Hank On Jib

[Don Guillette]

This post is probably only of interest to trailer sailors and those with hank on jibs.I had a nice conversation today with a Tucson trailer sailor, who sails a Catalina 25. I had a C25 before I bought a C30. Anyway, his problem is how to control the jib from flopping all over the place when he wants to sail with only the main. Additionally, since he has tiller steering and no auto pilot he wants a fast way to deal with his jib until he wants to raise it again.The first part is pretty easy - purchase a tiller tamer or,if you don't want to spend the bucks, figure out a way to tie your tiller off in the center position. Dealing with the jib laying on the deck is pretty easy also. The first thing you should do is attach some long sail ties to the bottom safety lines. When you drop the jib you could just wrap it up and secure it with the ties but to me that is not very nautical looking and there is a better way that insures the sail won't get lose.First pull the jib sheet tight and then what you do as you drop the jib halyard is wrap the sail up in its self. It has been a long time since I've had a hank on sail so I hope I can describe what I mean. The first flake on the deck would be the foot of the sail and the flake would be wider than normal - say 3'. You then flake the rest of the sail on the first flake. When you finish you just wrap one edge of the bottom flake over the other. It makes a neat and tiddy compact container which you then secure with the sail ties and sail merrily on your way secure in the knowledge that the jib won't blow loose. Raising the jib is a snap and it goes up very neatly and easily.

 

[Stu Jackson]

All that work is not necessary

Don, I admire your work and sailing expertise, however, there is a simpler way: just rig a jib downhaul from the cockpit to the tack, with a block at the foot, and run the down haul line up on one of the top hanks. Heave to after sailing on port tack so the jib's on the starboard side when backed, and drop the jib on the foredeck. Because of the hanks being bent on the way they are, the sail should drop down on the foredeck all nice and almost pre-folded. The downhaul is written up in Pat Royce's Sailing Illustrated for C22s, but works just fine on C25s and larger. We used it for 11 years on our C25 on SF Bay. Doesn't require any sail ties nor anyone to go forward.Stu

 

[Alan]

Nah!

A hanked jib will drop to the deck with no need for a downhaul. Once on the deck take a tip from racing sailors. Run a bungee line on both toe rails with hooks in the middle. When the jib hits the deck, stretch the bungee across the sail to the other bungee and hook it in. Takes a couple of seconds to do. This will retain the jib on deck until you can deal with it.

 

[Benny]

Alan, we cruisers need all the help

we can get. We don't have the advantage of a team crew ready to douse and flake that jib or genoa. I have sailed in a good number of boats with hanked on sails and the jib or Genoa just drops half way in light air and perhaps 1/4 on a brisk breeze. No, I don't point the boat into the wind and in order to be able to afford that luxury I like the use of a downhull routed to the cockpit. Don't say Nah! to a downhaull just because you may choose to ignore its advantages; others may benefit. I have learned a lot from racers but if you pardon me this is definitely not one of them.

 

[Alan]

Benny

For sure, you do whatever works for you. Of course, not putting the bow into the wind will keep the jib/genoa up. The pressure on the sail will not allow it and retrieving a sail that wants to blow over the side can be a handful and time consuming. My comment of "Nah" was more directed at the sail tie approach than the downhaul.But I must point out that if you are single handing and your hanked jib has an appropriately sized halyard that will run freely, sticking the head into the wind and blowing the halyard will allow the jib to fall. Then going forward to the headstay and gathering the luff of the sail and putting these pre placed bungees over the sail will allow this to be accomplished in just a few seconds.I realize, though I don't understand, that the the word "racer" builds resentment in some. I was simply trying to make a suggestion that works for any sailor, racer or otherwise.

 

[jimq26]

Use a jib downhaul racing or cruising!

Raced one design Shark 24 for many years, and now successfully race G-26 in PHRF rated fleet of 12 boats.Have always used a jib downhaul when ever dropping the foresail on any boat I have owned (except the Laser).Makes life so much easier, and trust me - the jib doesn't just drop to the deck in most cases.

 

[Mark Price]

Benifit of Jib downhaul

Once the jib is on the deck a little tension on downhaul/halyard will keep it in place when the jib sheet is pulled taught. At least that is what works for me and I do not have to leave the cockpit.MarkS/V Wendy LeeH23

 

[Don Guillette]

Lessons

I've NEVER met a sailor I didn't learn something from!! That includes beginner sailors because some of their questions trips my mind sometimes on the subject they are talking about or some other times on a thought that just some how kicks in. The mind is a great and funny thing in that regard. I'm sure a lot of you have experienced the same thing. My wife calls it a mind blank and will ask me where I'm at and what I'm thinking about.This topic is a good case in point. Frankly, I was runnng on empty with regard to a new subject. After 5 years with this forum, a lot of info has passed under our keel and I was at a loss for a subject to present. This forum is not for me - I know how to get 100% out of the main and jib. I don't want to waste my time jacking my jaws on material I already know. My mission is to provide the info to beginners to intermedited so they don't have to go through what I did to learn how to sail a boat, but I'm not a mind reader.So, as I was sitting here yesterday thinking of what to discuss next a mate contacts me about hank on sails and off my mind goes. I throw out my idea on how to handle it and a bunch of great sailors chime in and a beginner to intermediate gets more info on that subject than he could ever gather on his own by talking to dock neighbors etc.I was thinking of dousing my sails and dropping anchor with this forum butI've been invigorated to continue the mission. I've got a few more sail trim things to learn.

