# Setting a trysail at anchor



## Chas H (Sep 6, 2013)

1. Have you ever or do you often set a trysail/riding-sail at anchor on the main boom or mizzen to keep head-to-wind?

2. How/what hardware do you use to set it?
-CH


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## Cruisingdad (Jul 21, 2006)

A trysail at anchor? If I had to set a trysail at anchor I would abandon the boat!!!


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## Cruisingdad (Jul 21, 2006)

Just kidding...


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## Minnesail (Feb 19, 2013)

This guy posts here and he has a blog entry about a homemade riding sail:
The $15 Riding Sail Experiment


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## Stumble (Feb 2, 2012)

A tri sail is pretty far forward to help the boat windvane. It would help, but something hung from a backstay would help a lot more.


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## killarney_sailor (May 4, 2006)

I think you are confusing this with having a riding sail on the backstay. I guess you could use a trysail but it is pretty big for this usage.


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## Chas H (Sep 6, 2013)

Just curious 'cause I'ma readin' Captains Courageous and Capt'n Disko flew a ridin'-sail for keepin' head-to-wind.

S'pose it maght wurk ona big boat.
-CH


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## chip (Oct 23, 2008)

A riding sail is different from a trysail.

A trysail is a type of storm sail flown at the mast to give you enough forward motion to maintain control in very high winds.










A riding sail is a small sail flown off the backstay to keep you from swinging around at anchor.










I love my riding sail. It works really well, even on my small boat. This is the one I made:


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## rbrasi (Mar 21, 2011)

Is that also known as a flopper stopper? I have lines in a bag for that, but don't know what it's for.


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## killarney_sailor (May 4, 2006)

I think a flopper-stopper goes in the water to stop the boat from rolling. Get one of those going along with a riding sail and it would be pretty comfy, as long as you did not have to make a speedy exit from the anchorage.


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## Minnewaska (Feb 21, 2010)

I would never fly a trysail as an anchor sail. You might actually create a small amount of lift/drive with a trysail. An anchor sail has no shape and only acts like dart feathers.


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## tempest (Feb 12, 2007)

Here's a another design. No affiliation


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## hpeer (May 14, 2005)

I have used a small storm staysail on hanks run up my back stay both as a riding sail and to assist in heaving to.

Captains Courageous is wonderful. Enjoy.

I wonder, how do you find the language? Is it ok to follow?


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## Chas H (Sep 6, 2013)

hpeer said:


> Captains Courageous is wonderful. Enjoy.
> 
> I wonder, how do you find the language? Is it ok to follow?


It helps to be a sailor to understand the lingo, but I also keep a dictionary nearby.

The 1937 movie starring Spencer Tracy is great also. Yet somewhat different than the book as most movies are it is quite technically accurate. The changes in the story line are very appropriate.

The sailing and boat handling footage is exciting! It reminds me of my turn at the helm aboard the schooner J&E Riggin beating down Penobscot Bay with then skipper Dave Allen.
-CH


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## chip (Oct 23, 2008)

Minnewaska said:


> I would never fly a trysail as an anchor sail. You might actually create a small amount of lift/drive with a trysail. An anchor sail has no shape and only acts like dart feathers.


I fly my riding sail off to one side, like a jib in reverse. It is dead flat (and tiny), so it doesn't have a lot of drive, but it does a much better job when it's working like a sail instead of like the fetching on an arrow. When it's rigged in the center, it doesn't get enough angle of attack to do anything until you've already swung. When the "sheet" is off to one side, I tend to veer off in that direction a bit, but I don't oscillate as much.

(It's way smaller than a trysail though, and wouldn't use a trysail at anchor either.)


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## Minnewaska (Feb 21, 2010)

Tempest said:


> .....Here's a another design. No affiliation


I think that may be the brand anchor sail that we have.

I've taken it out of the bag a few times, laid it out to set it up for the first time, given up, and repacked it. 

It's not rocket science, but you have to figure out where you are going to run the lines to avoid bimini/dodger/etc and trim everything to size. Being at anchor when I've made the attempt, I've naturally been sailing all day and its sundowner time.

I swear, if I could just stay aboard for a month, I could get all this stuff set up just the way I want it.


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## SVAuspicious (Oct 31, 2006)

Chas H said:


> 1. Have you ever or do you often set a trysail/riding-sail at anchor on the main boom or mizzen to keep head-to-wind?
> 
> 2. How/what hardware do you use to set it?


The _Good Old Boat_ article describes the causation well:



> What causes this phenomenon? For most boats, the center of effort (or windage) of the topsides and rigging is well forward of the underwater center of lateral resistance. This means the boat is out of balance while on the hook, and doesn't really want to weathercock. Whenever the boat drifts backward during a gust (or there is a slight change in the wind direction) the bow will fall off faster than the stern, putting the boat broadside to the wind. Once that happens, the bow continues to fall off, and the boat will "sail" away in the new direction, up to as much as 30 to 40 degrees off the wind, until brought up short by the rode.


Modern boats with roller-furling headsails and often in-mast furling mains (leading to big fat masts) are particularly prone to sailing at anchor. Fuel and water jugs and water toys along the rail make it worse.

Keeping the headsail furled snugly helps. Keeping the decks clear helps. Hanging a bucket from the bow helps. A riding sail helps.

SailRite has a good video on a riding sail: Make an Anchor Riding Sail - Keep your Boat from Swinging - Online Streaming Video .


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## smurphny (Feb 20, 2009)

Anything flat that will catch wind toward the stern should work essentially the same as a riding sail. Cockpit cloths on the lifelines might provide some of the same effect. Boats with huge tents covering the entire aft section must receive that side benefit. In anchorages where wind opposes tide, the swinging around can get interesting. That's where a good sized riding sail might come in very handy. 

A trysail or any sail attached to the mast would drive a boat forward. Even a small sail on a mizzen would produce lift. Whatever is used, it needs to be flat and as far aft as possible. I like the bucket idea! Will have to try it.


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## TerryBradley (Feb 28, 2006)

chip said:


> I fly my riding sail off to one side, like a jib in reverse. It is dead flat (and tiny), so it doesn't have a lot of drive, but it does a much better job when it's working like a sail instead of like the fetching on an arrow. When it's rigged in the center, it doesn't get enough angle of attack to do anything until you've already swung. When the "sheet" is off to one side, I tend to veer off in that direction a bit, but I don't oscillate as much.
> 
> (It's way smaller than a trysail though, and wouldn't use a trysail at either.)


Okay, I admit. I'm not as ingenius nor industrious but I did have a little extra spending money thanks to a generous income tax refund, so I purchased a riding sail from Banner Marine. Works great after working with it a bit and finally giving up in desperation and actually reading the instructions. Just kidding about the income tax refund! (Just in case the NSA and IRS happen to be lurking about) I do enjoy your blog Chip!


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## killarney_sailor (May 4, 2006)

If you want to see a boat sail at anchor check out a Nonsuch - and no backstay for a riding sail although I guess you could rig something on the topping lift.

My solution was to anchor off the stern.Boat never moved and you got more breeze into the cabin on hot days. Only problem was waves slapping against the big flat stern at night.


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## chip (Oct 23, 2008)

TerryBradley said:


> Okay, I admit. I'm not as ingenius nor industrious but I did have a little extra spending money thanks to a generous income tax refund, so I purchased a riding sail from Banner Marine. Works great after working with it a bit and finally giving up in desperation and actually reading the instructions. Just kidding about the income tax refund! (Just in case the NSA and IRS happen to be lurking about) I do enjoy your blog Chip!


Thanks for checking out out boat log man.


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