Hi Everyone, I made some changes to my channel this winter that resulted in YT deleting all of my comments/replies on these videos. It's really a shame, because I feel like I have answered quite a few theory questions in the comments section over the years. If you have a question, even if it looks like it's been asked before, please don't hesitate to post a comment, I'll do my best to get back to you. Cheers, JH
Wonderful videos! I am an anxious new recreational sailor and would love a similar video on picking up the mooring in various tides/winds. The first examples on this video were useful for that. We're on the coast of Maine so tide and current are key.
@@Karenlevinegee This would be a good video, it would probably be best done with a real boat and a camera crew. Unfortunately I don't sail in a tidal region, so it's not something that I could produce.
Hi JH, I believe the impact of current to a sailboat speed and direction is not absolute, or 1 to 1. In otherwords, I don't think you can just add up the combined speed and directions to determine a new vessel speed and direction, like you can in a powerboat. When making these calculations in a powerboat we assume a constant amount of power is being applied at the throttle, rpms. But in a sailboat the "rpms" from the wind increase and decrease relative to current, but are constant relative to the ground. Assuming for a second the sailboat is attached only to the wind and not to the water, the boats speed and direction overground would not change at all regardless of the current. The best example I can give is a sailboat sailing directly down wind at 5 knots in 8 knots of wind, that suddenly comes upon 5 knots of current going in the same direction of the boat is not going to being going 10 knots over ground. It's going to struggle getting over 5 knots overground because it's going to run out of power, "rpms" from the wind. Exaggerate the numbers and it becomes more obvious. Like 5 knots of wind and 20 knots of current. Please help me with this, because you're the only sailor I've found online that really understands this stuff and can explain it in a way that is digestible. Thanks!
You're onto something here, but it's more complicated than that because the direction the boat is travelling relative to the wind will really influence how fast it can travel. In fact, the speed of the current will be a part of a velocity vector addition to determine the apparent wind speed and direction as well. I think the examples in this video will hold true for a boat that travels at approximately its hull speed, in a situation where the wind strength is much greater than the current. Otherwise, you're right, more analysis is necessary.
I doubt that this is the correct interpretation of how the current affects the hull and foils. The boat is sailing on a 'moving' rug, so all it experiences is a 'current wind' - this is explained well in other books - see Stuart Walker and David Dellenbaugh and Gerry Jobson.
@@howarthsailing it is confusing but clearly wrong at the same time. The boat does not hold to anything else but the water. The wind moves respect the water. If the water moves respect land it is absolutely indifferent for the boat.