Self tending Head sail for C-30

[Lynn Easton]

I am looking into setting up a self tending jib.I want to maintain my roller furling, and leave my foredeck clear, so, no jib boom or club-footed set up.I have seen the Hanse ads and all of their boats feature a self tending jib.Looks like it may be simple. I am having my local Banks Sails Rep re cut the 110% jib, adding a track to the forward cabin top and following the sheeting pattern on the Hanse. It's very interesting, goes from the track, up the mast to about spreader high to create a pendulum effect and not bind on either side when tacking.Anybody out there done this on a C30 before. I know you have thought about it.I sail on the Columbia river and we therefore do a lot of tacking. I sail single or short handed and frankly am getting a little lazy in my older years.Would love some feedback.Lynn

 

[Bob Camarena]

Have had one for years

Self-tending jibs are very common in the SF Bay Delta region of California. The rig you're describing is also known as a Soling rig after the Olympic class racing boat that uses the system. I have one on my Catalina 30, and, although I don't have roller furling, I know others who do.I had some pictures that I'd e-mailed to a sailor who had a previous, similar inquiry, but I've deleted them.If you e-mail me, I'll take some more and send them to you.

 

[Bob Camarena]

A few more details

Picture in your mind a mainsail traveler-type set-up up, mounted just forward of your mast, without side-to-side control lines. Imagine that it's curved and mounted in a tilted-up position so as to match the arc that your jib clew describes as it tacks back and forth with the jib sheet led to the traveler car.That's pretty much it. On my C-30, my jibsheet is led from traveler car via a multi-part tackle to the bow and then back along the starboard rail to a cam cleat mounted on the outside of the starboard cockpit coaming.With the multi-part tackle, I can trim the jib without a winch and can reach it from the helmsman position. If there's a bit too much pressure on the jib to hand trim, just snug it up while tacking through the wind.I'll try to get some photos this weekend.

 

[Bob Camarena]

Here's a picture

This should give you a good idea of my track set-up. It needs to be mounted so that the track is forward of your forward lower shrouds.There are many different ways of mounting the track. I kind of like my end mountings that, in addition to closing off the ends of the track, it gives you additional hand-holds.