Headsail Needed for Hunter 212 - Advice Also Welcome...

[MikeRottenborn]

Hi Folks,

I'm a new owner of a Hunter 212 (built in 2000) and very glad to have found these forums! The boat came with the jib furling system but no jib sail, and I'm having a lot of trouble finding a replacement at a decent price. There's a remnant of the old jib attached to the eyelets right above the roller furler and right below the swivel, about 1 foot below the point where the headstay attaches to the mast, but no furling track on the headstay itself. I seem to have 3 options:
1. Use the existing rigging and find a hanked-on jib that stops below the swivel (maximum luff=20'8").
2. Remove the Harken roller furler and replace the headstay with a standard one. This would allow a slightly larger jib with a maximum luff=21'11" to be used.
3. Find an exact replacement for the original jib with an integrated furling wire. Is this a Schaefer furling jib or did Hunter have their own system for this? This would be the easiest option but I'm having no luck finding anything like this.

If anyone has advice or a used jib they're interested in selling, I'd really appreciate your help.

Thanks!

Mike

 

[Whatfiero1]

There are used sails all over the internet Bacon is #1. But e-bay Craig list if you have a local sailmaker that you can work with ask about buying a slightly larger sail and have him cut it down

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

try the forum store as it is listed for the 212. I would stay with a furling jib due to deck and the same sail plan.

 

[MikeRottenborn]

Hi folks, I wanted to thank the forum members for your advice and reply with the resolution and lessons learned. There are a lot of online stores selling used sails, but their inventory lists are not always up to date. One place listed several jibs that would have worked but couldn't locate any of them, another had a sail in inventory but no price or ability to order it online, and a third one (minneysyachtsurplus.com) had one sail that was perfect. They sent me lots of pictures and the price and shipping were fair, so I bought the sail and tested it last weekend.

My sailing buddy suggested using paracord to tie the head grommet to the swivel at the top of the headstay, and the tack grommet to the furling roller, and I was pleased to see that the jib furled perfectly around the headstay just as designed. (The hanks were just snaps, so there was no tight connection to the headstay other than at the top and bottom, but that was enough for furling.) The ability to furl and unfurl the jib from the cockpit is very nice to have, and I'm glad we were able to use the existing roller furling system.

So, a good outcome all around. Thanks again for the advice!