Arpex Criss-Crossing

Here comes another video of a solo outing on Arpex. Not a very spectacular video. So, don't bother watching. It is more a documentation for myself.

One of the aspects that I appreciate on Arpex, is its ability to continue sailing on a straight line whenever I leave the helm. In several occasions in this video, you can see me walking around the boat, while it continues to sail hard on the wind, to windward. Not that there was much wind, anyway. In case the wind pipes up, and things get more lively, I would also prefer to stay at the steering and sheets - just in case.

But in these benign conditions, with the wind coming from the NorthEast, at about 3-6 knots, I could point the boat, put the rudder in a central position, and either go about my business, anywhere on the boat, or retreat into the shade of the cabin, and rest on the bunk. This is very comfortable, really. You can sail in good control, while laying down in the bunk. The wheel can be reached in half a second, and the visibility is good in many directions. However, due to some blind angles, I need to pop my head out every now and then, to get a propper lookout for boats, obstacles, or wind and weather conditions.