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More Low Friction Rings

In the first article of this series we gave results on using fairleads and showed how the added friction is not significant with low deflection angles. In this article we consider using low friction and other standard rings with high deflections and analyze how these can be used in systems to provide simple and inexpensive mechanical advantage. Again we used the digital scale shown on the right to make the measurements. This scale reads up to 220 pounds with 1/2 pound resolution.

Fairlead Friction Uncovered

Have you ever wondered hom much, if anything, you are giving up by using fairleads instead of blocks? How much friction is there. How does this compare with a block? Does the style of the fairlead matter? This article attempts to answer these questions.

Using a digital scale, I was able to compare the no fairlead force required to just move my weight against the turning block that I had on the test bench to the force required to move the weight when there was a bend through one of two types of fairleads. I took data at many angles with both fairleads. I also took some data with different line types, specifically Samson XLS and Amsteel.

Jibsheet Fairleads

Do you find that you get wraps on your jib winches or just want give a better lead angle to the winch? In the last race we did, a new crew member got a wrap so tight that the only way to release it was to cut the sheet with a knife. We strung the lazy sheet to the secondary winch and took the pressure off but that was not enough to free the wrap, that is when the knife came out. The winch manufacturer recommends between 3 and 8 degrees as the ideal sheeting angle.

Unique Mainsheet System Analyzed

It isn't often you see a completely new way to rig a mainsheet. I saw this posting on Sailing Anarchy and though I would share an analysis of what they are doing and why. Here is a picture of the boat

More on Rings as Twings, Inhaulers, and Fairleads

I have several articles on using rings as inhaulers and twings. This can be taken to extremes and the jib car can be eliminated and just the twing and inhauler used. It not only can be, that is how the TP-52 fleet is rigged. Here are some pictures to show it. This is a picture I took a couple of years ago at the Big Boat Series in San Francisco of the TP-52 Mayham
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Calibrating a Marine Compass

Everyone understands that a marine compass needs to be calibrated. I am not an expert on compass calibration but got interested in the question when a club member asked me if I had an article on the subject on this web site. It is easy enough to find articles on how to calibrate a marine compass but I found them lacking in two areas. First, they did not explain what was really going on such that I could understand why things were being done. Second, they all recommended you don't actually do the calibration yourself but rather hire an expert. Of course, because I only was presented with a how and a recommendation not to do it, I did not have the knowledge to judge if the procedure was going to be error prone if I did it without some of the fancy tools the professionals have. I kept thinking about it and doing a few experiments until I felt I understood what the goal of all these measurements was and how accurate they needed to be. Of course, I would be a fool if I didn't give the same advice, have an expert do the job for you. But after reading this you might at least understand what is going on and be able to judge for yourself if you think you know enough to calibrate your own compass.
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7-Day Tide and Current Forecast

Improved 2/27/2013 - Graph now goes midnight to midnight. Added title to each section.

Tables and graphs for selected tide or current station for the week ahead.
Table shows high and low times for tide, slack and peak for current. Also shows sun and moon events. Graph is as shown below. The final table shows the hourly values.

Sorry tide depth graphs only, please select another station.

Sorry tide depth graphs only, please select another station.

Low Friction Rings Mechanical Advantage

Using Low Friction Rings instead of Blocks
I recently saw a picture of a three stage cascaded block system using low friction ring instead of blocks. This article analyzes such a cascade and shows how to calculate its effective mechanical advantage. The techniques shown can easily be extended to other systems. I will discuss one such system that I use on my boat.

Mechanical Advantage
To analyze a system like this you need to know the efficiency of a single stage, extend that to the the efficiency of the entire system, and translate that to mechanical advantage. For reference lets consider the following sketch.

Make Your Own Telltails

By: Ed Sinofsky

I admit it, this is sailing nerdiness at its extreme. When I was a teenager I was a sailmaker at Spencer sails in Huntington New York. That was almost 40 years ago! I used to make the telltales when I worked there. It was always fun bringing pockets full out to customer's boats and giving them away like bringing cake or wine to a visit.

