Riding sail

I have an island gypsy 32 sedan. I am thinking of having a riding sail made for next season. I'm interested in hearing from other IG owners about their experience using these at anchor and to decrease rolling while underway. I can go as big as about a 90 inch luff and a 84-in foot.

Active debate amongst Willard owners. I had a Willard 30 with a sail about your size. If there was a half-a-hurricane on the beam, it would set a few degrees of list. But for the most part, wasn't worth the effort to set. About 80%of owners had similar feedback. 20% felt sail was beneficial.

In my opinion, at-anchor has very little benefit (if any). Left alone, a boat will sit broadside to the wind, not point up into the wind. Adding windage only has a minor influence.

I'd you go forward, sail should be cut flat and trimmed tight on your rigging

Peter

A riding sail is not necessarily a steadying sail and neither is necessarily a staysail.

3 different names and purposes.....on purpose.

Understanding how each works makes understanding each one's purpose a whole lot easier.

Sailing vessels enjoy benefits from its regular suit of sails that can sometimes cover all 3 and act as propulsion sails.

psneeld said:

A riding sail is not necessarily a steadying sail and neither is necessarily a staysail.

3 different names and purposes.....on purpose.

Understanding how each works makes understanding each one's purpose a whole lot easier.

Sailing vessels enjoy benefits from its regular suit of sails that can sometimes cover all 3 and act as propulsion sails.

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Call them whatever you want. Most Willards came with a sail, presumably designed by a Naval Architect. I'd be stunned if more a handful of these sails were set more than a half dozen times since the early 1970s. Anchor or underway.

Of course, YMMV

Peter

I just prefer using the proper nautical terms.

I don't care when discussing boats with non boaters, I try to use terms they can relate to.

But in a boating forum that has enough bad info tossed in here and there....we should at least try to use terminology that people can put the opinion to the correct sail.

If people are discussing and rating completely different things..... in my mind that.... is useless at best.

psneeld said:

I just prefer using the proper nautical terms.

I don't care when discussing boats with non boaters, I try to use terms they can relate to.

But in a boating forum that has enough bad info tossed in here and there....we should at least try to use terminology that people can put the opinion to the correct sail.

If people are discussing and rating completely different things..... in my mind that.... is useless at best.

Click to expand...

OP used the correct term of "riding sail" for at-anchor. Stay sail never came up.

Stabilizing sail underway? It couldn't hurt. Question is if it will help enough to warrant the effort and expense. My experience is no. Same with at-anchor riding sail.

Honestly, despite having owned a couple boats with a stabilizing saili for use underway, I can't remember the nautical term. All I remember is I tried them a couple times and it was more work than it was worth. Not just the sail, but requires some rigging and controls.

I guess I'm a nautical luditte.

Peter

I apologize...I thought this was the other thread on steadying sails (but labeled staysail) where the terms got all thrown in helter skelter.

Steadying sail is the term for power cruisers avoiding roll is what I have heard and riding sail the sail at usually the stern on vessels at anchor or moorings