Good that it is only a short term problem with your wife. We are dealing with probably terminal problems with my mother. SHe is 87 but had plenty of go in her before this.
Single handing parenting allows some good bonding and lots of patience. It will make you appreciate your wife even more.
My finances have improved lately and it is looking promising. Trouble is too much time working and visiting fora and not enough building
--- In harryproa@yahoogrou
>
>
> Thanks, Robert. I was feeling wordy and inspired at the same time. A
> business deal might let me build a boat sometime in the next two years,
> so I was gripped with enthusiasm about how it all comes together. First
> we build our house, though.
>
> Right now I don't have time for a sailing anarchy discussion. My wife
> is in the hospital (she'll get better, fortunately) and I have to care
> for our infant daughter full-time as well as get paying work done.
>
> Please feel free to post anything I say here in other groups. No need
> to attribute it to anyone -- most has been said first by Rob at one time
> or another I'm just fascinated by the design.
>
> - Mike
> / /
>
> Robert wrote:
> >
> >
> > Mike ,
> > this is a very nice summary.
> > Any chace of posting it on Sailing Anarchy as there is a bit of a
> > discusion going on there at the moment.
> >
> > On extra sail area, Rather than always having the extra height, if you
> > are going to have the extra track, you could fit a 5-6m spar with
> > about 1m of bury onto the track As it is only needed for light winds,
> > It doesn't have to be made too heavy. You could then fit a large
> > lightweight main if you had a boom extension. 30% higher and 30
> > percent wider gives a 60% increase.
> >
> > --- In harryproa@yahoogrou
> > <mailto:harryproa%
> > wrote:
> > >
> > >
> > > Proas are no more likely to capsize han other multis. It's a simple
> > > equation of heeling moment (sail area) versus righting moment (boat
> > > weight, moveable ballast, crew).
> > >
> > > As you point out, the pacific proa crowd feels their design is
> > > perfect. As Rob points out in his online articles, it's perfect with a
> > > crab's claw sail, on a beam reach, in trade winds, with highly-trained
> > > nimble crew who can dance windward and leeward to keep the log at the
> > > right level. Since the goal is to sail at the maximum heeling moment
> > > most of the time, this invites disaster if you don't have the perfect
> > > crew and conditions.
> > >
> > > It's the same reason why the Reynolds 33 is proclaimed a dangerous
> > > boat and forbidden from some race circuits. It's got a massive rig, and
> > > people like to use that rig to fly a hull as much as they can. I've
> > > been on one and while I was only able to fly a hull for a few seconds at
> > > a time due to light winds, I have to say it's great fun. But I don't do
> > > that with my own cat because I'm normally out alone. If you fly a hull
> > > long enough, you're going down. Maybe not for months or years, but it's
> > > only a matter of time. It doesn't make catamarans dangerous, and it
> > > doesn't even mean the r33 is dangerous. It means that capsizes happen
> > > when people sail multihulls right on the edge for long periods of time.
> > >
> > > You can argue that a Harry is less likely to capsize than an
> > > equivalent cat or or tri for the following reasons:
> > >
> > > - Longer waterline keeps the bows from digging in.
> > >
> > > - Sailing forces directly in line with the leeward hull, which is also
> > > the longest hull, help to keep the boat from tripping over an
> > > equivalently shorter catamaran hull, or worse, an even shorter trimaran
> > > hull.
> > >
> > > - A greater percentage of weight to windward will provide greater
> > > righting moment for the same sail area. This is a safety feature as
> > > long as you use it carefully though -- you could just keep pushing until
> > > you're flying a hull, and then you're on the edge again. Nonetheless,
> > > this righting moment may let you hit your max reasonable speed long
> > > before it's time to fly a hull anyway, in which case there's no need for
> > > white knuckles.
> > >
> > > - The flexible carbon mast will absorb gusts that would put a stayed
> > > boat right over. If you're near the edge with a stayed mast, there's no
> > > way to stop quick a gust (quick enough to where dumping a sheet or
> > > traveler won't help -- because you're on the edge), which might be 40%
> > > stronger than the average wind speed. But if the mast can flex, you
> > > gain a lot more reaction time, especially if you're got a rig that can
> > > dump force at a moment's notice (see next point).