 

[jimq26]

You sir are a gentleman!

Nice compliment. Thanks.

 

[Larry Wilson]

In support of the downhaul

I single hand a Columbia Sabre in the Rappahannock River and Chesapeake Bay. The Sabre is based on the 5.5 class Olympic Racers. Being a very tender boat (33 feet loa, with a 6 foot beam) it's nearly impossible to leave the cockpit while under sail. Even turned into the wind, the boat will round up, and heel over. My Sabre has no life lines, so leaving the cockpit is a real challenge. The previous owner had run all the lines aft, to the cockpit. This included a downhaul for the jib. I just (after a year) figured out what the blocks were intended for. I've run a small line to the jib head cleat, and attached blocks along the toerail and back to the cockpit. When I want to drop the jib, I can turn slightly off the wind, and haul the jib down, while sheeting in on the leeward side. It makes things much simpler, and I don't have to stop the boat,drop the mainsail,and crawl up to the foredeck. I'm thinking about adding a second headstay,so that I can have a second jib on standby. This would really make things simple when the wind picks up and I need to switch from the normal 160 jib to a smaller sail,or want to wing out with double head sails.

 

[Ray]

Downhaul block placement & line route.

When I help newer sailors set up their boats I teach them how to mount and use a jib downhaul. I place a block on the bow pulpuit SS handrail just forward of the headstay. I then run the line from the cockpit up to the block, then upward and pass it through the top hank-on clip(the line and headstay cable will both fit nicely in this clip)and then clip it on the halyard fitting that attaches to the sail. This route eliminates binding when lowering the sail in big wind.When lowering the sail I backwind the jib (as in heaving to) with the windward sheet tight. This piles the sail on the deck without dropping it in the water. I then secure the bulk of the sail with bungees.Ray.

 

[Dick Westwood]

Gerr downhaul

Don: if the joys of jib downhauls are new to you - wait till you hear about the gerr!Personally, I use a jib downhaul rigged pretty much as described by others in this thread. It works well for me. I also heave-to before downhauling. Unless tied, though, the mid portion of the jib can still catch the wind and balloon out over the side.There's a system called the 'gerr downhaul' that is designed to prevent such things - see link below. Here's what it does. If you pull the downhaul and release the halyard: the sail comes down and ties itself in a bundle on the foredeck so - with sheets tightened - there's no risk of it blowing about (or overboard!). Alternatively, if you pull the downhaul without releasing the halyard, the jib douses itself- ties itself to the forestay, as it were - so you're effectively sailing without a jib. All done from the cockpit! Then, when you need the jib again: just release the downhaul.Pretty neat, don't you think?The difference from 'straight down the forestay' downhauls is that a gerr also travels through the clew. Its path is: head of the sail; to a ring system midway down the forestay; along one side of the sail to the clew ; along the other side of the sail to the ring system; down to a block rigged near the tack; back to the cockpit.The link shows exactly how to rig it - particularly, the ring system.

 

[Alchemist]

That's a slick way to bail the jib,

but you now have a line on the jib to snag things (like the spreaders or the spinnaker pole ring). As long as that's not a problem, this is a really interesting method. (I've had my leach line at separate times wrap around the shroud and the spinnaker pole fitting on the mast, so I get a little worried about complicated strings)Thanks for your posting, DickSteveAlchemist C-320

 

[Bilbo]

In support of the downhaul

Hi, If I'm single-handing, I don't want to crawl out on deck to be tying the sails in adverse conditions. So, I would also recommend the jib downhaul. From a short time with my C22, I discovered that if the winds kick up and you want to drop the jib, the downhaul in indispensable. Because with higher winds and no downhaul, my jib has actually started to climb back up the forestay flapping away. I do use a tiller tie (of sorts) and it can work some but this is only under fairly stable conditions and for a limited time. Especially when heading upwind. The short length of the C22 lends it to being somewhat easy to change course with varitations in wind and sail trim. A side gust, or change in strength can cause an exponentially increasing turn rate if not tended to. Not good if I'm out tying the jib down on the foredeck trying to not step on the jib or the sheets. So, if I am dropping the jib, I do exactly as Stu Jackson described. "Heave to after sailing on port tack so the jib's on the starboard side when backed, and drop the jib on the foredeck. Because of the hanks being bent on the way they are, the sail should drop down on the foredeck all nice and almost pre-folded." Ether port or starboard tack, head high and drop the back-winded jib with the sheet still tight.