Storm Jib and Drifter
Chad: A storm jib is a good sail to have. When it gets really windy, you can still sail your boat with a reefed main and not have excessive weather helm. We just used ours yesterday and the boat was well balanced and sailed just fine. It is much better than sailing with out a jib, or sailing with the main reefed and no jib. The boat remains balanced, and still pulls ahead instead of slipping sideways. I don't have the dimensions of mine available, and won't be able to have them for you for a few weeks, because we will be on the boat and won't have acces to a computer. Dave mentioned that Catalina Direct has a 30 foot Storm Jib, with a 2 foot Pennant. I did add about a 2 foot pennant to mine too. I thought that mine may have been more that 30 square feet, and I have often wondered if one slightly bigger wouldn't be even better. So, don't be in a hurry to order one until you get plenty of input as to what size to get. The jib that we use the most on the Chesapeake in the summer is our "Drifter". It is made from either 1/2 or 1/4 ounce ripstop nylon and allows us to sail when many others can't. It hanks onto the forestay, and is easy to handle and stuff back into it's little bag. It's real pretty too. It has taken us for many fast rides off the wind and downwind. It's cut a little high, but that makes it easy to see under while cruising. A Genoa is harder to see under, because it is cut so low to the deck. Aldo
