Merlin, tacking the top batten

General chat about boats
Post Reply
Michael4
Posts: 504
Joined: Fri Jan 03, 2014 5:25 pm
Location: West Sussex

Merlin, tacking the top batten

Post by Michael4 »

I am really no expert and seek advice!

We have real bother trying to tack the top batten of our Merlin in light winds.

Merlin 950, original Proctor mast and boom, simple Cunningham, drum kicker, keel stepped, transom sheet.
The mainsail we are now using is a 2003 (well modern!) Jeckells loose footed job. I have a clew slider and outhaul etc. Top batten is quite stiff. (Jib is 2013 Hyde (just yesterday), no hanks so jib halyard currently set quite tight)

What is the trick or more to the point what combination of yanking, shaking and heaving creates the desired effect? I've fiddled with the tension of the top batten to little effect.

Any suggestions much appreciated, the original flappy sails from '59 don't have this problem but then their performance into the wind now sadly leaves something to be desired!

Michael
Tideway 206
11+
Sold the 'Something bigger and plastic', it never got used.
roger
Posts: 3031
Joined: Mon Sep 20, 2004 12:08 pm
Location: Frome Somerset UK

Re: Merlin, tacking the top batten

Post by roger »

A well timed roll tack and pull on the mainsheet usually helps and reduce the batten tension in light winds.
Hornet 191 Shoestring,
Hornet 595 Demon awaiting restoration
Hornet 610 Final Fling
Hornet 353
realnutter
Posts: 212
Joined: Mon Aug 03, 2015 11:18 pm

Re: Merlin, tacking the top batten

Post by realnutter »

Try centre sheeting... gives you the possibility of grabbing the sheet at the boom, and cracking the sail across...
Matt

Int Moth K2992
User avatar
PeterV
Posts: 1233
Joined: Thu Sep 16, 2004 8:47 pm
Location: Locks Heath, Hampshire

Re: Merlin, tacking the top batten

Post by PeterV »

Try experimenting with kicker tension too. I found a bit of kicker always helped the top batten go over on my Lark.
PeterV
Finn K197 & GBR564
Warsash
Rupert
Posts: 6255
Joined: Thu Sep 16, 2004 8:40 pm
Location: Cotswold Water Park

Re: Merlin, tacking the top batten

Post by Rupert »

Cunningham tension will also pop the batten.
Rupert
SoggyBadger
Posts: 282
Joined: Mon Jan 31, 2011 8:39 pm
Location: Staffordshire

Re: Merlin, tacking the top batten

Post by SoggyBadger »

It's been many decades since I raced Merlins. Never had a problem tacking the top batten though. The "secret" is the quality of your roll tacking. It needs to be very smooth in light winds to avoid shaking the wind out of the sails. Also, after you passed through head to wind ease the main so that the end of the boom is outside the gunwhale as you smoothly bring the boat level on the new tack.
Best wishes


SB
Mikey
Posts: 112
Joined: Sun Feb 27, 2005 4:27 pm
Location: Earith, Cambs. United Kingdom

Re: Merlin, tacking the top batten

Post by Mikey »

As previous posters have said a good roll tack is essential and you could try a softer batten. You need to be very careful when attempting to update an old rig as usually the sail is not cut to suit an early Procter rig. You cannot expect a sail that was perhaps cut for example for an M7 to set well on an old stick. Your controls are also very dated and you cannot get sufficient tension to pull the sail into shape - e.g. winch kicker not cascade and the hull could not take the required rig tension anyway. I think you will struggle to get a really good set. People are getting new sails cut specifically for old rigs and some are coming onto the second hand market. I would advise getting second hand sails from a boat of a similar vintage - they are about - I recently got an excellent suit for my 9b from Chris Rathbone at UTSC (ex. 2266).

Mike Liggett.
User avatar
Ed
Site Admin
Posts: 3486
Joined: Wed Sep 01, 2004 10:11 pm
Location: Plymouth
Contact:

Re: Merlin, tacking the top batten

Post by Ed »

You need to be very careful when attempting to update an old rig as usually the sail is not cut to suit an early Procter rig.
This is more than likely your problem.

Having said that, with a little playing with rig-settings and learning the 'knack' of a good rolltack and you will most probably be able to make it work.

If it looks right, it normally works OKish, even if not delivering full potential of power. If it doesn't look right and you can't get it to even look right, you will have to either give up or consider getting the luff re-cut. This won't be a fix-all, but it might make the sail workable.

