I'm considering installing this on my '93 Hunter 23.5 If you have any advice or comments I would like to hear them. I have some unanswered questions; 1 - what are the 3 rings made from, and how are they joined together and then slipped on the forestay without detaching it and removing the turnbuckle? 2 - what size line are you using? If you need info on the Gerr system it is burried in the Hunter archives heer on the web. I have the 110 jib and when sailing singlehanded it is difficult to drop the jib before motoring into our narrow canal before mooring at our backyard dock. My 80 yr old legs make it impossible to climb around like the amonkey I use to be. Appreciate any help you can offer.
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Hunter jib
Perhaps all you require would be a 110 jib furler. My Mac 26X came std. with one, and I wouldn't part with it for the world, especially for single-handing. Ron
Perhaps all you require would be a 110 jib furler. My Mac 26X came std. with one, and I wouldn't part with it for the world, especially for single-handing. Ron
I used to love
using hank-on sails -- until I wound up buying a boat that had a furler on it, and my odometer kept racking up higher numbers. I now love the furler and really appreciate not having to crab out out onto a pitching foredeck to drop or change a headsail. If money is an issue (when is it not?) take a look at the CDI furlers on this site. They range from about $385 to $440 (if you get the ball bearing option)for you boat. This may be a better choice than adding a manual downhaul on your hank-on sails.
using hank-on sails -- until I wound up buying a boat that had a furler on it, and my odometer kept racking up higher numbers. I now love the furler and really appreciate not having to crab out out onto a pitching foredeck to drop or change a headsail. If money is an issue (when is it not?) take a look at the CDI furlers on this site. They range from about $385 to $440 (if you get the ball bearing option)for you boat. This may be a better choice than adding a manual downhaul on your hank-on sails.
keep it simple....
I'd use 3/16 double braid polyester, no hi-tech, and I'd try to find some large stainles steel key rings so you won't have to detach the forestay. I checked out an example of the system http://www.widgetsailor.com/myboat/downhaul/index.html It looks interesting, but may be way more than you need. Pulling or bunching the sail up to the forestay would not prevent it from flogging, I'd rather have it settled on the deck. I never store my headsail bunched up on deck. If I was in that much of a hurry to hoist and leave the mooring/dock I'd install a furling system. You can rig a downhaul for your jib for pennies that will make you feel much safer. On my C27 I shackled a small block to the stemhead and ran a length of 1/8th inch braided line through a few stanchion mounted fairleads to a simple clam cleat near the cockpit. I simply tie the downhaul line to the top piston when I bend on the sail. ---IMPORTANT--- Don't tie the downhaul to the halyard cringle, that will cause the head of the sail to bend over and make the piston hank bind on the forestay. Threading the downhaul line through the other pistons is unnecessary, just let the line fly outside the stay. At first you will probably forget to flake the line out when you hoist the jib, causing it to jam, but you'll soon learn. No big deal. The jib downhaul also secures the halyard in the down position so the sail will stay calm on deck. I also added some lacing on the lifelines to keep the jib from sliding over the side, although that's not as likely with hanked on sails End result is that I can douse the jib on any point of sail, without ever having to go forward to drop it.
I'd use 3/16 double braid polyester, no hi-tech, and I'd try to find some large stainles steel key rings so you won't have to detach the forestay. I checked out an example of the system http://www.widgetsailor.com/myboat/downhaul/index.html It looks interesting, but may be way more than you need. Pulling or bunching the sail up to the forestay would not prevent it from flogging, I'd rather have it settled on the deck. I never store my headsail bunched up on deck. If I was in that much of a hurry to hoist and leave the mooring/dock I'd install a furling system. You can rig a downhaul for your jib for pennies that will make you feel much safer. On my C27 I shackled a small block to the stemhead and ran a length of 1/8th inch braided line through a few stanchion mounted fairleads to a simple clam cleat near the cockpit. I simply tie the downhaul line to the top piston when I bend on the sail. ---IMPORTANT--- Don't tie the downhaul to the halyard cringle, that will cause the head of the sail to bend over and make the piston hank bind on the forestay. Threading the downhaul line through the other pistons is unnecessary, just let the line fly outside the stay. At first you will probably forget to flake the line out when you hoist the jib, causing it to jam, but you'll soon learn. No big deal. The jib downhaul also secures the halyard in the down position so the sail will stay calm on deck. I also added some lacing on the lifelines to keep the jib from sliding over the side, although that's not as likely with hanked on sails End result is that I can douse the jib on any point of sail, without ever having to go forward to drop it.
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