> > >
> > > - A balanced easyrig will let you go to near zero heeling moment at
> > > any time. This is extremely important (whether on a proa or other
> > > multi) if you want to push the envelope safely. Dumping a mainsheet on
> > > a normal sloop rig sometimes adds to power and heeling moment, and
> > > sometimes can't be done. Dumping a large headsail can also be
> > > problematic. Trying to dump both at the same time, singlehanded, is
> > > highly unlikely. Going to zero on an easyrig Harry is as simple as
> > > releasing a single sheet.
> > >
> > > - A balanced rig will let you infinitely tune the heeling moment at
> > > any point of sail, even dead downwind. Anyone who has ever been caught
> > > in a multi running in winds close to the pitchpoling force will tell you
> > > how vital this is. It's quite scary to be out there knowing that you
> > > can't reduce sail area because the main in pinned to the shrouds, and
> > > you can't simply round up because that might cause you to dig in a bow
> > > and either capsize or pitchpole.
> > >
> > > - You can always shunt, at any time, even if you're 50' off a lee
> > > shore, and do so while feathering the sails on "just so", in order to
> > > avoid any sudden stresses. Trying to gybe, or come about through 200+
> > > degrees, in a catamaran or tri, while eyeing the granite of a lee shore,
> > > is not a good feeling. Being able to just switch direction is a superb
> > > safety feature.
> > >
> > > - You can always just reverse. There are times when the wind and wave
> > > period/height make a given angle of sail too dangerous to continue, but
> > > at the same time too dangerous to let a cat or trimaran turn around
> > > safely. Instead of trying to negotiation the mother of all turnabouts,
> > > you just head back in the other direction. That's as valuable in
> > > preventing capsize as the ability to shunt.
> > >
> > > - This is the one multi design that could elegantly self-right after a
> > > knockdown without any outside assistance. If your boat is light enough
> > > and the wing mast is tall enough (to provide enough flotation), this
> > > turns a nightmare into simply a bad day. Trying to do that on a 40'
> > > multi of any other design wold be highly unlikely. While I don't think
> > > anyone has tried this, or wants to try it, on the cruising Harry's, Rob
> > > has done it many times on his Elementarry , and the physics work the
> > > same with a heaver boat and taller masts.
> > >
> > > ---
> > >
> > > I'd say that as long as you're sailing wisely, and not trying fly a
> > > hull all the time, you won't find a safer design.
> > >
> > > I'd personally go with a taller and/or telescoping mast if you want
> > > more speed. That preserves all the benefits of the balanced rig listed
> > > above. Besides, does anyone other than a Decision 35 crew on Lake
> > > Genevia really need to push the SA/D past 50 or 60? If you're already
> > > there, I'm not sure it makes sense to ask for more sail area.
> > >
> > > But as Robert points out, this does mean you'll either have a taller
> > > mast or a telescoping mast. I'd probably go for taller, both for the
> > > sake of simplicity and also for preventing going past 90 degrees in the
> > > event of a knockdown. But since I'm primarily a daysailer, my opinion
> > > is skewed.
> > >
> > > - Mike
> > >
> > > / /
> > > Gardner Pomper wrote:
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Hi,
> > > >
> > > > I have been listening to a podcast called "Furled Sails" which is
> > > > mostly about small sailing craft. One of the events they have covered
> > > > alot has been the Everglades Challenge, which is a 300 mile race from
> > > > Tampa, FL to Key Largo through the Everglades. It is mostly kayaks and
> > > > open monohulls, but they have had a few proas as well.
> > > >
> > > > The reason I am posting is that they have made a number (3 or 4)
> > > > comments about proas having not being able to sail downwind well. I
> > > > don't know if they mean speed or stability. Most of the criticism I
> > > > have heard about proas has been capsizing; not downwind performance.
> > > > Can anyone here tell me if there is an issue with proas sailing
> > > > downwind?
> > > >
> > > > I assume the proas they are referring to are traditional pacific
> > > > proas, so I figured I would just get denials from the regular proa
> > > > groups. I thought people here might have more objective and informed
> > > > opinions.
> > > >
> > > > If this is purely a sail size issue, I have a related question. Would
> > > > it be possible/reasonable to extend the forward boom on an easyrig and
> > > > mount a roller furled screacher there for light wind and downwind
> > > > performance? Maybe sheet it off to the end of the main boom?
> > > >
> > > > Thanks,
> > > > - Gardner
> > > >
> > > >
> > >
> >
> >
>
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