Catalina 320 self tacking jib

[JR Castro]

Has anyone any ideas or experience with design or use of a self tacking jib for a 320?including hardware as well as sail cut?....thanksJR Castro

 

[Joe Barrett]

I would start with a sailmaker

You will probably need to rig a boom for the jib but I would start with a loft near you. I own a C320 also and am on the sailnet email group with other C320 owners. A gal in Australia emailed today about a guy who singlehands alot and he did just you are thinking.

 

[Bob Camarena]

Choices

I sail in the California Delta (inland from San Francisco Bay). Essentially it's river sailing, with quite a bit of tacking. Therefore most local boats use some form of self tacking jib for cruising. There are three basic types:1. Club Footed Jib- The jib has a boom that is sheeted to a deck mounted traveler just forward of the mast.2. Soling Rig- No boom and the jib is sheeted to a curved track mounted just forward of the mast so that the arc of the track is angled up to match the arc that the clew makes as it tacks. 3. Wishbone Boom or Camber Spar- The wishbone is like on the Freedom, a Camber Spar is like a one-sided wishbone.Of the three, I prefer, and have the Soling rig. It maintains a good sail shape and you don't have a hard boom or wishbone banging around.

 

[JR Castro]

thanks for info re 320 self tacking jib

Bob, thanks for your info re 320 self tacking jib. I sail in SF Bay mostly but want to cruise in Delta as well. The Soling rig sounded good to me from what I read about it, so it's good to get experience regarding it. Now can you tell me your advice re where to buy and what track, specs, mounting,etc? Any advice would be much appreciated. thanksJoe Castrojrbkcastro@worldnet.att.net

 

[JR Castro]

attn: Bob Camarena

Bob, could you contact me off line at jrbkcastro@worldnet.att.net?I would like to ask you a few more questions about your self-tacking jib hardware....thanksJoe Castro