Light-Air-Leckie's Top Ten Tips for Sailing Martins in Zephyr-Like Winds

It was a typical largely wind-free evening of mentoring in which I was out skippering on an m244. We had the usual challenges with light air including stalling during tacking maneuvers, that stubborn upper batten refusing to snap into its proper curve when on the new tack, and the challenges of getting moving and maintaining our forward motion. We were doing our level best to seek out the little puffs of wind in between those spots of completely dead air as evidenced by a complete absence of those little ripples on the surface of the water but our patience was wearing thin and quickly. Imagine how we felt when we looked under our boom only to see Jim (Light-air) Leckie (L-A-L) and Bryant (Air-force) Adlam (A-F-A) pursuing some rather interesting techniques to (blush!) sail circles around us lesser mortals.  We tried to mimic some of what we saw but it was only once I was ashore that I managed to pry the esoteric details out of Jim who had apparently done some significant trial and error during a long m244 flotilla sail to Bronte Outer Harbour Marina.

So here's the inside dope so that you aren't made to look quite so foolish if you encounter this pair of Martineers while you are out on the water...

1. First and foremost - because they are so light and have such substantial sail area the m244's are more like sailing a dinghy than a typical keelboat. Don't even think of treating them like a J/24 or a Catalina 309.
2. Get that crew weight forward. The m244 will really drag its stern if y'all are crowded by the pushpit. Get thee forward so that the helmsman has at least one foot in the foot-well mid-cockpit (next to the main sheet block) - preferably the aft foot. (as the wind gets reaaally light plan for everyone to crowd up on top of the companionway to get that last iota of speed).
3. Use crew weight to maintain heel to leeward (at least 20 degrees of heel). It makes a significant difference. 
4. Sometime when you are out of our weedy channel and in deeper water plan to put the outboard in reverse and goose it so that you do your best to remove the vast eco-system of vegetation that has probably taken hold round the keel. (Of course you'll have to balance this with an eye to doing it safely - especially if you raised the main inside the channel). Nothing stalls an m244 like carrying a fresh harvest of harbor-wheat wrapped round its keel.
5. Ease the out-haul on the mainsail so that there is an opportunity for the sail shape to have a bit of a belly. You need more draft in the sail for light winds. Likewise tighten up them leech lines on jib and main- same reason.  
6. L-A-L says "Thou must use the traveller!". Crank it all the way to windward in such light airs.  Its not as dramatic an adjustment as on our J/24s but it still matters big time. 
7. Bear off to pick up speed before you tack. m244 Tacks must be done sharply. That is-  the faster and more suddenly that you can get around the better chance you'll have of snapping that pesky upper batten into the proper curve for the new tack.
8. During your tack - delay the release of the jib. In fact in very light winds it's a good idea to let the head-sail back-wind until such time as the nose comes around and through the wind and onto the new tack.
9. Pay close attention to sail trim. Even though its tougher to feel the direction of the wind when its light and the jib ticklers are hanging like some kinds of wet noodles- you can still ease and trim experimentally to get the most from your point of sail.
10. Steer by the ticklers when you do get a puff of wind. Close hauled, close-reach and beam reach make use of those jib ticklers and ride that puff for all its worth. Oh and by the way, those jib fairlead cars should be all the way forward on their tracks. In fact L-A-L and A-F-A were on their way to redesigning the m244 so the tracks would extend further forward.

Pssst,  Jim has promised to take me out and (er) show me the ropes.  Hey anything so I can stop being Be-Calmed-Culm.

Stern Docking Lines While Underway - Sowing the Seeds of Heresy

I absolutely understand the reasoning behind the careful CYA Cruising standards instruction that we have all received with respect to how docking lines should be handled once you've departed the dock and are heading out thru the channel. We all know very well that a prudent skipper will insist that the docking lines be removed and stowed. The idea of course is that should these lines accidentally fall overboard then once ol' Murphy takes over it's pretty easy for these trailing lines to become entangled in the outboard motor's propeller.