I'm no longer a sailmaker, but over the years I have fine-tuned the design. As winter sets in, I always like to make a nice big batch just to keep myself occupied. I thought some of you might be interested to see how I do it.
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2013 Racing Rules of Sailing -- When Boats Meet

With a new year comes new rules. Nothing major changed this year, just clarifications and a few changes to keep people from "working the rules". If you sailed to the intent of the old rules, nothing changes. Here is a link to just the definitions and section 2, When Boats Meet. This is the part every racer needs to know and the source of most discussion of the rules.

GPX and CSV Waypoint Editor and File Converter

Input GPX or CSV Files

Add any number of additional waypoints

Edit any name, location, or symbol

View location of waypoints on map

Download as either GPX or CSV The file at the left is an example of the map view of a file about to be edited.

This tool can be used to convert any Garmin gpx file to a StartLine csv file. In addition, you can use this to read your gpx files into Excel or Word processor for analysis, viewing, or editing.
GPX -> EDIT -> CSV
GPX -> EDIT -> GPX
CSV -> EDIT -> CSV
CSV -> EDIT -> GPX

Buying New Sails?

by Harry Pattison

New sails represent one of the biggest investments you make in your boat. So when getting ready to make that purchase what things should you consider to make sure you get the product that best fits your needs and to insure you spend your money wisely?

First make an honest assessment of what kind of sailing you will be doing. Broadly sailing falls into four categories; offshore cruising, local cruising and recreational sailing, cruise/race, and racing. The type of sail material, type of construction, and the price to some extent will be determined by this decision.

Used Sails Listing Site

You might see a new tab on L-36.com. The "Used Sails" tab represents a new service for the sailing community. If you have ever looked for used sails for your boat I think you will like what we have to offer.

Find used sails that fit your boat from multiple vendors, North, Minney's, Pineapple, Beacon. All presented in terms that relate to your boat. Just enter the brand of your boat, pick the specific boat from the list, and the type of sail you are interested in. The next page will list sails that might fit the boat you have selected. Calculations are made, such as %LP and percent of maximum as appropriate so you can see easily which sails might be of interest. Below is a sample listing

This is a 93 % jib.
The clew is about 0 feet above the tack.
The luff is 91% of the forestay entered or estimated
Click HERE to get Contact information

ID#	LUFF	LEECH	FOOT	WEIGHT-MATERIAL	ATTACH	MAKER	CONDITION	COMMENTS - UPDATED LIST 10-3-2012	NUMBER	BIN	PRICE
H214	39'	37'	13' 2"	3 OZ DACRON	LOOSE LUFF	NORTH	VERY GOOD 7	LOOSE LUFF STAYSAIL, GOOD LIGHT JIB, COULD ADD HANKS	11-570	105	$295.00

NOTE: We make no commission and are not selling any of these sails. This is just another FREE service from L-36.com
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Using Bluetooth GPS Receivers with Android

Regular readers of L-36.com realize that I am writing an Android Racing app for sailing. In addition, I have consulted on two of the existing sailing apps and one of the stand alone boxes. Most recently I have worked with the author of Bluetooth GPS Provider to get modifications that make that driver ideal for my app. In this article, I will explain why you might want an external GPS receiver, what the various Android drivers do, and why I picked Bluetooth GPS Provider as my preferred app. Finally, I will explain all of the Preferences in Bluetooth GPS Provider, something you will not find anywhere else.

Stray Current Can Drop your Mast

You would think that having researched and witting an article on galvanic corsion that I would know better. But when I installed my antenna on the pulpit thus grounding it, I was only thinking about the VSWR and antenna performance. Little did I know I was going to cause a failure that not only could have but probably should have taken my rig down.

