## Trimming the motor 

With all the discussion of Sun Cats not holding course while motoring, I think this could use some discussion. I am a non- current commercial rated pilot with over 4000 hours. I've flown a lot of different planes. One thing most airplanes have is some method to trim out pitch and level. Hours of holding the yoke while you burn off fuel in one wing or the other would be very tiresome. Your outboard motor equipped boat has something very similar (and most powerboats with larger motors have trim-tabs). For every throttle setting, there is an angle of the motor that will allow your boat to go straight with no tiller "messing". Just move the motor a bit one direction or the other until your boat maintains the course you want without any pull on the tiller... you are now in trim. If you change the throttle setting, you will have to move the motor (re-trim) again to get that hands-off status. This is especially easy with the Sun Cat, 'cause the motor is “right there”... no big reach to get at the motor-tiller handle. If you find that your Sun Cat doesn't hold course while you are raising the sail, try trimming the motor. When under sail, you can adjust the centerboard to ease weather helm (yes, you will make a bit of leeway). On our Sun Cat, I can't usually sail with hands-off (depending on the point of sail), but I have no problem trimming it to take pressure off enough that the Canadian tiller tamer lever thingy can handle it hands-off. I am posting this in response to Vicki's first sail thread. I couldn't understand why some folks are not able to motor hands- off with the Sun Cat; I think may take care of that problem. Let's call it a bit of “boater education” that will, hopefully, make sail-raising easier. 

## Menger Tips 

## Posted by: John Henderson (CBA) 

## To lower the sail: 

osition the boat on port tack (the topping lift is on the port side) at approximately the angle to the wind that the boat would lie when hove-to. It's usually best to lower the centerboard. Raise the boom a bit with the topping lift. Lower the sail as fast as you can. You have to experiment to learn the best time to lower the peak halyard vis a vis the throat halyard. When the gaff is most of the way down, get the boom into the crotch. I think it helps to keep the gaff raised a little so it doesn't hit your head. When the boom is secure, with the mainsheet tight, lower the gaff and tie the gaff and sail and boom together. If you are single-handing, neatness doesn't count at this point – make it pretty back at the dock. P 

## As to reefing: 

I assume that your boat is rigged with a jiffy reef on the first reef only. The jiffy reef is easy to use. Follow Bill Menger's instruction book. The boat sails well with a single reef. 

The second reef is trickier because you have to go forward to tie off the tack. Frankly, especially if you are alone, I would not go forward in conditions that require a 2nd reef. Take the sail down and go home with the motor, as God intended. If it is windy when you leave the dock, tie in the 2nd reef before you go. In my experience, it is difficult to tack the boat in open water with the 2nd reef - the waves under such wind conditions are too big for the limited speed you generate with the 2nd reef, and it is hard to get the bow through the wind. If you are in sheltered water,so that the wind is high but the waves are small, then tacking is possible with 2 reefs. 