The Martin's have a couple of (er) features which make this strategy - let's say less than ideal. First - that transom-mounted cleat is kind of awkward to reach over and tie or belay the lines to - especially while bouncing around in the wind and waves. Second, the helmsmen is always "in the way" if you must attach the docking lines while you are underway. This is especially true of the Martins whose assigned dock location requires that they are moored with their starboard side to the dock because, as we all know, the only effective place to sit so that you can control both the outboard (gears and throttle) and the helm is seated all the way aft on the starboard rail using the pushpit as a backrest. So unless the helmsman can tie a bowline behind his back, while shifting gears, adjusting the throttle, and steering clear of boats and other obstacles - it is better if another crew person attaches the lines and - CATCH 22  - the helmsman is in the way.

The solution to this dilemma is to (GASP! here's where the heresy comes in) leave the lines attached, coil them (with adequately large loops), double the coil over the pushpit rail and thru itself, and finally snug it up thoroughly (one loop at a time if necessary) so that the lines are neatly and securely attached on the rail with no likelihood of trailing over the side.

 The end result of this elegant solution is that when you return from your sail and you are preparing to dock there is no scrambling around or elbowing of the helmsman. The crew merely grabs the lines looped on the pushpit rail (perhaps having the helmsman lean forward), un-snugs them, and they are ready to go - no muss no fuss!

Hey - it works for me - but if you screw it up by not tightening the loops or otherwise messing up so the lines end up as fodder for the propeller blade then I'll deny all knowledge and question why you ever tried such a foolish, ill considered scheme.

Oh, and if you do use this approach - hopefully you won't forget how to tie a bowline knot cuz you'll still get to practice attaching and removing the docking lines from the pointy end of our Martins.

How to Furl the Headsail - It's Not Like You Might Think!

You have no doubt realized that the Martin m244 jib has a furler which is located below the foredeck. But unless you have crawled down there to have a close up look, you may not have noticed that it is a pretty small unit. It definitely is not sized like the ones you might see on a Discovery 55. What this means is that it's just big enough to do the job it was designed for - provided you use it properly.

So here's the drill... Before you go to furl the ol' fore-triangle, steer the boat onto a BROAD REACH so that the jib is blanketed behind the mainsail. When it's hanging there like a limp rag it's a piece of cake to wind it in using the furling line down below while a crew mate is maintaining a bit of tension on the jib sheet.

Oh and just one more tip: It's a good idea to leave a couple of wraps on the furler drum but if you wind the jib in very tightly then you'll have missed out on this elegant furled-jib-nirvana.

Now let's face it - you can heave in on the furler on other points of sail and I'm sure that you have all tried it - but expect your hands, the sail, and the furling mechanism to suffer for the experience.

Finally - if you find yourself wrapping the furling line around a winch STOP! There is something else wrong that must be addressed for the furling exercise to complete with out (yeechh!) equipment damage.  

Hey it's all part of becoming a Master-Martin-Mariner (MMM MMM Good!)

Momentum when Docking a Martin - Don't Count on Much

Each time I go to dock one of our Martin's I forget that they behave quite differently from the way our J/24's, our old Sharks and larger boats do.

On all of the other boats in the fleet - I have a tendency to line up the boat for the docking maneuver then shift into neutral and rely on the boats momentum to let me steer alongside. Rarely - but as necessary - if I've got too much forward momentum when I'm parked next to the dock - I might shift into reverse to slow to a stop.

Several times now I have tried a similar routine and come close to messing up big time. On one occasion a crew member (for the bow line) was able to take a giant step then accept the stern line from the stern crew-mate still aboard. On another occasion it was more a case of "the braille method" as we went hand over hand along the rail of another boat moored astern of our spot.

What both of these (ahem) near incidents have in common was me relying on the momentum of the boat when there wasn't any to be had. The Martins clearly weigh less with their weighted bulb on a very narrow chord keel that does little to keep her underway in a straight-like direction once you take away the power.

