CS 20 #35 Christened on 4/22/06

[Joe Nelson CS#35]

My boat hit the water for the first time on Saturday. This was really the first time she got wet. No chance for a pre-christening sea trial. She rides high (barely wetting the chines at all) cuts through waves with amazing stability and ease. Very smooth ride! My only regret is that I was not able to get the sails up. We had 30 knot winds and it is a very small harbor. Besides, I was not comfortable with my first try in front of hundreds of people at a boat show. The weather was GREAT, other than windy. First dry weekend of the year. We had 70 boats at this years event...most ever for us.

We christened 10 boats this year with Champagne and a bagpipe player in full garb dress. Very nice ceremony with lots of people in attendance. The Christening Princess was on the end of a dock with the bagpipe player on a boat. We passed between and the Princess threw champagne from a glass over the bow. A couple of the smaller boats crew were spashed as well. Fortunately, the CS 20 proved long enough to outwhit even the 30 knot winds.

[P Doug (WA)]

Congratulations Joe! you must be very very proud. She is a beautiful boat!

[Terry Dunn]

Way to go Joe!

[PinoyPiper]

Congrats Joe!

Pipers get gigs everywhere

[JeffM]

Congratulations, Joe! The day was a long time coming, but your quality work made it worth waiting for. Here's to your first real sail!

[Brent]

Congratulations Joe. We celebrate with you. Looks like a nice christening. Fair winds to you and your boat.

---Brent

[klwood99]

Great job. May you be rewarded by many peaceful days sailing.

Kevin

[Guest Oyster]

Congradulations and a nice launch day indeed!!!! 8)

[Joe Nelson CS#35]

Thanks for the kind words. It is exciting and I can't wait for the first day of sailing!

One thought...with sleeve luffs, do I need to worry about the sprits falling out of the pockets at the aft end of the sails? Do you tie the sprit ends in, in combination with the block attachment (with the droppers) or is there enough rearward force to keep them in place (even when the sail is set with a lot of draft)?

Also...When doucing the main, is it best to lower the sprit with the snotter and then pull the sprit from the rear pocket? I've never dealt with a sail that doesn't have a halyard and tracks to lower the main. Obviously the sails cannot come down without removing the masts. This will help with final cut length for the snotter line.

Do you guys put stopper knots in the sheets and snotter?

[JeffM]

Joe, I'm not sure what your pockets are. With my sails, the pointy end of the sprit fits into a loop at the clew. A little tension on the snotter keeps it there, no matter the sail shape. To set up (boat head to wind), I fit the sprit into the loop (not always easy with it whipping around in a stiff wind), push it taut and clip the snotter to the loop I have on the mast. Then I tie the sheet block (with sheet left rigged) around the clew loop between sail and sprit. To furl, I loosen the snotter, unclip it from the mast, then pull the sprit out of the loop, lay the sprit on deck and wind up the sail around the mast and tie it. I don't use stopper knots on anything but the main snotter.

[Brent]

The sprits need a little tension to stay in the loops at the end of the sail. If the snotters are let go the sprit and sail can disconnect.

The snotters on my boat are run back to the helm - and I tweak them frquently. The snotters and downhaul (cunningham) control the sail shape. I find that snotter tension has a very large influence on the power I get from the sail. One trick I use when docking in a breeze is to get the boat in close and then let the snotters fly. This quickly depowers the sail and helps with a nice smooth approach to the dock. Thought that might help as you consider snotter length.

[JeffM]

Brent, any tips on how you decide on snotter tension? (I'll be out over the weekend in 10-15kt, so I expect I'll want the sail pretty flat.) Also, how do you decide on snotter position on the mast? I know it balances foot vs. leach tension, but I don't have a good handle on how to judge it.

[Brent]

The snotter to mast connection location on my boat is set per Graham's design, and working just fine.

To set snotter tension I go for keeping the battens approximately parrallel to each other and the sail not to flat. I watch the leach streamers very closely, and if one is swirling more than the the others that indicates a possible opportunity for a snotter adjustment. I like to run the fullest sail possible for maximum power. When really pushing for speed I will flatten the sail slightly when pointing versus the setting for a reach or run. The boat responds very quickly to snotter tension adjustments, so it is easy to figure out if I did the right thing. In high winds I go with a flatter sail, as you do.