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134: Parasail 101 Detailed Instructions How to Set Up, Fly, Store an Oxley Parasailor Downwind Sail
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- Опубликовано: 16 июл 2021
- We owned an Oxley Bora Parasail for 4 months before flying her for the first time. Why? Well, we were so intimidated by it that we let it sit in the cabin downstairs collecting dust. And, it takes up a lot of space!!
Thankfully, when Jeff came on board for a month, we felt confident with his help (as an avid kiter and surfer), that we could fly the parasail and it was AMAZING. First, it was not as hard as we thought/remembered. Secondly, it is the perfect downwind sail and I kick myself thinking of how many times we had a wind from behind, even as low as 5 knots, that we could have flown this sail. Thirdly, the sail lifts the bow so the ride is much smoother. All around, it's a dream sail as we can fly her to about 20 knots true wind.
This video is a step by step tutorial on how to set up, fly, snuff and store your parasail, . Every boat has different rigging so yours might be different than ours, but once you see this video, we have the confidence that you can adjust.
Don't let this sail intimidate you. Here are some reasons not to worry:
1. The sail can fly from 5 knots to 20 knots (true) wind. Even if you get a major gust, it will blow through and dump. That's the point of this design.
2. Unless the Spinnaker halyard breaks, the sail is not going in the water. It's a very safe sail to fly.
3. It's relatively easy to snuff the sail if the winds start blowing harder and you can leave it all set up on your foredeck ready to fly again when the winds subside.
4. You can see under the sail which is a huge bonus in comparison to flying a jib which is always blocking your sight lines.
5. The ride is SO much smoother with a parasail. The sail actually lifts the front of the boat providing more of a gliding motion.
PLACE YOUR EMAIL AND BOAT MODEL IN THE COMMENTS OR IM US AND WE WILL HAVE OXLEY SEND YOU A GREAT QUOTE FOR AN OXLEY SAIL!
Let us know if you have any questions!
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We are Eileen and Brown Councill. Welcome to our channel and a glimpse into our NEW life adventure! 2020 was a year of uncertainty and change (for all of us, right?), but we overcame the challenges and decided it was time to chase our dream, to sail around the world! Did I mention that we have very little sailing experience? Before leaving Qingdao, China, our home of 4 years, we sold almost all of our earthly possessions and started our international search to find the right sailboat that we would call "home." After 5 months of unanticipated twists and turns, we found what we were looking for, a used Leopard 44' Catamaran located in St. Lucia.
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Good video. I love how systematic and careful you are setting it all up. I spent the last three months flying a Parasail multiple times every week. These are the critical steps.
One thing that always helps me with complicated piles of rope and fabric like this, or fishing line bird's nest. So long as I can keep the two ends attached to something and I know the in between mess has no closed knots. I know the situation is manageable. Usually I don't worry about it. Whatever the problem might be it'll either work out on its own, or I can easily pull it free.
8:13 your radar, steaming and deck lights are all on the front of your mast. Our steaming/deck light was on the front. One day we noticed it was missing. (Housing yanked off the two screws were still there.) We suspect that a bucking Parasail halyard caught it and yanked it off. Something to watch out for. During one deployment our captain yelled, I dropped to the deck threw my arms over my head. I instantly pictured worse case scenario - a line flying across the deck. Okay, I just want to make sure it can't hook my neck or an ear. Same thing with whatever is hanging on the mast. And yes, just like on your boat our light was well below the jib attachment which is below the halyard attachment - and still our fixture was deleted.
A bucking spinnaker halyard line is usually just a rookie problem, but one that might happen many times before you get your technique dialed in. I loved flying the parasail, terrific downwind, more stable and dependable than wing on wing (even with barber haulers) and probably faster speeds in the same wind. Back home, I intend to fly my asymmetric on my monohull a lot more. I think I'm going to deliberately practice setting it up, taking it down, setting it up, stowing. All at the dock in the morning. (Don't have to fully raise the snuffer.)
Something I've learned: I can do something on board working a hundred times and I will still have a wonky technique. What I deliberately practice in isolation I'm fast, consistent and smooth as glass. I can tie a bowline blindfolded with one hand, my cleat hitch? I can still hesitate screw it up. Reason? I didn't have a cleat handy to practice with. I do now.
Of course you know how you pack your para in the bag solves most of the problems the next time you fly it..
Whenever we twisted the snuffed sail to load it into the bag I would never just grab the cover, I'd always grab the sail underneath.