The solution - keep the outboard in gear - much longer than you would on a J/24 or one of our old battleship specification Sharks. You have to practically motor it right onto the dock and recognize that you may have to pop it in reverse to complete your "parking" maneuver.

Oh, and by the way - if you do resort to some reverse thrust then be aware of which way the outboard is pointed as the stern will naturally move in the direction that the prop is facing.

Try it and see - and let us all know if you have developed some other fool proof techniques.

My Formula for Sailing Close-Hauled When the Wind Picks Up

At first it seems like the slightest puff of wind on these Martins heels them way over so that you are burying the rail but it takes just a little bit of experimenting to get a little more forward motion out of it with less of it's tendency to stand on its ear.

Here's the formula that seems to work for me...

1. Set the jib car so that when you haul in on the jib sheet - the clew is touching the fair-lead block. 
2. Harden the outhaul and the cunningham on the mainsail.
3. Move the traveller all the way to leeward. 
4. Crank in the main sheet (this also tends to "tighten" the forestay).

Steer via the ticklers on the jib. You can see them best if you are sitting up on the rail,  forward of the tiller end.

Using these steps you have in effect flattened out the sails (reducing the draft or belly in them) thus minimizing the heel (well reducing it anyhow).

I found that as the wind gets to 12 knots or more that the boat kinda hangs in the ol' close-hauled groove as long as you pay attention to your steering. As the wind picks up more you can let that inner-tickler on the jib go to 45 degrees upward then finally as the wind goes even stronger you can let it go vertical as you steer to get the max from this point of sail.

Oh, and of course you can point higher during the gusts using this same set of trim elements although for all of this close-hauled action its a good idea to keep a hand on the main sheet so you can ease it if there comes an overpowering gust.

So - go ahead and try it out - maybe there are some from tricks you've developed from your own experience that can let us all optimize boat speed as we become masters-of-the-martins.

New Tricks for Old SeaDogs.

Any boat that can do 6 knots in 5-kn winds is a blast. Of course, in 20 kn winds, it is a white knuckle ride. The basics of sail trim which Ken G. and John N. imparted to us still apply, but we have had to adapt to the new rig.

As Ken C. mentioned, trying to make the ticklers on the jib break togrther is a bit tricky. It seems that the best thing to do, as Colin suggested, is to move the jib cars forward and get as much draft in the jib as practical. I don't think we are ready for tapered jib sheets as suggested in one of the blogs.

The main sail seems to require more attention. Getting the sail shape right took a little time. With the floating tack we ended up placing the Cunningham hook in the tack cringle to tension the luff. We ended up with an annoying horizontal crease at the first batten. However, yanking on the boom vang straightened this out. We kept the boom vang tensioned throughout the sail which also helped to keep the main off the spreaders. I suppose we will need to send the sails out this winter to have reinforcing patches where they touch the spreaders. It seems this is a problem on this type of rig with swept back spreaders and no backstay.

Choreographing the crew during tacking and gybing is another consideration especially when the helmsman and mainsheet crew have to switch sides and squeeze through the space between the mainsheet and traveler rigging at the same time. When racing, I would like to practice at the dock first and then fine tune on the water.

I am looking forward to flying the spinnakers! I'm sure we need a clinic.

One last tip, when flaking the mainsail, tie the forward sail tie through the ring (cringle?) at the head of the sail to stop it from flopping around.

The Martins have added a new dimension to our Club.

New Boat Blues

Yesterday Jack N and I took Martin #2 out for a sail.

We had trouble opening the top sliding acrylic companionway hatchslide, it would not move forward. After a few hits with the palm of my hand I managed to push forward a couple of inches just enough to slide the door up and out of the way. The top would still not move, only after a well placed kick it move forward enough to be able to slide it all the way forward. Inspecting why it would not slide we noticed the head of the screws holding the track in place have the top of the screw sticking out and jamming the slide top.

