Thanks, that was interesting. I was intrigued by the “traveller effect” by being able to tension the twin sheets differently. I am quite taken with the Garcia Exploration 45 and appreciate your videos very much. I would like to see a video about the centreboard, have you raised it very often and in what circumstances? Thanks. Wishing you fair winds!
Hi Rick! Really enjoying these rather technical videos. i do however have a few questions on the advantages of this sheeting system as opposed to german sheeting. it looks to me that when you are tacking with this system, you need to adjust both sheets? I also have a question concerning the baby stay. do you have separate back stays for this? maybe this could be an interesting video idea. "The standing rigging".
Hi Roderick. With this dual main sheet system we have a choice, to use both or just one, though it does take some setting up. If the windward sheet is used to control the boom, with the leeward sheet being slack, then, upon tacking the new windward sheet holds the boom and the new leeward sheet goes slack. Tada! This means we can have two boom ease settings, pre-programmed, if you get my meaning. Re the running backstays, these need to be used with the staysail every time, according to Garcia. So we do. The windward one is tightened and the leeward is loosened right off, so it doesn't chafe on the eased out main. The running backstays are also perfect as handy cranes, (block and tackle/handy-billy) which we use to get the outboard onto the tender, in conjunction with the tender lifting rig. No more back strain!
The twin main sheets are very handy but not really in the role of a gybe preventer. If the boom is eased, the windward main sheet will always be eased more than the leeward sheet, as it has to cover a longer distance from the coachroof block to the boom. This means that during a gybe the boom’s movement is limited by the shorter of the two main sheets, which was leeward but is now windward. So there’s a limitation, but not what I’d call a preventer. The Walder boom brake operates as a gybe ‘softener’, but also as a gybe preventer if it’s very tight. Sometimes, if wind loads aren’t high, we curse at the Walder as it stops a gybe or a tack we’re wanting to happen. We have to open the Walder’s clutch and loosen the line a little.
Hi Paulo. No, there’s not been much chafing there, which is both pleasing and curious, because the vang line is definitely chafing at that point. Sometimes the screws that secure the rub rails are the culprits, but in this case it doesn’t look like it. The chafing seems to be coming from the simple pressure of the line on the rail. I’ve also been getting chafing on the Walder Boom Brake line, where it rubs on the rail on the port side of the coach roof. That was caused by a poorly angled screw, such that the edge of the screw head presented itself like a blade to the line. I’ve carefully filed it smooth, along with re-tying the line’s bowline so fresh line meets that spot. I’ll monitor developments. Another chafe point I’m monitoring is where the spinnaker halyard exits the top of the mast. Here, the line rolls over a sheave and runs down and under a hinged sheave. When the spinnaker halyard is parked at the base of the mast the line runs on the edge of the hinge. This can be seen in the video I made with the drone. It’s possible to see some chafe there. The line hasn’t been used for real, other than as a safety for climbing the mast the first time. Sheesh! 🤨🙂
Unrelated question for you, sir: On a sailing forum, someone posted that in Garcia's Exploration boats, the anchor chain makes a lot of constant noise rattling inside its pathway towards the windlass amidships. Can you comment on that please?
Hi James. I’m unsure of the context relating to that forum post but I will pass on what Carolyn and I have experienced, having given our anchor and chain a very good workout last spring, summer and autumn. We heard no noises coming from the chain inside the tunnel between the chain roller/bowsprit and the chain locker. Not while at anchor, or tied up in roly marinas or while sailing in all sorts of directions and seas. So our experience is contrary to that forum post. There is a particular, intermittent noise I’m working on solving. It comes from the way yachts swing at anchor. I feed the snubber line through the second roller of the bowsprit. The roller is a touch less broad than the space available for it, which means it can move from side to side a few millimeters on its bearing pin. In a strong breeze the load on the snubber line can make this roller go ‘clang’ as it shifts on its pin. Solutions would be a shim to take up the free space, or a wedge, or to arrange the snubber differently. The fact that we didn’t tackle this issue for the whole season should leave the impression that it wasn’t a big deal. It didn’t keep us awake and I’m a light sleeper. But I will try the mentioned solutions one of these days. Regards, Rick.
