Hi all, My wife and I were just out on our h170 this past weekend and I noticed something: the jibsheet occassionally 'jams' in the "jam cleat" while under heavy load-- sudden puff, or sustained winds above 15. Sometimes my typical method of 'ripping' the sheet-tail skyward in my hand works, but with delayed effect, as it sometimes takes several yanks to free the sheet. Any suggestions on easing this problem in heavy air? We ended up rounding up and furling in the jib altogether eventually, as winds stayed up around 15 or above soon thereafter...but wonder if something short of adding a fairlead car (fore of the jam cleat) will take care of the problem. Full sails to all, Mike
Jib sheet jams-up under load
- Thread starter gball
- Start date
- Status
Theory no practice
Mike, I have enjoyed your posts and pix so much that I thought SOMEBODY ought to reply to your question. Being a know-it-all type, here is my 2 cents. Trying to pop out the jib sheet from cam cleats under load on the low side, particularly if solo sailing would have to be a problem! I know that to get the angle, you would need to lean toward the cleat, shifting weight the wrong waym just to make things more interesting. Loosing the main and pointing up to luff the jib might be the only way to get the boat flat enuff and the jib sheet tension down. When I singlehanded my C27, which I did a lot of, in windy conditions I always took a turn around the leeward winch (none of them on a h170) and then across the cockpit and around the windward, high side winch so that I could trim the jib sheets from the high side. As I imagine singlehanding a 170 (something I will do in a rental in a few days) I would like to be able to bring that working sheet over to the windward side to cleat it- so i may want to install a jam cleat. My worry is that since I can't get underneath it, I couldn't back it, so I am not sure a jam cleat could take the pull. Food for thought as I contemplate my life as a trailer-sailor. Roger
Mike, I have enjoyed your posts and pix so much that I thought SOMEBODY ought to reply to your question. Being a know-it-all type, here is my 2 cents. Trying to pop out the jib sheet from cam cleats under load on the low side, particularly if solo sailing would have to be a problem! I know that to get the angle, you would need to lean toward the cleat, shifting weight the wrong waym just to make things more interesting. Loosing the main and pointing up to luff the jib might be the only way to get the boat flat enuff and the jib sheet tension down. When I singlehanded my C27, which I did a lot of, in windy conditions I always took a turn around the leeward winch (none of them on a h170) and then across the cockpit and around the windward, high side winch so that I could trim the jib sheets from the high side. As I imagine singlehanding a 170 (something I will do in a rental in a few days) I would like to be able to bring that working sheet over to the windward side to cleat it- so i may want to install a jam cleat. My worry is that since I can't get underneath it, I couldn't back it, so I am not sure a jam cleat could take the pull. Food for thought as I contemplate my life as a trailer-sailor. Roger
Jib-sheeting
Roger, Thanks. I swear, I'm on this site almost every day at lunch hour, hoping folks will be talking about things they need answered/things they've discovered while out enjoying a sail...and glad you put your response out there. Yeah, I've seen pics of a Club 420 being sailed with most of the load on the lee cleat, but micro-trimming being accomplished through the windward fairlead/cleat. A nice idea, and I will try it soon-- albeit on a calm day, where I can 'eyeball' the exchange of loads, physics, etc. I imagine the windward tail would run foreward of the mast (obviously?!)? I'll tell ya, if I'm in over 10k soloing my druthers are to round up and stow the jib. I have my hands full enough anywhere above 10 with this girl. She's a great boat though. Also hoping to rig 'big boat' jiffy reefing pulleys etc. soon. If you have any take on that from your C27 days, let me know! Let me know too when you join the trailer-sailor ranks full time, and how you like the rental. Best, MG
Roger, Thanks. I swear, I'm on this site almost every day at lunch hour, hoping folks will be talking about things they need answered/things they've discovered while out enjoying a sail...and glad you put your response out there. Yeah, I've seen pics of a Club 420 being sailed with most of the load on the lee cleat, but micro-trimming being accomplished through the windward fairlead/cleat. A nice idea, and I will try it soon-- albeit on a calm day, where I can 'eyeball' the exchange of loads, physics, etc. I imagine the windward tail would run foreward of the mast (obviously?!)? I'll tell ya, if I'm in over 10k soloing my druthers are to round up and stow the jib. I have my hands full enough anywhere above 10 with this girl. She's a great boat though. Also hoping to rig 'big boat' jiffy reefing pulleys etc. soon. If you have any take on that from your C27 days, let me know! Let me know too when you join the trailer-sailor ranks full time, and how you like the rental. Best, MG
- Status