Sailing on a Starboard tack we began to hear a rubbing noise when we moved the tiller. When we docked we found that the bolts holding the gudgeon had come loose.

Sailing downwind we found the main sail resting against the spreader and the shrouds even by letting the main out very little, we quickly abandoned that point of sail. Checking back in the Martin website they show a picture of it sailing on a run with main resting on the shroud and spreaders I guess it’s OK to do it. However past experience has showed that this type of set up damages the main sail.


Looking at the spinnaker pole in the boat we saw that the line used to pull back the piston is too short and prevents the plunger from traveling all the way to the end.

As the wind filled the jib the halyard holding it up become loose and the sail sagged. Since the halyard does not come back into the cockpit there is no way to adjust it also the location of track with the fairleads is mounted too far forward and does not allow the sail to be properly shaped as the corner of the sail comes to rest against the fairleads.

Under the present set up the advanced bridle type traveler system prevents the boom from going past the center of the boat. As a racer I like to be able to get past the center since I found that doing so increases the boat speed by about .5 knots.

This plus my previous experience on it is giving me a very bad opinion of this boat.
I would expect that a new boat delivered to a new customer would be flawless.
I have read the glowing review their web site reports and wonder if we are talking about the same boat.

Furling Line Tip

Here's a tip regarding the headsail furling line that was shared with a few of us this evening (apparently Barbara G. figured this out)... If pulling on the line from the companionway or cockpit is too difficult, try pulling on the section between fairleads along the side of the cabin interior. This will give you some extra purchase on the line, and when you release it you can quickly take up the slack near the cleat with your other hand. Do this several times over and your headsail should be neatly furled.

First experience

I have been out on them 3 times so my experience is limited. Twice with winds close to 20Kn and once with 5 Kn.

I noticed a few things that could cause problem

1. The furling line is very difficult to operate if you are just pulling on it from the cockpit no matter what the wind strength is and it also cut into the frame of the door.
2. The halyard for the jib for some reason is not long enough to allow the sail to come down and still be held on deck. It appears that before you lower the jib you will have to attach a line to it to bring it back down
It also has a tendency to come loose. There is no proper attachment for it.

3. The halyard for the main on Martin No 2 has the “nylon” cover coming off at approximately were it is wound around the winch.

4. You must wear sailing gloves if you are handling any of the sheets. I’m sure they strong enough to perform the task they are designed for but are too small to handle (In my opinion)


I’m sure once we get used to them they will be fun boat to sail.

Possible Hints from m244 Predecessor

 Here's a link to a Martin 242 Tuning guide by Ullman Sails. Although the mainsail is different I think that the comments on both Mainsail trim and Jib trim are relevant to the Martin m244's. Have a look and perhaps experiment with the suggested settings.

Oh and don't worry about the fact that the 242 has an adjustable back stay which the m244 lacks. Colin Jackson from Cooper said that the designer - Don Martin's advice is to not bother with it. The Ullman sails guide seems to support that view. 

Hey - maybe we need to develop one of these guides of our own for the Humber Sailing Club m244's.

Yee hah!

First Impressions

Never took the reef out in approx 10Kts. Even with 4 on board sitting on high side lots of heel. If the boat is raced in 30knts with full sail I need to learn how to reduce heel Saw Colin doing a check sail single handed with FULL sail. He seemed comfortable - perhaps unlike J24s these boat are designed to sail with much heel

Both sails had a lot of twist. I could not get the head sail trimmed to what I consider correct twist (All tell tales breaking at the same time) due to position of cars. Need to move them forward

With the car forward to reduce twist and sheeted hard sail was still very deep as clew hit cars and limited trim that could be applied. Deep sail will I think limit pointing ability but did not check tacking angles

Similarly main had much twist even sheeted hard with traveler centered


We did hit 6.5 knts and more with approx 10 knts of wind so the sail trim worked. The boat was easy to control, very sensitive and could be sailed close to a buoy in a trial rounding. Need to work out a drill for handling sheets during tacking for good racing.