The coorsion was caused by a 20mA current that was sourced by the potential difference between my newly cleaned (after inspection) bronze chainplate and the zinc on my prop shaft. The path was the bolts holding in my chainplates to the chainplate to the shroud to the bronze ring around my lifeline to the lifeline to the stern pulpit to the antenna ground to boat ground and finally to the zinc on the prop shaft. The connection between the shround and the lifeline was the same as it had been for 50 years but I guess this time it make electrical connection or perhaps it was the different type of twine I used to lash it. That could have held water where the old twine didn't. In any event, in just a few months (May to September) this damage occurred. It is truly amazing that during the race we did the day before ...

Rock Box Blue - First Look

It will not come as a surprise to readers of L-36.com that I was a little disappointed to see that there was no "time to line" function (yet) in the new Rock Box Blue. But if you watched any of the Olympics or the America's Cup you see that the vast majority of starts today have boats lining up at a distance from the line and starting their accelerated run seconds before the gun. For those kind of starts, the Rock Box is a perfect match. Having a 50+ year old 12,000 pound boat, I want more than that and the developer of the Rock Box points out that there is more to come on this really solid platform.

That said, the new Rock Box is an impressive product. The waterproof case, O-ring sealed looks solid and well made. There is more to this product than just the start function as I will explain below.

Buying Used Sails

by William Posner

Given the cost of purchasing new sails for your boat these days, some are turning to the used sail market. Here at Pacific Sail Trader we wish to give you the lowdown on how best to do it. Purchasing a sail without seeing it in person is the greatest concern of most buyers. Not being able to actually touch it seems to be the missing sense.

Will it fit correctly? Of course a seller that will provide not only accurate measurements with the sail pulled taught, but showing photos of the good and the bad can help as well. If there are patches or repairs, are they shown? Seeing the corners is key. Often the original owner, especially if a racer will have written the luff , leech and foot measurements as well as the date those measurement were taken. Getting the build date is a plus! Let's say you see that the corner rings are reinforced with leather.Well that's a clue as to the age as it has been many years since that was a standard feature seen on sails.

Phone or Tablet On Board?

Using phones and tablets for marine applications is very attractive. Applications are a fraction of the cost of dedicated marine products that seem to perform the same function. But the marine environment is very difficult and there are problems with both phone and tablet applications. There are many articles on the Internet showing you which 10 apps are the best. This is not one of those articles. This article explores some of the problems people don't talk about and points out what to look for to get the best experience with your phone or tablet. The things that turned out to be important onboard were not the things that seemed important checking out the application at my desk.

Starting Line Apps

I had intended to review both iRegatta and BC Racer. Both are excellent well done apps for smart phones and tablets.

After testing both, I decided not to review the programs themselves, but to talk about limitations on this class of device. Perhaps you can overcome these limitations but after reading this you will at least you will know what they are.

Starting on Time with GPS -- Getting to the line at the gun going fast

This is the first of a series of articles on using GPS devices to get to the line on time going fast.

Wouldn't it be great to have an application or device that would get you to the starting line right at the gun going fast. There are several phone/tablet apps that say they will help you do that and a few dedicated boxes that say they will do it better.

How to Fly a Spinnaker

This 8 page tutorial covers all the terms, positions, and tasks of flying a symmetric spinnaker using the end for end gybe technique.

I have had Papoose for 23 years and never used a spinnaker on her. Last two seasons we won the local beer can series using a free flying jib downwind sometimes along with our normal jib. But we always had to play catch up to the boats that used spinnakers. I decided to learn to fly a spinnaker so we could move to the next level.

I joined the crew of a very successful Tarten-10 for the winter series. I used a GoPro camera to document as much as I could. This training series of articles is the result.