I just remembered our 'big emergency'. An Oxley has two lines, our Parasailor has four. One of our lines ran under something. Huge problem. I brought a spare line forward, cleated it off, then with a carabiner on a bowline I reached up and hooked the lower corner, Pulled it in a bit, then undid the soft shackle, untangled the sheet or tack, reattached them with the soft shackle. Unclipped the carabiner... These sails can be uncontrolled chaos trying to launch you overboard, or it's just another sail that needs to be handled properly.
(Sorry to keep going on. Maybe someone might get something out of all this. I'm talking to myself as much as to anyone else.)
I use a lot of carabiners. We'd organize and control the two pairs of lines on our parasail with carabiners, then remove them when we attached the soft shackles. We'd carabiner the bag to the trampoline.
Here's what I understand to be the order of attachment (and I might be wrong.)
Pelican clip - can be released under tension, releases the line to the side or down (meaning if you're cinched tight you can still open/close it) but they're fussy and often take two hands. It's metal.
Carabiner -- One handed operation so much faster than either a Pelican or a soft shackle. Rated, so reliably strong and durable. Under tension you still have to get over the bottom curve. It's metal Carabiners are fastest most versatile way to attach anything on a boat -- but maybe only temporarily. (We used them for long term dinghy tie down, attaching a barber hauler to the main, jib sheets to the jib.)
Soft Shackle - flexible, strong. Can be a bit fussy so always two hands, takes longer than either of the other two. Not metal - so flailing around it's not going to hurt you. That's why I think they're used at the corners of these kites. A bowline might be faster. (Need to be replaced by the calendar because they usually don't show wear. So I'm told.)
Don't know about the Oxley but the Parasail needs to have the bottom kept horizontal. I found this a bit difficult to determine from the sides of our 42' catamaran. (forced perspective.) From inside the saloon (centered) it was easy.
Thank you for the VERY pertinent warnings with the parasail!! Makes total sense! Thanks for your comment!!
Good question but I would guess the same for the Oxley!! We do try to keep it level as well!!
Great video guys. Thanks!
Thanks so much for commenting. We are glad it helped you out!!
LOL, beautifully done!
Thank you.
Same here! We had the Bora for over a year now. But NO! instructions and that keeps us form trying it by more than 10 knots. THANKS! SY Blackfield
Very informative video for sure! I can't wait to get ours out (finally!) and give it a shot!
Oh good!! We are glad it helped you! It’s a great sail we hope you love it as much as we do!! ❤️
Thanks guys great video
Thanks so much for your comment. It means a lot!!
Excellent excellent excellent. Always so instructional and easy to understand. You two are top notch teachers.
Oh thank you for this encouraging comment. We are SO grateful!! We are glad that our video has helped you!! THANK YOU!!!
Hello my dear friends
Such an amazing video. So well explained. Stay safe. Cheers from Canary Islands 👍
Hello CARLOS!!! It's GREAT to see you watching our vids and commenting!! You are missed in NY! We hope your return to the Canary Islands has been smooth!! Thanks for your encouragement.
Thanks for this video very informative, I want one!
Oh good. It’s amazing. Drop me an email if you want me today
Connect you to the owner for a quote: sailingblownaway@gmail.com
I got one!
Wow. Super. So excited for you!! When will it arrive??
@@scottbouchie8583 That's great news. Can you do me a favor and drop me an email? I have a question to ask and some information that might be helpful! eileen.councill@gmail.com
Thank you so much for this video!
You are so welcome! Thanks for watching and commenting!!
I am so impressed with your accomplishments!!
Aw, thank you SO much, Irene. We went from fearing it to conquering it!! ;) HA HA. Thank you for always watching and commenting!
Great vid guys!
Thanks for watching and commenting. We appreciate it.
That looks like a lot of work, and an expensive sail, but so rewarding both in function and aesthetics when it's finally up and flying! Thanks for sharing!
It is both! Ha! You are right. It IS so rewarding through and the ride is smooth and enjoyable, as long as the winds don’t shift too much and the seas are relatively flat! Thanks for your comment.
That's the reason why everybody is so happy when the sail flies! THE WORK IS DONE.
Another great video guys, will be getting one soon for my L44 ⛵
Hey!! Super! Let us know if we can get you a quote from Oxley! We are happy to do that. It's the same price for you, but we can make a little stipend! You will love the sail!!
We are ready for you to teach us hands on
It’s amazing how easy it is once you do it a few times.
Beautiful and thank you so much for the lesson
Thank you for watching and commenting. We appreciate it!!