Tried stopping the boat from a close reach per the last step in COB. The boat coasted further than I expected given how fast it lost momentum under power. It will be important to lose speed after tacking to broad reach during COB

Down wind sailing the main hits the spreaders very early but did not do much down wind sailing . Will be O.K. with a chute - Do we have chutes? Members will need to be careful not to damage sails on spreaders

Crew complained furler hard to operate (We did furl downwind behind main) Reported also finding same problem on previous sails. I think it may be a question of finding the correct position to get good purchase on the furler line

When docking in cross wind I had trouble because I did not expect how quickly the bow fell off and the boat moving sideways. I understand the plan is to put the Martins on the end of the docks that seems a good plan to make docking easier. I need to practice docking and make more use of the motor rather thank letting the boat coast in. Watched Colin docking. Made good use of motor particularly in reverse to pull stern in to dock after
nosing bow in.

Bottom line - Great boat!! fast and fun like driving a sports car after driving a Cadillac. Comfortable to sit and plenty of cockpit room so much better than a J24. No motor lifting problems of J24. I'm sold!

Martins Ready

Seems the Martins are ready... Colin has returned to Vancouver.
I did one check sail with him, he checked the shrouds, and all the running rigging.

About 8 knots out there on Monday afternoon, and the boat really moved, even with little time spent on trim. Actually quite a pleasant ride in the waves generated by the East winds.

re: the foresail... yes the halyard runs through the luff. There is also a red line under a flap at the tack that can be used to harden or ease the foresail halyard. It works like a mini cunningham. Yank on it, and retie it with a couple of hitches.

Under power they do not coast far, and I found I had to keep the motor in gear longer than I thought, as the boat did not glide very far due to the East wind on the nose and their light weight.

Once accustomed to them I think it will be a blast to sail the Martins.

MARTIN m244 DOCKSIDE ORIENTATION

Docking Lines: Recognize limited attachment points; use pad eye on foredeck, shrouds, cleats on transom rise

Lighter boat: Note that boat heels easily when stepping on rail as you board

Tiller & Tiller Extension: Boat meant to be sailed & motored using extension

Headsail: 105% Jib with furler below deck; furling line runs inside cabin; furl on extreme broad reach so that headsail is blanketed behind main. Headsail halyard Runs inside luff of sail and is tensioned above drum using a cunningham-like affair

Headsail sheets: Go around drums and then cleat on opposite side - keeps active sheet cleated on "high side". Keep the lazy sheet clear and set for the next tack.


Mainsail: Mainsail halyard on port side and runs thru spin-lock cleat -(demo its use); mainsail halyard is also used as topping lift; to rig detach from end of boom, thread thru webbing loop on mast attached (top) sailtrack slide and then attach to ring on headboard.


Raising Main: Note: 2 feet of pull for every 1 foot of rise (this is why halyard is doubled at shackle)


Cunningham: Blue line on jam cleat on port side of cabin top - remember to release when raising main


Outhaul: Green line on jam cleat attached to boom (roughly over companionway hatch), need to crank it on hard for stronger winds; less so for light winds.

Battery and Switches: Aft of companionway step - way aft!


Knotmeter & Depth sounder:  Port side "bulkhead" of cabintop.

Companionway Door: Heavy chunk of plastic - stow under cushions below - else it will fly around down there and be a nasty weapon of destruction


All running rigging and lines: Spectra - hence of smaller diameter then we are used to - gloves a consideration


Traveller lines: Slightly forward of centre down in cockpit - should be cleated crossed on opp. sides for strong winds and on same side for light ones. Note that these lines control the white ones which are mounted on the boom-end, crank it to leeward when closehauled in high winds.

Mainsheet: Nifty double line affair that lets you trim coarse - using both lines or fine - (one line only), note when sitting on the rail you must lean over to cleat and uncleat the mainsheet - may have to use your foot to engage smartly. Keep it clear for next tack / other manouever


Boom Vang:  Red line on port side is opposed by the kicker - need to engage this almost any point of sail off the wind from close hauled - minimal room to ease mainsheet before sails go onto extreme swept back spreaders.


