Gybe & Scandalizing

[fulton]

Just curious, has anyone worked on gybing in a PocketShip using the old scandalizing method? Would be difficult/impossible with the standard halyard setup I believe.

[John C. Harris]

"Scandalizing" refers to easing the peak halyard so the peak of the sail falls off, which does reduce heeling pressure right away. Throwing off the peak halyard could get you through a nasty squall. The downside is that there will be a lot of angry flogging of the sail, and if you're sailing off the wind, the eased gaff will twist far forward, possibly damaging the type of gooseneck used on PocketShip.

Speaking of geese, the failure mode I'm familiar with in jibing traditional gaffers is the "goosewing jibe," in which the boom jibes, but the gaff doesn't, creating a truly ugly sail shape for a moment until it sorts itself out. I have personally overseen some truly hairy jibes in strong winds in PocketShip #1, and never felt like a goosewing jibe was a possibility. A sloppy jibe in big wind DOES give the whole rig a thundering impact as the gaff fetches up against the shrouds, making me glad that PocketShip's rig is a little overbuilt. Slacking the peak halyard---scandalizing---might make a goosewing jibe possible, though, which would be a reason not to scandalize when running off in high winds. A really tight peak halyard means a tight leech and less twist, which is a good thing in all conditions.

Whether or not it's actually possible to manage a goosewing jibe in PocketShip, you can eliminate the danger (and many other jibing dangers, besides) by proper jibing technique: always sheet the sail in tight as you jibe, so that the boom can't slice across like a helicopter blade. In REALLY scary conditions, a "chicken jibe" is indicated: tack instead!

[fulton]

Thanks for the input - "chicken - jibe" sounds like a better option!