A very short afternoon sail with the Secret Sail

The Secret Sail

While Glenn was visiting the weather did not cooperate much for sailing.  We did tourist things on the island instead.  But one afternoon there was a hint of wind so we did venture out for a few hours.......sailing eastward along the northern coast of Cyprus, then reversing course westward back to the marina entrance.  It was a gorgeous sunny afternoon and the wind was only 10 knots or less.  These were perfect conditions to fly what Amel calls the mizzen ballooner sail, a/k/a the mizzen asymmetrical sail.  

Secret Sail

We call it our Secret Sail.

This sail has rarely been out of the sail locker.  We flew it twice off the northern coast of Venezuela several years ago.  I love the way it balances the boat.  And it is good for 1/2 knot to 1 1/2 knots additional boat speed, depending on wind and sea conditions.  But it was such a hassle to drop this sail and then flake it and repack into the sail bag while out sailing.  I don't know how old-fashioned sailors and racers do this with all their sails.  There simply is not sufficient space on the deck of a boat to spread out a sail so that it can be folded or flaked properly.  And we don't like stuffing sails into the sail bags all wrinkled up.  So we rarely flew this sail.  Our furling sails are so much easier to deal with that we usually fly only the sails that furl.  


While in Thailand we add this sail put into a sock with the thoughts that we might fly the sail more frequently if it was easier to douse and store.  In August this year we flew the sail between Santorini and Crete.....first time since it was installed into the sock.  It was infinitely easier to raise the sail, once we remembered that the tack is shackled to the attach ring on the deck on the inside of the main boom rather than outside the main boom.  And it was really easy to douse the sail with the new sock.  We are going to like this!!!


The afternoon of sailing with Glenn afforded us perfect conditions to fly the Secret Sail.  This was the first time he had seen this sail.  It is much easier to raise and douse this sail with the assistance of a third person.  Bill and I can handle it on our own, and it surely will become easier with experience.  

Side-tied inside the outside wall at Karpaz Gate Marina

Wish we had installed the Secret Sail into a sock years ago.


After sailing a few hours we returned to dock alongside the breakwater dock.