Arwen's meanderings

Hi everyone and welcome to my dinghy cruising blog about my John Welsford designed 'navigator' named Arwen. Built over three years, Arwen was launched in August 2007. She is a standing lug yawl 14' 6" in length. This blog records our dinghy cruising voyages together around the coastal waters of SW England.
Arwen has an associated YouTube channel so visit www.YouTube.com/c/plymouthwelshboy to find our most recent cruises and click subscribe.
On this blog you will find posts about dinghy cruising locations, accounts of our voyages, maintenance tips and 'How to's' ranging from rigging standing lug sails and building galley boxes to using 'anchor buddies' and creating 'pilotage notes'. I hope you find something that inspires you to get out on the water in your boat. Drop us a comment and happy sailing.
Steve and Arwen

Sunday 6 May 2012

I was thinking about light wind sailing in Arwen. I never quite get it right somehow. Some of the JW forum members gave helpful advice.


• Make all your boat movements slow and gentle

• Use minimum rudder angles and far larger turning circles as the rudder will act as a big brake

• Sitting over so that Arwen leans to leeward because the immersed chine will provide a shape that will encourage her to round up into the turn.

• Increasing or decreasing the weight on the helm will also be a factor

• Making sure that crew trim is correct – sitting as far forward as possible in light winds

• Hesitate in releasing the jib in a tack so that it backs slightly; a move that helps push her around more rapidly

I guess doing something with the sails would also be useful as well but I can never remember what – should you tighten them or loosen them slightly so that you get a bit of a belly between the sprit boom and the sail.......questions , questions , questions...............

Steve

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