Killer Sweet!
😍👍👏👏👏👏
Thank you!!
Great content, great detail in the setup. thanks.
Thanks, Mark! Thanks for watching and commenting!! We are glad it was helpful!
Very good video! I feel like I could even do it now! It would be nice if that huge thing would fit in one of those forward lockers. I am loving your videos btw.
Thank you, Thomas!! You COULD do it!! Thanks for watching and commenting!!
Nice video- great meeting you guys in Marsh Harbor on the Salty Dawg Rally (I was crew on s/v Calypso). I would be interested in a price for a 2016 L-40. Cheers
Hey!! Great meeting you too! We enjoyed that time and hope you made it home safely. WE love the L40's. Do you want an Oxley quote for an L40? We would be happy to get that to you. Send me a private email at eileen.councill@gmail.com
@@SailingBlownAway will do
I've watched numerous videos on setting up parasailors and yours is by far the best. Particularly in regards the blocks/friction rings one should use, which most other postings ignore, as I believe the forces involved can potentially be huge.
May I suggest you have a follow up video on how you jibe your parasailor.
Thank you so much for kind words. We appreciate them and we are glad that it was helpful!! Thanks for the tip on the next follow up vid. We actually don’t gybe. If the wind changes to 10 degrees beyond 180, we have to take down the sail and reset it to the other side. We don’t have 4 lines to do that automatically. Wish we did. Does the a make sense? We have a little flexibility with a changing wind but not much!!
@@SailingBlownAway We have a Levante and plan to rig it with four lines-with large friction rings on the bows in place of blocks-are working up the courage to fly it! So, I would be interested to see a video of someone actually jibing it.
Excellent. That’s sounds like a great plan. Find someone to go with you who knows how to fly it. That will be all you need. It took us 6 months and a friend on board to fly it! 😂
@@geoffbeach7165 It's interesting because the friends that we have that do have the 4 lines have only Jibed a couple of times with the sail. The ones that don't have the 3 lines have said only once they took down the sail to rework the lines for a change of wind. I thought it would be more frequent, but it's not. I hope you can find that video!
One comment. I have an Oxley Levante and love it. It appears that you don't compress the sailbag once the sail is inside. By pulling on alternating sides for the exterior straps, it compresses down to about 1/3 the height. Much smaller bag and easier to carry, store and (in your case) fit through your door. Our bag is probably 14-16 inches tall when compressed and I think our sails are similar size (mine is sized for a Leopard 48). Just need to make sure to release the compression straps so it can expand before you unzip it!
Thank you SO much for watching our video and commenting. We have followed you all for a while! I am SO glad you all have a Levante and love it! Thank you for mentioning the compression straps. We have used them BUT we have not pulled them tight enough, clearly! HA! Thank you for that reminder. I am going to pull them tight and see how small we can make the sail!! I cannot believe how small you can make yours...LOL...yes on the expansion. Ironically, I cut out all the footage of me releasing the straps (not pulled tight enough though!) and I should have mentioned it!! Thank you again!! Fair winds to you!
One more parasail question Eileen. Now that you have had the Oxley for a while, In your opinion, what is the difference between the Oxley and the Parasailer?
Hey Bill! Supposedly the Oxley is the older design. Oxley is owned by the guy who designed the parasailor. It’s a heck of a lot cheaper and it works beautifully. We have not run the parasailor so it’s hard to compare them other than price. I hope that helps. We love the owner of Oxley and highly recommend his product
Great video, one small comment, I would put the main halyard on the boom and tighten it up against the vang to create a bit of a backstay.
Thanks for watching and commenting!! I am not sure I understand. I do not see the connection between the main and the spinnaker? Could you explain further? We only have a compression tube, not a vang as well. Thanks for your help!!
@@SailingBlownAway sorry I actually meant main sheet not vang, apologies. So if you only flying the spinnaker then the main halyard would be free. Since your boat doesn't have a backstay, attach the main halyard to the end of the boom and then tighten both the main halyard and the main sheet. Now you have a backstay that counteracts the force of the spinnaker at the top of the mast. This should help reduce load on the standing rigging.
Great idea!! Thank you so much for the suggestion. We will try it. Anything to support the rigging makes sense! We appreciate your comments!! We are still learning so all help is welcome!!
@@junaidsterris I understand your goal to provide a additional support that a backstay would. On our Lagoon 421, we had a topping lift line that we would always tighten up for this purpose.