Reefing Line: Slab reef for main still to be rigged - interim - switch outhaul to leech cringle; luff has both ramshead hooks and cunningham. For now leave it at dock reefed. (note: as of May 18th reeffing lines now rigged)


Helm Position Under Power: Best spot is sitting on rail with back supported securely by starboard pushpit rails. Easy access to outboard and its controls as well as tiller and good view forward. Note: Must ensure co-pilot screw on outboard is snug enough that engine does not turn when you let go of the outboard tiller. Carefull when tilting it up for sailing easy to get your c of g too far aft and end up taking a swim. Can turn tilted engine fully to stbd to keep it fully clear of tiller.


Operating under power: Very light boat - speeds up and slows down fast. When no forward (or reverse) motion - slightest wind will tend to blow boat around. Wind causes bow to weathercock downwind quite readily. Be ready to use both tiller and outboard steering to manoeuver - especially if attempting to reverse with wind on bow. Using reverse to slow down not yet verified.


Helm position under sail: Look to be just aft of barney post mounted mainsheet block - preferably on rail. Note foot rest on cockpit seat. Slack lifelines act as a backrest.

Sailing the Martin m244: First Impressions

I had the opportunity to have a first sail on an m244 today and thought it'd be a good idea to share my initial reactions...

A little background ...

John Horemans, Alistair, Shirley Cheung, and myself set out this afternoon after scavenging minimum safety gear.

Winds were very light (only a few knots) at first then increased to 10 - 12 kts when we were further out (for the second time).

Rigging the boat:

Not much to do just open the companionway, attach the main halyard.

Departure:

Started outboard casted off and backed out. Helmsman position on stbd rail aft nestled with back on stbd pushppit rail very secure. Also good location to shift gears and adjust throttle.

(NOTE: Bolt which adjusts friction for turning of motor must be sufficiently tight so that engine will remain pointed where you leave it - usually straight. We had to adjust ours cuz it was turning on its own and you end up short of hands to manage the helm and the motor when it turns on its own.

Not much power required to get boat moving but seems to have less momentum then sharks or J's had (probably due to fact boat is lighter).

Backed out very handily.

Raising the Mainsail

Headed toward the lake and chose to raise the mainsail in the channel.

Headed to wind and we raised the mainsail but found that it took longer then we are used to due to fact it goes up 1 foot for every 2 feet of halyard pull. Need to take this into account so as to avoid close encounters with Mimico / EYC docks.

Unfurling the Headsail

Kind of a non event but luff seems slack albeit the sail shape was not bad. There isn't a halyard to tighten as the halyard seems to be a line which runs inside the luff-line and is tensioned there as part of the rigging process. More investigation / learning needed here.

Sailing!

Tacked back and forth up the channel and discovered that the helm is very well balanced and the boat answers readily even with very little way on. The rather modest sized headsail switches tacks very easily say compared with a 150% genoa on certain other boats. The sheets which cross on opposite sides feel odd at first but work well enough provided you keep them free , un-entangled and primed for the next tack.

The mainsail in light winds tends to have the upper half remain convex to windward as the battens stubbornly refuse to "turn inside out" even when you give the leech a shake- a problem that is not seen when the wind picks up. This is probably a case of those crisp new sails.

Kept the engine running in neutral till we got out of the channel then shut it down.

Pulled the engine up by kneeling in front of it, reaching, releasing and pulling it up. Some care is needed (and this would be especially true in large waves) to keep your c of g inboard rather then go for a swim.

With engine in the tilted up position it is useful to turn it all the way over so that the throttle side is facing the sky and the throttle arm is all the way up. This gives the tiller lots of room to turn without hitting it.

Becalmed

Yeah it happened - stuck in a dead spot out front of channel...

Back to the Club

Alistair had to get back so we headed back in. Dropped and started engine, Furled the Headsail (on broad reach as prescribed). Didn't try (but want to later) furling on other points of sail).

