jib sheets what size on a 1981 hunter 25

[Thomas Wanderer]

Help My boat is about to splash and my loft can't find the jib sheets. I am guessing the required length to be 35 feet each (I have roller furling) and I have no idea about the diameter. anyone out there know what works?ThanksTom

 

[Jim Maroldo]

Jib Sheets

I can't give you an exact number Tom, but why not measure from the clew of the rolled-up sail, through the blocks (and whatever else they pass through on your boat) and back to the winch. Add enough to make a few turns around the rolled sail, a few more feet for slack at the winch end, and then double it to make two. Over the years, your boat may have had some additions made for sail handling, so the original length may not be correct anymore. As for the diameter, just use the blocks as a gauge. Our H23 has 9/16" sheets, but they seem awful big; I doubt that was the original size (but they do fit the snatch blocks!).Jim Maroldos/v: Lil' Wass Ett

 

[Dick Vance]

Sheets

Tom,I can't say what the length would be on your 25' but West Marine estimates 1-1/2 boat lengths per sheet. That assumes you have aft sheet turning blocks so might be a bit long if you lead the sheet from the lead block directly to the winch. I use a 60' piece of line to make sheets for my 25.5 without rear turning blocks. For diameter, I like 3/8" (I use New England Ropes Sta-SetX)as it's easy on the hands but 5/16" (I use NER Sta-SetX-Lite) for light air sheets. Anything over 3/8" would be overkill and quite heavy for light air sailing.Dick VanceH-25.5 "Honey Bear"

 

[Mike Kenny]

Depends on the type of line

You'll be looking for something that's good for about 2500lbs. This is 5/16" in the low(er) cost Polyester core. Approximate sheet load can be calculated as follows:(From the Harken Catalog)SL = Sheet LoadSA = Sail AreaV = Apparent Wind Velocity in KnotsSL = SA * (V * V) * .00431Approx #1 Genoa Sail Area = I * J * 1.5H25: I = 30', J = 10.5'H25 #1 Sail Area = 30 * 10.5 * 1.5 = 473 (SA = 473)At 30 Knots Apparent Wind:473 * (30 * 30) * .00431 = 1835 lbs sheet loadIf you go with thinner exotics, make sure the line will work in your blocks, stoppers, and winches.Fair Winds,Mike89' N31 Debbia II

 

[Doug T.]

Sheets

Good replies, but my 2 cents:Length: 1.5 x boat length should be fine. If you have a particularly large genoa -- a 150 or 155 -- you might go slightly longer. If the genoa's poled out while running downwind, the lazy sheet needs to be (length of foot) + (distance from mast to turning blocks & winch) + (tail) Longer is better. You can always make a line shorter, making it longer is a lot harder...Thickness: 9/16" is certainly MUCH thicker than required, but it's very easy to handle. For heavy air days, it'll be easier to work with. For light air days, though, it's too heavy. I use 3/8" for jib and mainsheets on our Sabre 28. For the spinnaker, tapered sheets are ideal: 3/8" on the last 10', thinner hi-tech line for the rest. That gives the best combination of lightness and "hand".Type: Sta-set-X is parallel core construction and is very stiff. It's great for halyards, but not ideal for sheets. Double braid like Sta-set is much more comfortable and easier to work with. Another really good line for sheets that I just saw a couple weeks ago is "Mattbraid" by Marlow. It's specifically designed to be soft and easy to handle. Kind of a fuzzy surface.