Lazy Lightning (the T-10) uses end for end gybes which are said to be appropriate for boats up to 35 feet. It is much simpler to rig and execute than a dip pole gybe so is the preferred method for boats such as mine which fly smaller spinnakers.
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Weather Page Updates

It has been about a year since I reported on the L-36.com Marine Weather page. There have been many improvements to the page in that time that I want to share. The page has been well received and has hundreds of users. I thought it would be useful to point out some of the improvements for those of you who have not tried it recently.
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Wind Map

This is an experimental page that will show the wind for nearby reporting stations. There are three sources of reports: Local and regional Airports, NOAA Buoy Data Center, and Local weather stations. The local version of this page uses all three. The wide area only the official stations which are from the first two. Please check out this site and give feedback. What do you like and what do you want to see added or changed?
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No Shackle Toggle Halyard
UPDATE:

UPDATE: New configuration shown!
This article shows how to make a simple extremely light and easy to use no shackle integrated toggle for attaching a halyard to the mainsail. This method works with HM line such as Amsteel. There are several articles elsewhere on the site that show how to make Amsteel to Line halyards. This article is the finishing touch.
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8:1 and 20:1 Cascade Vang Systems (and link to 16 more vang systems)

A 8:1 Vang system that is cheaper than using two fiddle blocks, lighter, and stronger. What is not to like? You just run the control line back to the cockpit where you put a cam cleat. You will likely need a turning block on deck but then you have the vang where you want it when it needs to be released quickly before you round up.

The second vang system shown is the 20:1 vang on Papoose. This is a unique system with some advantages that are discussed.

This page also has a link to 16 standard variations on vang systems.

Eventide Sails Again

I am happy to report that the L-36 Eventide returned to the Bay on New Year's Day 2012. After our very well photographed adventures at the 2011 Master Mariners Race I faced a tough decision about whether to restore Eventide. Her hull had basically been sawed through from deck to just above the water line by the other boat's chain link bobstay, and her spruce mast and boom were shattered into multiple pieces beyond repair. Eventide had been so thoroughly restored by her previous owner "Chairman" Bob Griffith and given me so many good times that I decided that if I could find a used and affordable mast and boom that the hull was worth repairing.

Creating the Easy to Use Waypoint and Route Program

This winter I am racing on a Tartan-10, not my L-36. We are racing the winter series out of South Beach Yacht Club and another one out of the Golden Gate Yacht Club. The skipper doesn't use a GPS and as I find them indispensable in sailing to a mark and in calling the layline, I brought my wrist version along. But first I needed to program in the waypoints and routes. What a pain. I used OpenCPN and plunked a waypoint down over the marks on the map. Entering the routes was the most difficult. That led me to build the waypoint and route editor. Then I thought, wouldn't it be great to just have a list of all the marks in the area and just check them off, rename them to match the names the race committee uses, import them into a program, copy and paste the race committee routes onto a page and press a button (after a little editing perhaps) and have a file you could download into your GPS? So I built just that.
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Lazy Lightning racing toward the Bay Bridge

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Disclaimer:
The information on this web site has not been checked for accuracy. It is for entertainment purposes only and should be independently verified before using for any other reason. There are five sources. 1) Documents and manuals from a variety of sources. These have not been checked for accuracy and in many cases have not even been read by anyone associated with L-36.com. I have no idea of they are useful or accurate, I leave that to the reader. 2) Articles others have written and submitted. If you have questions on these, please contact the author. 3) Articles that represent my personal opinions. These are intended to promote thought and for entertainment. These are not intended to be fact, they are my opinions. 4) Small programs that generate result presented on a web page. Like any computer program, these may and in some cases do have errors. Almost all of these also make simplifying assumptions so they are not totally accurate even if there are no errors. Please verify all results. 5) Weather information is from numerious of sources and is presented automatically. It is not checked for accuracy either by anyone at L-36.com or by the source which is typically the US Government. See the NOAA web site for their disclaimer. Finally, tide and current data on this site is from 2007 and 2008 data bases, which may contain even older data. Changes in harbors due to building or dredging change tides and currents and for that reason many of the locations presented are no longer supported by newer data bases. For example, there is very little tidal current data in newer data bases so current data is likely wrong to some extent. This data is NOT FOR NAVIGATION. See the XTide disclaimer for details. In addition, tide and current are influenced by storms, river flow, and other factors beyond the ability of any predictive program.