Hi Stewart. Yes, the solent as Garcia call it, can be tacked through the space in front of the inner forestay, but it takes practice to get the technique right. And this is, to turn enough to get the boom to tack, then come back into the wind a little to reduce pressure on the backwinded solent. Wait a bit and it will slip through the gap. If it doesn't, I go forward and pull the foot of the solent down just in front of the staysail, which gets enough of it into the gap to pull the rest through. However, if lots of tacking is on the agenda, use the staysail instead of the solent. It's much easier to tack. 🙂
@@SailingSnowGum Thanks. Can you temporarily unclipped the baby stay/inner stay? Erik Aandera set up something similar and I think he clips it to the master base when it gets in the way... but that was a retrofit on a much smaller boat.
@@ecoworrier Hi Eco Worrier. Eric has a classic boat and I hope our Exploration 45 is a future classic. The inner forestay on ours is a seriously engineered piece of equipment; there's no unclipping. It could be dismantled and removed, if that was desired, but it would be a big job. We really like having the inner forestay as it gives us great options for heavy weather sailing, which we've proven in a full-on gale. 😳 🙂
Hi Tayyar. If I recall correctly the thickness ranges from 10mm for the bottom of the hull, to 6mm for the superstructure. It might even be thinner than 6mm for some of the cockpit panels. I suggest you make contact with Garcia's sales people if you need the full details. A couple of thoughts to keep in mind are, firstly, it's a very strong boat and secondly, the weight of the aluminium plates and structure is an important factor in the boat's stability calculations and motion dynamics. That is, it's fixed. 🙂 I hope I can be more helpful when you have questions about energy management or sail selection, or all of the other choices ahead of you. 🙂 Regards, Rick.
Thanks, that was interesting. I was intrigued by the “traveller effect” by being able to tension the twin sheets differently. I am quite taken with the Garcia Exploration 45 and appreciate your videos very much. I would like to see a video about the centreboard, have you raised it very often and in what circumstances? Thanks. Wishing you fair winds!
Very informative, thank you.
Hi Rick! Really enjoying these rather technical videos. i do however have a few questions on the advantages of this sheeting system as opposed to german sheeting. it looks to me that when you are tacking with this system, you need to adjust both sheets?
I also have a question concerning the baby stay. do you have separate back stays for this? maybe this could be an interesting video idea. "The standing rigging".
Hi Roderick. With this dual main sheet system we have a choice, to use both or just one, though it does take some setting up. If the windward sheet is used to control the boom, with the leeward sheet being slack, then, upon tacking the new windward sheet holds the boom and the new leeward sheet goes slack. Tada! This means we can have two boom ease settings, pre-programmed, if you get my meaning.
Re the running backstays, these need to be used with the staysail every time, according to Garcia. So we do. The windward one is tightened and the leeward is loosened right off, so it doesn't chafe on the eased out main. The running backstays are also perfect as handy cranes, (block and tackle/handy-billy) which we use to get the outboard onto the tender, in conjunction with the tender lifting rig. No more back strain!
Rookie question, does the twin main sheet help act as a gybe preventer or is that all down to the boom brake? Do you ever rig a gybe preventer?
The twin main sheets are very handy but not really in the role of a gybe preventer. If the boom is eased, the windward main sheet will always be eased more than the leeward sheet, as it has to cover a longer distance from the coachroof block to the boom. This means that during a gybe the boom’s movement is limited by the shorter of the two main sheets, which was leeward but is now windward. So there’s a limitation, but not what I’d call a preventer. The Walder boom brake operates as a gybe ‘softener’, but also as a gybe preventer if it’s very tight. Sometimes, if wind loads aren’t high, we curse at the Walder as it stops a gybe or a tack we’re wanting to happen. We have to open the Walder’s clutch and loosen the line a little.
Rick, any sign of chafing where the mainsheet touches the coach roof rub rail, near the foot of the mast?
