DaySailer.org Forum

Tipster1 wrote:One jib untangling line I was imagining would run from sail's clew, through bow fitting and back to cockpit to yank clew forward and release stuck sheets. Not to be confused with quick jib down haul, Cap'n Greenlake.

Not sure where I come in here. Did you mean somebody else? My comments in this thread were about using a continuous jib sheet and having a separate short line that connects sheet to sail. This could be a soft shackle using a Prusik loop or the clever connection Tim Webb was showing in the thread I linked.

I've occasionally snagged a jib or jib sheet on tacking, but never seriously enough or often enough to warrant rigging any dedicated lines. My lower mast provides ample opportunities for snagging, but I credit some of the techniques I did mention with success in avoiding most entanglements.

Here's a picture:



I did end up closing the gap below the disk you can see on the picture. It had been the perfect width for a jib sheet to get wedged. But I never fitted any boot or cover over the rest.

Alan wrote:

I think my tinkering to sailing ratio is up to 4:1 these days. Is that average?

Mine's infinity to zero, here in waterless California. That may distort the average a bit.

Can't compete with Alan's ratio, but for me it varies over the years. My recent ratios are more like

8 : 4 : 2 : 1

Reading about sailing boats and maintenance : writing about sailing and tinkering : tinkering : sailing

Tipster1 wrote:One jib untangling line I was imagining would run from sail's clew, through bow fitting and back to cockpit to yank clew forward and release stuck sheets. Not to be confused with quick jib down haul, Cap'n Greenlake.
A line from stemhead to my mast ring is also very interesting, but, as suggested, would have to be either quickly removable, elastic or easily broken so it isn't a tripping problem. Or just take it off..... Hmmmm.
I am also admiring worn wetsuits for sacrificial arms and legs as lower mast boots.
I think my tinkering to sailing ratio is up to 4:1 these days. Is that average?

One version of the jib downhaul has the line coming down from the head, through a ring on the forestay about a third of the way up, back to and through the clew, forward and through a second ring at the same location, then down through the stemhead block and aft. The idea being that not only are you quickly bringing the jib down, but also bringing the clew forward, creating a "ball o' jib" at the stemhead. Tried this method a couple times, but found it to be more of a hassle to rig every time than it was worth, so I went back to the regular jib DH. But I suppose one could also use that arrangement as a way to unsnag sheets: by pulling the DH line w/o releasing the halyard, you would only be pulling the clew forward.

GreenLake wrote:
That experience sure sounds familiar. John Vigor also writes a blog that can be equally diverting.

Thanks! I need another diversion…

TIM WEBB wrote:One version of the jib downhaul has the line coming down from the head, through a ring on the forestay about a third of the way up, back to and through the clew, forward and through a second ring at the same location, then down through the stemhead block and aft. The idea being that not only are you quickly bringing the jib down, but also bringing the clew forward, creating a "ball o' jib" at the stemhead.

I can see where a "ball o' jib" could be useful.

I think the "ball o' jib" idea is to keep the lowered sail from blowing over the side, which it does well, but I find that a tightened sheet accomplishes the same thing ...

TIM WEBB wrote:I think the "ball o' jib" idea is to keep the lowered sail from blowing over the side, which it does well, but I find that a tightened sheet accomplishes the same thing ...

Glad you mention that. All I've ever done is allow the sail to fall on its own, tighten the sheets and then use a bungee around most of it (while docked for lunch, say). But I don't usually do that where the sail is very exposed to the wind, so getting this input is valuable.

For extended stays with the sails down but still rigged, I have a mesh bag with a drawstring top that I'll stuff the jib into, then snug up the drawstring, and that does a pretty good job of keeping it "contained".

Lots of good ideas. I took a piece of PVC pipe, a bit larger than the diameter of the mast, and used bungee cords to strap it to the mast tabernacle. It provides a hard, smooth surface for the jib to slide over. It sticks out beyond the mast tabernacle, and although the (admittedly useless) forward bolt is installed and not covered, the sheets never seem to snag on it any more.