H216 Jib Block Placement

[Ranger Paul18578]

I recently installed a seat to seat traveler on my 2003 H216. I need to move the jib block as my jib telltales no longer stream. Anyone have info on the optimum placement of the jib block? P.S. The jib block placement has never been correct...my original dealer had imbeciles setting my boat up.

 

[Joe]

The optimal solution is to install a track for a sliding car base for the jib block. This would allow you to make position adjustments for various trim conditions. It is unlikely the dealer installed the block...more likely the factory.... and the sail was made without consideration for the block's location. Regardless, if you insist having a single point block.. then simply bisect the corner angle of the clew. Extending that line to the deck while the sail is hoisted will give you a neutral point where there is equal tension on both sides of the sail... leech and foot. All this and more will be explained in a basic sail trim guide....

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

Hunter never did install travelers unless it was a dealer or owner. I never cared for a traveler with sliding car base or even fixed as it was a knee/shin bone jerker in the cockpit on one boat I sold installed by a different factory. It would help us to see what was installed with sail up if the original post had a photo of it.

 

[Ranger Paul18578]

Crazy Dave/Don: Hmmmm... I remember an ugly gunwale to gunwale traveler being offered when I bought my H216. I did not purchase this because it was totally in the way. I later found a seat to seat traveler offered by Hunter which was very expensive. I cobbled together my own by buying parts and fabricating brackets for far less money. I am very pleased with the performance increase although I had to give up the free and open cockpit without the traveler. I decided to partake of the better performance and control and put up with the traveler being in the way. So far, I am super pleased. I cannot supply a pic because my boat is now in winter storage. I think I will take Don's advice and bisect the corner angle of the clew. I had done this in the past but I wanted to change this when I got the new traveler because I judged the gap between the jib and mainsail was too small. I am presuming the shape of the jib on a close reach roughly mirrors the shape of the main. Probably I should have my crew handhold the jib positioning it such that the jib/main oil can at the same time?

 

[Ranger Paul18578]

Don: A traveling jib car is not possible in the H216 due to the shape of the foredeck. Sigh... Jib sheets from the factory are a 1:1 ratio. I have considered having blocks on the jib clew so I get a 2:1 ratio and using 2-3 eye straps with a snap swivel in the working end of the jib sheet so I could move the jib from eye strap to eye strap manually. I have decided that this is simply too complex and hard to handle.

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

Ranger, it has been a long time but cannot remember if that would be a Hunter add on or not or if it was the dealer. It could be done as you can get underneath within from the cabin. However, it gets in the way for me and I sailed competively without one against the Capri 22 which came supplied as standard from Catalina on that boat. Equipment is one thing but then there are many other things that can make a boat go fast to include, tuning, knowledge of sailing area, experience and so forth as I use to race with all those things combined competitively.