Hi Paulo. No, there’s not been much chafing there, which is both pleasing and curious, because the vang line is definitely chafing at that point. Sometimes the screws that secure the rub rails are the culprits, but in this case it doesn’t look like it. The chafing seems to be coming from the simple pressure of the line on the rail. I’ve also been getting chafing on the Walder Boom Brake line, where it rubs on the rail on the port side of the coach roof. That was caused by a poorly angled screw, such that the edge of the screw head presented itself like a blade to the line. I’ve carefully filed it smooth, along with re-tying the line’s bowline so fresh line meets that spot. I’ll monitor developments. Another chafe point I’m monitoring is where the spinnaker halyard exits the top of the mast. Here, the line rolls over a sheave and runs down and under a hinged sheave. When the spinnaker halyard is parked at the base of the mast the line runs on the edge of the hinge. This can be seen in the video I made with the drone. It’s possible to see some chafe there. The line hasn’t been used for real, other than as a safety for climbing the mast the first time. Sheesh! 🤨🙂
Unrelated question for you, sir: On a sailing forum, someone posted that in Garcia's Exploration boats, the anchor chain makes a lot of constant noise rattling inside its pathway towards the windlass amidships. Can you comment on that please?
Hi James. I’m unsure of the context relating to that forum post but I will pass on what Carolyn and I have experienced, having given our anchor and chain a very good workout last spring, summer and autumn. We heard no noises coming from the chain inside the tunnel between the chain roller/bowsprit and the chain locker. Not while at anchor, or tied up in roly marinas or while sailing in all sorts of directions and seas. So our experience is contrary to that forum post.
There is a particular, intermittent noise I’m working on solving. It comes from the way yachts swing at anchor. I feed the snubber line through the second roller of the bowsprit. The roller is a touch less broad than the space available for it, which means it can move from side to side a few millimeters on its bearing pin. In a strong breeze the load on the snubber line can make this roller go ‘clang’ as it shifts on its pin. Solutions would be a shim to take up the free space, or a wedge, or to arrange the snubber differently. The fact that we didn’t tackle this issue for the whole season should leave the impression that it wasn’t a big deal. It didn’t keep us awake and I’m a light sleeper. But I will try the mentioned solutions one of these days. Regards, Rick.
I would like to ask, can the genoa be tacked between the inner stay or do you have to partially furl it beforehand?
Hi Stewart. Yes, the solent as Garcia call it, can be tacked through the space in front of the inner forestay, but it takes practice to get the technique right. And this is, to turn enough to get the boom to tack, then come back into the wind a little to reduce pressure on the backwinded solent. Wait a bit and it will slip through the gap. If it doesn't, I go forward and pull the foot of the solent down just in front of the staysail, which gets enough of it into the gap to pull the rest through. However, if lots of tacking is on the agenda, use the staysail instead of the solent. It's much easier to tack. 🙂
@@SailingSnowGum Thanks. Can you temporarily unclipped the baby stay/inner stay? Erik Aandera set up something similar and I think he clips it to the master base when it gets in the way... but that was a retrofit on a much smaller boat.
@@ecoworrier Hi Eco Worrier. Eric has a classic boat and I hope our Exploration 45 is a future classic. The inner forestay on ours is a seriously engineered piece of equipment; there's no unclipping. It could be dismantled and removed, if that was desired, but it would be a big job. We really like having the inner forestay as it gives us great options for heavy weather sailing, which we've proven in a full-on gale. 😳 🙂
Bu the way. What is the thicknesses of aluminum for hull under sea line and above and superstructures
Hi Tayyar. If I recall correctly the thickness ranges from 10mm for the bottom of the hull, to 6mm for the superstructure. It might even be thinner than 6mm for some of the cockpit panels. I suggest you make contact with Garcia's sales people if you need the full details. A couple of thoughts to keep in mind are, firstly, it's a very strong boat and secondly, the weight of the aluminium plates and structure is an important factor in the boat's stability calculations and motion dynamics. That is, it's fixed. 🙂 I hope I can be more helpful when you have questions about energy management or sail selection, or all of the other choices ahead of you. 🙂 Regards, Rick.