Great vid. Thanks for sharing. Given the enormous power of that sail…. do you have to reinforce anything to use it? For instance the port sheet is near half the forward motion force. It’s pulling the boat forward from that block near the port side winch. Is the eye that it connects to well supported with a backing plate? Same for starboard. It’s beautiful flying, and I’m sure you have it all secure, but did you have to consider those things? Thanks again for all your excellent vids.
Great questions, Tony! Thanks for watching and commenting!! We had a rigging team look at the boat and inspect all the backing plates, equipment to fly the parasail. We did change the block at the top of the mast as we heard that the Leopard ones Blow out. It’s a flip flop block. We are going to change the frictionless eye to a block to reduce the friction. You are right that it’s a lot of force on that one boat connection. We were told that it’s made for this. The boat is rigged for a spinnaker so it should handle a parasail equally well. Thanks again for your questions!!
Great video- thanks! Do you know why you and Oxley do not seem to suggest (or use) a separate guy downhaul on each side? I love how much simpler that setup is with only 1 line on each side. Seems like the Parasailor and Wingaker videos suggest 2 lines on each side, i.e. a downhaul guy and sheet to trim on each side. Have you ever been using it and regretted not having a separate guy? Thanks!
Thanks for your kind words, comments and questions! I don't know why Oxley doesn't suggest it but we decided to go with the easiest, least complicated, fewest lines possible to fly the parasail. We have not regretted not having a separate guy. Maybe we would know the difference if we tried it, but we have been very happy with our rigging and Oxley has seen our videos and said that our rigging was fine! I hope that helps!
Great video. Very informative. Do you think a single hander could launch and retrieve that sail?
I am glad our video was helpful. I think. Single handler on a parasail would be complicated especially if something went wrong or in high winds. Anything is possible, but it would not be easy. Even raising the sail on the spinnaker line or pulling the sock to launch it. We always have two hands on deck.
@@SailingBlownAway Kind of what I thought just watching you. That seems like a lot of sail for one person.
I hope that helps. We are new sailors though so maybe for someone with more experience you would handle it with no issue. And, if you flew it in calm conditions (like winds 15 kts Or less) it would be ok!?
@@SailingBlownAway Possibly. Very good points to consider. Based on the video I would have guessed you were old salts!
Ha ha. Aw. Thank you so much!!
What wind angles to you fly this sail?
Believe it or not, we have flown it on a beam reach so it has a reach of 180 degrees and we think even a little more. It's incredible.
Cool sail. Is it easier than a Spinnaker? What is the advantage of this type of sail?
Great questions. YES!! It is better than a Spinnaker because the parasail has a vent that dumps air so we can fly this from 5kts to 20kts (true) and any gusts are taken out by the dump vent which is great. The wing also provides lift which actually lifts the bow out of the water, creating a much smoother ride. And, if the wind dies, this sail will not collapse like a spinnaker!
@@SailingBlownAway thank you as always for your insights. To me, you have the most approachable and inspiring sailing channel on RUclips. Highly appreciated and well done as always.
I hate to sound like a trouble maker with my first post, but if Oxley says to use 4 lines, why do you use only 2? Great adventure you are on!!!
Hey there, Bill! Thanks so much for watching and your comment. That's a great question. When we first rigged the parasail, we had no understanding of how to fly it nor the rigging. We depending 100% on the riggers who showed us how to fly it; they chose two lines. Also, several friends were flying their parasail at the time and they used only 2 lines, intentionally. We spoke to Oxley and they said two lines were fine, but 4 ideal. Only recently did we see where a friend rigged their parasail with 4 lines where you could actually shift the parasail to either side if you have a wind change. It is a brilliant set up. We don't have the rigging necessary for this, but are considering intstalling two pad-eyes in the back, but want to first consult with a rigger. Thanks for your interest!
Also, look closely at the diagram, Oxley doesn’t recommend 4 lines. They recommend 2 and then a guy that holds the leeward sheet. My two Xs covered the name of the pulley and the guide which is why it may have appeared to be two lines!
@@SailingBlownAway Thanks for your detailed reply! Parasailers are rather a conundrum, aren't they! :-)
You are welcome! Parasailors are a conundrum and one we keep trying to make better. One thing we did was to change the block at the top of the mast. The one Leopard installs is not strong enough for the parasailor…we keep our ears and eyes open since so many cruisers are using the parasail…
Please: Always take the Oxley. The guy is the original inventor of the wing sails. He was cheated by ISTEC (Parasilor) and founded his own company after the patent was free. He realls knows the physics behind the wing and the sail.
