You can “sail easy” and have fun cruising this summer on a boat

Sometimes people think that sailing is just something for experienced sailors, actually to have a sailing vacation, by taking some precautions on equipment and instrumentation, you can even not be a super sailor and still have fun safely, even sailing well. We had told you about reefing circuits and the choices you can take for headsails , but there are many other solutions you can take to have a boat that is easy to steer and efficient. Let’s go to see which ones.

ELECTRONICS

On the electronics chapter we can indulge, it will just be a matter of budget to decide what to accessorize the boat with. The advice is to go single brand for all instrumentation, so you can be 100 percent sure that all instruments are integrated with each other, from the charting GPS to the wind station. Modern plotters offer a level of map definition and resolution that allows us an accurate and affordable navigation experience. By now virtually all manufacturers have equipped their instruments with applications to be able to repeat numbers and charting even in mobile media such as tablets, so we can have the boat’s navigation data with us at all times, even if we are in the cabin resting and not near the plotter’s screen.

BATTENED MAINSAIL OR ROLLABLE?

Let’s start with the theory. In terms of efficiency, if we are talking about a cruising mainsail, there is no better solution than a full batten mainsail. With one key caveat: it should be mounted with good quality ball carriages that allow us to hoist and lower it effortlessly even by ourselves. Accessorized with lazy jack and lazy bag, it will be a breeze to move the mainsail in very few minutes.

If we opt for a rollable mainsail instead, considerations must be made. In the classic version, the area of the furling mainsail is significantly reduced compared to the battened version, even more than 20 percent less, which will disadvantage the boat in a wide range of conditions in no small way. This means that we will be forced to keep the engine running longer than we would in a faster boat, thus consuming more carbutante and having a less fulfilling sailing experience. The alternative is the furling mainsail with vertical battens.

This technology, in use by all sailmakers, allows the sail shape to be improved and allows it to be made larger, which is not feasible with the battenless mainsail. It will still be super easy to furl the sail, but when we open it we will at least have a mainsail with a nice shape and enough surface area to be able to start moving the boat even in the breezes.

STOCKING OR WHIP FOR THE GENNAKER?

The one on how to rig the gennaker is another important choice to make based on our experience. The most cutting-edge systems are undoubtedly the whippers, but they come at a cost and require that in opening and closing the sail be managed in certain ways to prevent malfunction. Ultimately, if we want to invest less and think we are not yet ready for more advanced systems, the good old stocking comes our way and still makes it easier to use the gennaker. Just keep his circuit in order, leaving the sail well when closing the stocking, and it is done without stress and inconvenience. If, on the other hand, we are familiar with whippers, certainly these are systems that lighten the sail and make it easier to use, as long as we know how to use them properly.

HALYARDS: NEVER IN PRESTRETCHED

Pay attention to the quality of our halyards, because the ease of sailing well will also depend on them. We eliminate pre-stretched halyards, even on boats under 10 meters their hold over time is reduced and the elongation under load still important. The result will be that if we want to trim the sails in a stiff breeze we will not be able to, so we will have a more lurching and uncomfortable boat. Better to choose dyneema halyards, even of an entry level quality, which will still have a better hold under stress, allowing us to shape the sails properly in all conditions.

THE WEATHER FORECAST

Finally we come to a topic no doubt dear to all, the weather. One aspect to be taken care of carefully if we want to have a peaceful boating vacation.

There are many choices: there are numerous apps, free or paid, that give us a more or less detailed weather service to consult. If, on the other hand, we want a professional service, we can rely on specialized companies, on the example of Meteomed, which offer a personalized forecasting service at various payment steps, with the possibility of also receiving advice on the route to take in addition to the specific weather conditions in the area where we sail.

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