37c stay sail jib boom
- Thread starter JHoward
- Start date
May not have to in certain conditions but overall will provide a better sail shape and better control. Trimming a free flying stay sail can be tricky, like the saying goes "put it up and gain 1/2 knot or take it down and gain 1/2 knot".
If you don't use the staysail boom, you will have to figure out how to get the sheeting angles right. This will probably involve installing some tracks and jib cars, etc. A good sailmaker can advise. Without the boom, it would also be relatively easy to install roller furling for the staysail. But the boom makes the staysail self-tending; a nice feature when solo-sailing. Everything on a boat is a compromise...
What Jim L said.
Personally I prefer to have no boom on the staysail. With a double-reefed main you have a well-balanced miniature rig for heavier conditions, with the ability to sheet the inner jib more properly like a real jib. My experience with C44s is that the staysail boom divides the foredeck, makes for a terrific headknocker and places more demands on the rigger, such as the needs for:
1. A real topping lift, not just a wire to the nearest point on the mast.
2. A proper outhaul with at least 2:1, preferably 3:1 purchase.
3. Sheetline tackle, preferably with a traveler. The sail will have to be cut short of the end of the boom to provide a proper lead from the clew to where it's attached. Here is where the topping lift comes in; without it, every adjustment to the outhaul or sheetline raises or drops the boom's end. It's just awful.
4. Ditto for when you reef it. It's never good to have only the sail supporting the boom; that's for very small dinghies only (and on my Rhodes Robin I fitted a topping lift just the same).
All of the above are eliminated when you go to a loose-footed inner staysail. (Please just don't call it a 'cutter jib' or a 'cutter sail'! --I posted on this a good while back.) The trick in sailing with two headsails is to mind both slots. Let the outer jib take the lead; draw it in but not entirely taut and then adjust the staysail inside it. Then play mainsheet traveler and outer jib till they all work together. Ideally all three should contribute to the same curve from outer forestay to mainsail leech. You can spot a good slot by the fair curve of the vertical space too: have no intersecting lines. With experimentation, observation and patience you'll find the best advantage to all three.
I like the inner staysail as the only sail up on a boat when motorsailing or in a bad blow. It balances the boat well and, with a roller furler, is easily tended. Also when flying a spinnaker, this is a nice 'splinter' (I'm dating myself, you can look up the term) under the radial-head (but check race rules to see if this is allowed).
Personally I prefer to have no boom on the staysail. With a double-reefed main you have a well-balanced miniature rig for heavier conditions, with the ability to sheet the inner jib more properly like a real jib. My experience with C44s is that the staysail boom divides the foredeck, makes for a terrific headknocker and places more demands on the rigger, such as the needs for:
1. A real topping lift, not just a wire to the nearest point on the mast.
2. A proper outhaul with at least 2:1, preferably 3:1 purchase.
3. Sheetline tackle, preferably with a traveler. The sail will have to be cut short of the end of the boom to provide a proper lead from the clew to where it's attached. Here is where the topping lift comes in; without it, every adjustment to the outhaul or sheetline raises or drops the boom's end. It's just awful.
4. Ditto for when you reef it. It's never good to have only the sail supporting the boom; that's for very small dinghies only (and on my Rhodes Robin I fitted a topping lift just the same).
All of the above are eliminated when you go to a loose-footed inner staysail. (Please just don't call it a 'cutter jib' or a 'cutter sail'! --I posted on this a good while back.) The trick in sailing with two headsails is to mind both slots. Let the outer jib take the lead; draw it in but not entirely taut and then adjust the staysail inside it. Then play mainsheet traveler and outer jib till they all work together. Ideally all three should contribute to the same curve from outer forestay to mainsail leech. You can spot a good slot by the fair curve of the vertical space too: have no intersecting lines. With experimentation, observation and patience you'll find the best advantage to all three.
I like the inner staysail as the only sail up on a boat when motorsailing or in a bad blow. It balances the boat well and, with a roller furler, is easily tended. Also when flying a spinnaker, this is a nice 'splinter' (I'm dating myself, you can look up the term) under the radial-head (but check race rules to see if this is allowed).
This was very helpful, I've been sailing and used to club race for about 30 years, all on sloops of course. I fell in "like" with the H37c the first time I saw it, reminds me of Island Packets and other quality cutter rigged boats. We've had two shortened seasons with it, looking forward to much more island hopping this year. I am going ahead with the loose footed stay sail based on your and several others good advice. I will keep you posted.