tested and
operable as the former owner never  had a battery installed. And a solar
panel from GB to boot.

So I  went out for the first time for the season yesterday this being my
first  boat, first season. Everything was going swell. Wind was 5-10 mph. 2
hours  later the wind picked up a notch and still all was well. When it was
time  to go home, we lost our bearing and realized we were downwind and
started  to beat the wind. The boat started to heel and heel a lot. So much
we the  jib started touching the water and scooping water from the gunnels.  

The wind picked up even more and this when the problem started. I  decided
that it would be best to take down the sails and just motor in. We  tried to
head the boat into the wind and couldn't. Boat still heeling. We  let out the
sheets to steady the boat. Tried to furl the jib in. Furling  jib is
stuck.What to do? While the boat was heeling, wind is now 20+, I go  forward
to check the furling unit and noticed that there was hardly any  line in the
spool. I had to hand wind the sail itself and was able to roll  in about
2/3's of the jib. The 3rd still flapping. I grabbed the boom,  lifted the
topping lift, released the outhaul which just flew away and  pulled hard on
the main sail furling line and thank goodness the main sail  furled in. Motor
down, motor started and we now were heading into the wind  motoring, the jib
still flapping. I noticed that my mast stay turnbuckles  on the starboard
side was being turned loose from the flapping jib.  Turnbuckles was
reinstalled w/o cotter pins by our marina guy. Which way to  tighen? Counter
clockwise ok. Settled down the jib on the mast stays.  Swells were building
up and we would hear the motor wining when it caught  air.

As we started heading into our channel at Cedar Creek, our point  of sail was
now a beam reach and the 1/3 of our jib sail started to heel us  over and now
the motor was all air wining. Placed the motor in neutral  while we sailed
and instructed my partner to throttle the motor when the  boat flattened. We
finally made it into our marina, in our slip without  fanfare as the marina
was sheltered form the winds in the Barnegat. It  started raining cats and
dogs the moment we were gathering our things to  pack up. Secured the dock
lines, lifted the motor and rudder off the water.  We just left the boat amd
went home.

What do I do now? I might have  broken the furling jib when I physicaly hand
wound the whole unit. Where do  I even start to figure out why there wasn't
any line in the spool. Is it  possible when the mast was taken down that it
may have gotten unwound? How  do i get the furling jib back in order? Other
questions linger...Why  couldn't we head into the wind? Center board was
down. We're we just having  fun heeling and seeing the jib touch water or
were we already in  danger?

Thanks for listening and appreciate your  input...

Michael
Rhodes 87', Silverside

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