Jib Sheet(s) Knot?

[Gunni]

I have always liked the redundancy of two independently knotted jib sheets, and a nice open bowline loop. You only need one usable sheet to control the sail, a parted, hitched continuous line would be prone to slipping free and leaving you with no controlling sheet. I also don't like the idea of a tight knot around the clew eye - racking the sail corner assembly about. Rather have this connection loose and flexible, allowing the sheet to absorb the wear.

 

[zeehag]

gunni...the cowhitched line only becomes tighter. it has not slipped in over 55 years of sailing for me. yes different boats, same set up.
i HAVE had bolined lines fail as knot hangs up at shrouds and chafes thru. damnnear hit me in my head while underway. not acceptable option, thankyou.

funny....an old salt who sailed tallships and steamers around the world as a captain in merchant marines taught me the way i do mine... has been in use for longer than i been alive. i am OLD.

 

[Joe]

If your headsail is on a furler, what does using a bowline over a cow hitch provide? With a hanked on headsail, a bowline or cow hitch/soft shackle is a must, but on a racing boat headsail changes go on all the time.

Here is the original question:

I was going to just replace the two jib sheets with one single line with an overhand knot at the clew - but it's 92 feet of line and, other than needing to be cleaned, it's really in pretty good shape. So would like to save my boat bucks for other things and re-use this line.

Any ideas on how to attach the two jib sheets to the clew without a knotted mess? Any special knot(s) to use? Or should I bite the bullet and buy new line?

He already has two sheets and he is trying to avoid the cost of replacing them with a single, continuous sheet. But, of course, some folks pay no attention to his problem and advise him to do the very thing he is trying to avoid.

 

[zeehag]

and to exactly answer your question, i would use the boline on each with a figure 8 on the cockpit end and reverse the line end for end.

 

[Joe]

and to exactly answer your question, i would use the boline on each with a figure 8 on the cockpit end and reverse the line end for end.

There you go.

 

[Scott B]

I like to use the Double overhand stopper knot. http://www.animatedknots.com/double...&Website=www.animatedknots.com&Categ=climbing

Stays tied better than 8's, is easy to undo and you can leave a long tail to grab onto if your sheet jams in a block.

 

[shemandr]

Here is the original question:

He already has two sheets and he is trying to avoid the cost of replacing them with a single, continuous sheet. But, of course, some folks pay no attention to his problem and advise him to do the very thing he is trying to avoid.

I may be the guilty party. My apologies. I should be sentenced with a reading comprehension course. I didn't pay no attention to his problem - I misunderstood it.

 

[slaume]

My bad too but I do like the continuous sheet with the larks head, Steve.

 

[sneakypete]

The alpine butterfly is a great knot for a loop along one line.
For separate lines I use a halyard knot, it's compact and out of the way of the grommet.

 

[Kestle]

Actually, if you are racing in light air, you shouldn't tie a heavy knot, as it will twist the clew. It is better to attach a light line of at least 6-9 inches back of no-stretch, then attach the sheets. You'll get a better slot.

Jeff

 

[inarathree]

Joe I am well aware of what the original question is/was. You yourself also commented on the practicality of one sheet vs two. I was simply asking more information on comments by other posters, including yourself.

 

[Joe]

Joe I am well aware of what the original question is/was. You yourself also commented on the practicality of one sheet vs two. I was simply asking more information on comments by other posters, including yourself.

Okay.. here's your question:

If your headsail is on a furler, what does using a bowline over a cow hitch provide?

I'll try... but it's apples and oranges... because you can't cow hitch a two line system, and you can't bowline a single line system. However, if you have a choice... let's say you're buying a new set of sheets... the two sheet system will allow you to rotate end for end, switch sides, or simply stow out of the weather when the boat is down... That means your can extend the life of these valuable items indefinitely.

The single line system will allow you to use the flatter, cow hitch... giving one the perceived advantage that it improves tacking. It is very common for boat owners to NEVER remove their sheets when their boat is rigged this way. So.. the sheets are changed out more often than the two sheet system (increasing cost) or the sheets remain unchanged, deteriorating in the elements.

There are other ways.... you could install a lightweight, hi tech pigtail to which you would attach your single or double line sheets, putting them some distance from the clew. On my Nacra the pigtail is a length of 1/4" Samson XLS light that is doubled and COW HITCHED through the clew. It is left on the jib. The sheets have a small block at their ends that allow it to be doubled back to a becket on the lead block/cleat device. The pigtail is bow lined to this sheet block when rigging the boat. It gives the jib sheet a 2:1 purchase.

I guess all my jibber-jabber about this is to show people that there are many ways to develop an efficient sail handling system. Some people buy their boat and simply accept that the way the previous owner had it set up was the "Right" way.... and I just want to show them that there are acceptable, even preferable, alternatives.

 

[slaume]

The sheets on my boat stay rigged the entire time the sails a on. The jib is on a furler and I take at lest three wraps on the jib whenever the sail is furled. The larks head or cow hitch lays very cleanly and gets by the inner stay on the cutter rig quite nicely. The only thing I don;t like is the pressure it puts on the jib cringle. I like the idea of a small loop of high tech stuff through the cringle but I will not use the larks head so I can avoid the pressure on the sail. This is a great tip and I thank you.

As for the longevity of the sheets, starting with a larks head might make them last even longer. I shift my knot every year and haven't noticed any degradation in a number of years. If I do wear out the middle section of the line I could go to bowlines and reverse them for quite a few more years. If I did have problems I would probably just buy new line and stick with the single line.

If I didn't have the cutter rig I would probably Start with the larks head and go with bowlines but the larks head works very nicely for my boat, Steve.

 

[Joe]

A cutter rig certainly has a special consideration in this area. I think it takes a lot more concentration and timing to get the headsail cleanly through the gap, no matter what knot is used. The fact that you move the knot on a regular basis is smart, how many others do that?

When I get back to Florida, (which isn't often enough) I sail quite a bit on my buddy's IP31, a cutter rig. The 140 genoa is well used with a lark's head, single line sheet... it was a real a pain sometimes if you didn't time the release correctly. Sometimes, we'd just roll the sail up when we changed tacks.

I went back to Fla one year and he had rigged a line from the cockpit up to a stem head block then back to a mid foot cringle, connected with a shackle. He used this line to pull the mid part of the sail up to the gap so it would backwind through the space more cleanly... It was a continuous move, just pull it up as the sail luffs, let the wind push it into the pocket, then let go and continue with the new sheet.

The down side was rolling up the sail... be real careful.. or go disconnect the shackle.

 

[slaume]

Raven runs about a 110% Yankee so it is not much of a problem unless the staysail is not set. With the staysail set and the larks head, the jib slides around nicely.

I do have a large Genoa but have only used it a few times and I either removed the inner stay or knew I wasn't going to be tacking for a very long time. Most of the time I will set a free flying drifter if I feel I need the power and it tacks outside of the head stay, Steve.