Setting up my jib down haul from scratch. Where/how did you route your line and place your cleat?
C25 jib downhaul routing
- Thread starter SailingLoto
- Start date
1. Use inexpensive, lightweight line, I have 1/8" dacron. Bought a 100 ft spool from hardware store, but you can find similar at a marine/fishing supply store. There's very little load on the line since you're just using it to control the drop, rather than hoist anything.
2. You'll want a small block at the stem to turn the line aft, thena couple of fairlead's that clamp to your stanchions will guide to the cockpit. Install the cleat where you can operate it while simultaneously working the halyard. I have a small cam cleat, but really, any think will work, a clam or vee cleat is cost effective and will do the job too.. A fairlead on the cleat is nice to help keep the line in one place, but anything will work, remember, the line has no load.. you're only interested in keep stuff organized. I recommend running the line back to the side opposite your jib halyards. I'll explain in item 5, below.
3. When installing the line, I recommend NOT threading it through the jib's hanks. Unnecessary and just causes more friction. What's really important though is where you attach the down haul to the sail... and that would be on the second hank/cringle from the top. Do not attach it at the to of the headboard where the halyard connects. You'll thank me for this advice. If you attach it next to halyard, the down haul will pull against the halyard and fold the top/head of the sail over, making the to hank bind up on the forestay. If you tie it on to the next lower hank, you'll be pulling against the sail rather than the halyard....and that's what you want.
4. I have always just tied the line on the hank with a buntline hitch. When I'm done, I tie the line to the pulpit, where it stays till next time. If you want to try a small clip or shackle, I don't think it would hurt... but it became a low priority for me... since the tie on method works so well.
5, Finally, operation. You're gonna love this thing.. along with an tiller pilot it will greatly enhance your single handing experience.
When you are ready to drop the sail, stand in the cockpit with the tiller between your knees. Halyard in left hand (because my halyards are on port side) and the down haul in your right. If you're going down wind, steer the boat so the main shadows the jib, when the sail deflates, drop the it on the foredeck in a controlled manner, using your knees to maneuver the boat as the sail comes down. Going upwind is a little easier, obviously, but the downhaul makes the off wind drop a very comfortable process. Once the sail is down, cleating the downhaul and tensioning the sheet will keep it secure on deck.
Okay, that's it.... have fun.
2. You'll want a small block at the stem to turn the line aft, thena couple of fairlead's that clamp to your stanchions will guide to the cockpit. Install the cleat where you can operate it while simultaneously working the halyard. I have a small cam cleat, but really, any think will work, a clam or vee cleat is cost effective and will do the job too.. A fairlead on the cleat is nice to help keep the line in one place, but anything will work, remember, the line has no load.. you're only interested in keep stuff organized. I recommend running the line back to the side opposite your jib halyards. I'll explain in item 5, below.
3. When installing the line, I recommend NOT threading it through the jib's hanks. Unnecessary and just causes more friction. What's really important though is where you attach the down haul to the sail... and that would be on the second hank/cringle from the top. Do not attach it at the to of the headboard where the halyard connects. You'll thank me for this advice. If you attach it next to halyard, the down haul will pull against the halyard and fold the top/head of the sail over, making the to hank bind up on the forestay. If you tie it on to the next lower hank, you'll be pulling against the sail rather than the halyard....and that's what you want.
4. I have always just tied the line on the hank with a buntline hitch. When I'm done, I tie the line to the pulpit, where it stays till next time. If you want to try a small clip or shackle, I don't think it would hurt... but it became a low priority for me... since the tie on method works so well.
5, Finally, operation. You're gonna love this thing.. along with an tiller pilot it will greatly enhance your single handing experience.
When you are ready to drop the sail, stand in the cockpit with the tiller between your knees. Halyard in left hand (because my halyards are on port side) and the down haul in your right. If you're going down wind, steer the boat so the main shadows the jib, when the sail deflates, drop the it on the foredeck in a controlled manner, using your knees to maneuver the boat as the sail comes down. Going upwind is a little easier, obviously, but the downhaul makes the off wind drop a very comfortable process. Once the sail is down, cleating the downhaul and tensioning the sheet will keep it secure on deck.
Okay, that's it.... have fun.
Thank you! I was planning on running them both to the starboard side, where my halyard run to , but I can now see the advantage of having them on opposite sides.
I have 200ft of nice 3/16, a half dozen fair leads a couple blocks and a cam cleat already to go. If you ran your line down the stanchions, where is your cleat?
Mine is set up like Joe describes.
Here are some pictures of my downhaul setup. First pic is where my camcleat is attached to the stanchion port side of the cockpit.
Second you can see the fairleads attached to a stanchion and the block at the base of the forestay.
It's on the coaming where it joins the bulkhead. Forward out of the way, but easy to reach.
Joe's explanation is excellent and very similar to what I did on my C25. The only difference is that I would hook into every 4th or 5th hank to keep the line simi-attached to the forestay. You definitely do not want to connect to every hank or even every other one because it causes too my friction.
Joe's right in both posts. 
I never "threaded" my downhaul, always used the second hank down from the top one, never the top one. Instead of a buntline hitch I got a small shackle, the kind that clips on with no muss or fuss fixed eye boat snap, easy on easy off.
Handy tip & trick for dousing the jib: sail on port tack, then heave to, boat stays calm, jib is now backwinded to port side, so when it drops because of the way the hanks are connected the sail will folk/flake itself very nicely right onto the deck, just roll or fold it up! Single handed I always hated doing extra work and if I could get the boat and the wind to do it for me...
I never "threaded" my downhaul, always used the second hank down from the top one, never the top one. Instead of a buntline hitch I got a small shackle, the kind that clips on with no muss or fuss fixed eye boat snap, easy on easy off.Handy tip & trick for dousing the jib: sail on port tack, then heave to, boat stays calm, jib is now backwinded to port side, so when it drops because of the way the hanks are connected the sail will folk/flake itself very nicely right onto the deck, just roll or fold it up! Single handed I always hated doing extra work and if I could get the boat and the wind to do it for me...