Best wishes

eib
Ed Bremner
CVRDA


Jollyboat J3
Firefly F2942
IC GBR314 ex S51 - 1970 Slurp
MR 638 - Please come and take it away
Phelps Scull
Bathurst Whiff - looking for someone to love it
Michael4
Posts: 504
Joined: Fri Jan 03, 2014 5:25 pm
Location: West Sussex

Re: Merlin, tacking the top batten

Post by Michael4 »

Thanks everyone for your help.

Sailing the Merlin is something of a shoestring operation for us so we will have to work with what we have got and as you say, it is something of a mishmash.

Yes, we certainly need to improve our rolling tacks, they are somewhat haphazard at best.

My problem is that I don't fully understand what is happening in other words what is preventing the batten from 'popping'.

Is this because the weight of the boom is dragging the leech down and consequently bending the batten?

Should we try heaving on the kicker and loosening the sheet as we go about?

Is it (as some suggest) because the batten is too stiff and so once it has tacked it has a hard time going back?

Does adjusting the length or tension of the batten make any real difference?

In order to understand things I need to approach it one step at a time. Rolling tack improvement first, what next?
Tideway 206
11+
Sold the 'Something bigger and plastic', it never got used.
User avatar
Ed
Site Admin
Posts: 3486
Joined: Wed Sep 01, 2004 10:11 pm
Location: Plymouth
Contact:

Re: Merlin, tacking the top batten

Post by Ed »

Thing is.....it is not just better roll-tacks....

But doing your roll-tack in a specific way that will help pop the battens.

It is all about timing and integrating (and then controlling) one part of the roll that maximises the motion of the top of the rig/sail, which causes the batten to flick over. You can then time that with a hard tug of the main sheet.

Gosh, much harder to explain than to demonstrate.

Sometimes you will see crews and other boats, do a nice gentle, quiet, controlled roll to leeward and then as the helm just starts the roll-back, they thump their arses down on the gunwhale, giving the sheet an almighty whip, which gets the batten to flick over with an bloody great crash/thump. Sometimes it works and off they sail..... Sometimes it doesn't: the boom flies back hitting the crew in the mouth. The helm falls back out the boat, which then starts to capsize back on top of both of them. The crew is swearing, the helm is swimming and the batten is still stuck on the wrong side.

Been there.

eib
Ed Bremner
CVRDA


Jollyboat J3
Firefly F2942
IC GBR314 ex S51 - 1970 Slurp
MR 638 - Please come and take it away
Phelps Scull
Bathurst Whiff - looking for someone to love it
Michael4
Posts: 504
Joined: Fri Jan 03, 2014 5:25 pm
Location: West Sussex

Re: Merlin, tacking the top batten

Post by Michael4 »

Thanks Ed, you have set the scene for our forthcoming race on Saturday evening. We will dispense with blue double breasted blazers and dress appropriately!
Tideway 206
11+
Sold the 'Something bigger and plastic', it never got used.
Pat
Posts: 2555
Joined: Mon Sep 27, 2004 1:42 pm
Location: West Wiltshire (Wessex)

Re: Merlin, tacking the top batten

Post by Pat »

One technique used in the Lark, which suffers similarly, is a quick pull on the boom to snap the batten into place. This merely emulates what you should be doing as you pull the boat upright in the roll tack. Getting the batten tension and kicker tension right is also important and doesn't cost anything to adjust!
(Half Cut and What a Lark Removals Ltd)
roger
Posts: 3031
Joined: Mon Sep 20, 2004 12:08 pm
Location: Frome Somerset UK

Re: Merlin, tacking the top batten

Post by roger »

Ask someone(who knows) to observe you and maybe they can help you improve your technique
Hornet 191 Shoestring,
Hornet 595 Demon awaiting restoration
Hornet 610 Final Fling
Hornet 353
Michael4
Posts: 504
Joined: Fri Jan 03, 2014 5:25 pm
Location: West Sussex

Re: Merlin, tacking the top batten

Post by Michael4 »

Well we practised and fiddled and practised again and I'm happy to report that we now seem to have got the knack.

Thanks everyone for your help...and thanks to the N12 website which is a really good example of what a class website should be.
Tideway 206
11+
Sold the 'Something bigger and plastic', it never got used.
chris
Posts: 2474
Joined: Sat Sep 18, 2004 7:43 pm
Location: somerset

Re: Merlin, tacking the top batten

Post by chris »

It may help in light winds to have minimum tension on the batten itself - only just enough to remove creases on the sail there. Worth playing around with tensions.
Post Reply