Yes we are aware. We always support him!
Its not really an Oxley Parasailor is it? Those are competing companies with a similar product I think....ah, its a method of capturing views/referral marketing. GREAT video.. thank you. About to buy one - or the other.
Yes it is!! Let us know if we can help you get a quote with the owner of Oxley. He’s a great guy!! Sailingblownaway@gmail.com
It’s a GREAT sail. You will love it.
Well done guys. I’m in the process of buying a used parasailor. Could you tell me how many metres of sheets and guys you have. Thank you.
Oh good!! You will love it!! We have 75’. It’s probably a bit much. If you don’t have a L44 make sure you adjust length. Also, consider how much line you need to shift the sail to almost 180 degrees.
@@SailingBlownAway Thank you so much for your reply. Please forgive me for being very new to the parasailor but how many metres of each, starboard (green) and portside (red) sheets and tack lines (ie, 20 metres of sheet each side and 24 metres of tack lines (guys) each side)?
No worries. We know the feeling! It depends on the length of your boat. Our boat is 44 and we have 75’ for each side. We don’t use a guy. Just two lines. Keep asking questions!
We don’t use tack lines. We don’t have enough blocks so we just use two lines and if we have to tack we pull down the sail and re-rig.
oh man....I was already tired and mentally exhausted at the 4 minute mark...before you even started the hardest part. This sail is amazing and I can only imagine how much it saves! When do you choose to use the para sail instead of the big sail (jib sail?)? is it easier to put up than the big/main sail?
HA HA HA!!! It's hard work!! :) That's how we stay in shape! Great questions...as always...we choose the parasail EVERY TIME when the wind is coming from behind us (unless it's at night or too strong). We prefer it to the main sail EVERY TIME but if the wind is not coming from behind us, we have to use the main and jib. The main is a pain for alot of reasons (to us), so we don't like to use it unless we are going a long distance. It's hard to put up sails for a short distance...they all take time (other than the jib) to put up! ;)
@@SailingBlownAway ok...that makes sense...I assumed it had something to do with a harder/more time consuming process....whew...tired just thinking about it...YOUR TEACHING AND CAREERS ARE BEING PUT TO SUCH GREAT USE...BOTH OF YOU...SOOOOOO PROUD!
@@janetpearson1439 Thank you for your encouragement!! Glad we could clear up any confusion!!
😎👍 _/) Fair Winds _/)sailingtogo
Thank you so much!! Thanks for watching and commenting. We are so thankful!! Same to you!
Shouldn’t you guys do Figure 8 on all rope ends 🤷♂️
Great point. We have figure 8 on the ends of some of our lines, but thought about it for the parasail, and in a case where things got hairy, it would be very hard to release the lines if we have to untie the knot. Do you still suggest it? We don't have figure 8's on the jib for the same reason. In huge wind shifts, the way that Leopard suggests letting tension on the sail and rigging is to release the lines. I would love your input.
@@SailingBlownAway I learnt a good lesson while releasing the starboard sheet it slipped and pulled through all the blocks nearly putting the code 0 in the water because of no figure 8 on the sheet just sharing my experience 👍
Oh wow. Thanks for sharing your experience. We are learning and every story helps us! Thanks for this. We will definitely rethink what we are doing!! You are the best!
@@SailingBlownAway I put stopper knots on all jib sheets. However, many sailors don’t put stopper knots on spinnaker sheets for the reason you stated. Many folks want ability to let them (spinnaker sheets) fly if overpowered.
@@tedboender Thanks for your response; it's always helpful to know what others do and that our reasoning is not TOO crazy. We are never worried the Parasail will go in the water (unless the halyard breaks) so letting a line free is not a big deal to us especially if it helps to keep our rigging or the sail from blowing out. Thankfully, the parasail has a great dump wing so it's usually not an issue!
Great video. One question about it. Why don't you attach the line to the sail on the windward side with a snap shackle? When recovering the sail, you first release the snap shackle and the sail flaps like a flag in the wind. Since all the wind pressure is gone, the sail would be easier to pull down, wouldn't it?
Thanks for watching. Great question about the snap shackle. That would work. I don’t know how healthy that would be for the sail to go through that though. We do something similar by releasing the windward sheet until the sail starts to curl and then the donut comes down more easily. We have learned a lot in the past year of flying the sail! But we don’t fly it often so it’s always relearning. Next we want to try bungee to take some of the snap out of the lines when there’s a swell.