Is that a sail term? Between the slides and the shelf-like cut, the draft couldn't be adjusted much either way. Now I can put a big powerful deep light air shape by loosening the outhaul, or flatten the entire lower half by cranking it in. Plus the halyard/downhaul tension, it's a whole new shaping era.

You got new sails last season? Did you change lazy jacks? All new to me, any advice? Jack hammer for flaking?

And as you say, the shape that the full battens install makes you think, 'all's well', when it may not be optimum. I'll have to pay more attention to the telltales; the actual flow direction, and from top to bottom. I'm glad for the new mystery, I love to tweak the sails(I 'loose footed' my mizzen this season, for another fiddle point).

The true joy was sailing through Pulpit on main alone. I was able to sail deeper downwind and tack back up to an impressive extent over the old main. And it was moving the boat at 5 knots. Loved that!

But before furling the jib, I met a sailboat coming out, under power.

Sailing in on Starboard tack, I would 'obviously' have to tack inside the bar, right? NO! The sailboat under power headed right into my only tacking area, so I used a slashing arm signal toward Cabot Cove, that got his attention. He stopped, clueless...

I went onto Port tack, right off his bow, heading toward Cabot. As you know, that's a short tack!

He 'whistles' at me. I can tell- as I whip sheets across the cockpit- it's a questioning whistle ;meaning, "Are you going in there(Cabot)??? He just doesn't get it!

So I give him the left arm-port slash right up the gullet of Pulpit Harbor, meaning, "Would you please stay out of my...?", then I add one more slash, for "Would you please get the f**k out my way!" I think he get's my hand signals now.

Here's the Pulpit Harbor entrance for those not familiar. Sail in on a 10 knot West-southwesterly intermittent breeze coming over the land.