On the rocks; need advice

[Frank Hagan]

The gaff did seem free when I slacked the halyards a bit' date=' although it did make the sail a bit slack at the tack.[/quote']

OK, and I guess you never actually got through a tack to see if the gaff migrated over to that side. Sail shape does give you your power, so that probably did affect how much power you had going into the tack.

I was trying to remember why I never had a problem with my gaff jaws hanging up on my shrouds, and I think it was because I modified the mast to be higher than standard and lengthened the shrouds accordingly. I can't remember why I put a longer mast on her, but the extra 6 - 8" seems to have made a difference.

[Bud_Wilson]

O'yea You remember now don't you Frank? you put in the extra few inches so you could raise your shrouds up some so your gaff jaws wouldn't hang in them. You remember now don't you ? Kydockfrog you may have some slippage, but I am sticking with over stearing. I have done it more than once even with a tiller, and when you have company aboard you see the rock comeing and a little bit helps a hole lot will do even better. Just try her eazy and see what happens. If it don't work you can say I knew old Bud didn't know $hit about this. Y'all Come Cap'N Bud :?

[kydocfrog]

I put about 6 plus extra inches on the mast too, but frankly I thought that was now part of the problem. By increasing the mast height and raising the stay while keeping the design rig of bringing the shrouds off of an eyebolt on the forward side of the mast, the actual effect is to make the angle between the mast and the shrouds more acute, not less. I figured that's what is driving me to spreaders.

DocA