Motored into channel with headsail up, went head to wind, dropped sail then motored in. New sail is slippery, stiff, and awkward to flake so we did a sloppy job (hey we were goin' out again).

For dock approach tested inertia of boat in channel. Slows down (and speeds up) much faster than J's / Sharks. Did not attempt to control forward motion with reverse thrust but it might work.

Drop and go

Dropped off Alistair and immediately headed out this time up the channel at full throttle. Boat moves very well under power - hauls ass!

Real Sailing!

Had to motor out to wind area and things picked up to 10 - 12 knots (whitecaps forming). Now the boat takes almost no breeze to push it along quite nicely but with a bit of wind and the odd gust its like sailing a racing dinghy. It accelerates fast and that big mainsail powers it along like you will not believe. As we were pushing up to 12 kts it started to feel like a handful close-hauled with a substantial heel. Could level things off by moving off wind a bit but our view was that probably 12 kts is when you should start to think about a reef - depending on how comfortable you want to be or how much excitement you want.

Seemed like a good time to try heaving to which we did and the boat behaved very predictably - settled down moved downwind and slightly forward while hove to.

While we were at it we threw in a reef which unfortunately required that we use a sail tie on the leech. We have to rig a reefing line (and the block on the boom to make it work) because this method is not safe. Under reefed main with 12kts it still humped along damn good. (No knotmeter yet so no recorded speeds but it still felt good).

Oh and we tried a a few gybes. These work well but even controlled gybes need some additional care since the boat reacts very quickly.

The helm requires that helmspersons use the tiller extension which works very well but Shark sailors used to gripping the tiller may need some practice before they are comfy. J sailors should be okay if they were used to the tiller extensions on those boats. I can't imagine anyone sitting inboard and using the blocky looking tiller on its own.

Oh but what a hoot to sail especially when we passed one of our J/24's like it was standing still. (Back at the dock the J sailors pointed out that they were mainsail battenless) - Ah I see (not).

Ended up in that calm spot in front of the channel (again) with the rain coming so we (regretfully) headed in.

Bringing down the mainsail - Just a caution that the aft flaker must stand forward of the tiller arc so as to avoid impeding steering (also for approaching the dock).

Some nits to pick

No end cap on boom.

Need to put proper dock lines on recognizing there are few cleats / padeyes and no fairleads.

Need new fenders (on order)

Spectra life lines need to be tighter (perhaps install the lower one).

All running rigging is spectra and of smaller dia then we are used to but work well. All need ends to be treated (heat-shrink tubing?)

Double sheeted main is tricky to cleat when sitting high on the rail (you must lean over and ensure you grab lines close to cleat OR use your foot to press the lines into the cleat).

Main halyard spinlock cleat works well but you must believe that it will!

Need instruments (Depth, Knotmeter, Compass) (Coming)

Companionway door must be well secured below.

Fenders thrown on floor (a la shark method) no good for m244's as cabin sole is small area and you'll end up tripping on them.

Inner shrouds were very slack - not sure what the proper tune should be.

Did not try the anchor but unless we use the padeye on the stem other solutions will likely cause the rode to chafe on the rail. Can't really imagine that a stern deployed anchor will work well but would be okay in an emerg.

Nifty mainsail slide which halyard threads thru before attaching to headboard needs to be coaxed back to deck level from up the mast (by patiently shaking the halyard).

The main halyard must be unthreaded from the slide so that it may be used for the topping lift.

Conclusion

I am well satisfied (excited) with the m244 performance and sailability. I think we have a few tweaks to do to render them fully usable by the general club membership. It would be my recommendation to only release them to use by club members after the mentors use them for their Club Instructor training, after the few tweaks have been done, and perhaps once we have established a standard walkthough of the features that mentors or instructors (or even already indoctrinated members) can do for other members.

These are going to be extremely popular at the club - I think we're gonna find that we should have bought a few more.

Dave Culm