Tie or Shackle to Genoa?
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We always used the cow hitch. Continuous sheet, fold in half, put the line through the clew and pull the tails through.
Bowlines get caught up in the shrouds/mast and whatever else the knot or loop can manage to catch on on the way around.
Bowlines get caught up in the shrouds/mast and whatever else the knot or loop can manage to catch on on the way around.
Several of us here in Venice have been having great success with these soft shackles made of Amsteel line. A dockmate has whipped up dozens of these and applied them wherever a hard shackle was formally applied. For Genoa sheets they offer both ease of tacking and quick removal and attaching to a different head sail.
Dave
Bowline knots on separate sheets.... safer, easy to untie, allow you to flip sheets for longer wear.... a cowhitch is fine on a small boat where you will never have to change a sail and you don't mind chafing the sheets excessively.... if, however, you have to change a headsail.... trust me when I tell you it's much easier and safer just to untie the sheets from the old sail and tie them to the new one.... the cowhitch is not convenient....... and besides..... leaving your sheets attached to the sail when stowing it in its bag is just not good for the sail.... and quite lubberly at that.
When I had a Lido 14, I left the single, long sheet attached to the jib, wrapping the line around it when stored..... but the sheets were only 1/4".... and the sail was a pretty small bundle...... but a big sail......no way.
That said..... shackles or snap hooks on a spinnaker are standard rigging... on my asymetrical spinnaker I built a 3 ft amsteel pennant with a large spliced eye to accommodate the bulky plastic spinnaker shackles that would not both fit directly to the sail's clew ring.
When I had a Lido 14, I left the single, long sheet attached to the jib, wrapping the line around it when stored..... but the sheets were only 1/4".... and the sail was a pretty small bundle...... but a big sail......no way.
That said..... shackles or snap hooks on a spinnaker are standard rigging... on my asymetrical spinnaker I built a 3 ft amsteel pennant with a large spliced eye to accommodate the bulky plastic spinnaker shackles that would not both fit directly to the sail's clew ring.
I would go with option #1, if you don't like the way your sailmaker made your sail, or option #3. For the reasons stated by me and others: You do not want shackles on the clew of a foresail.
Btw: I always clip our pole (we use the spin pole, as we don't have a whisker pole) to the bowline.
Jim
Buntline hitch, easier to tie, even one handed, than the bowline, doesn't snag. If left in line through repeated wet/dry cycles it may need to be cut off, but for my weekend sails I've never needed even a spike to break it open. Have had two bowline come undone, neither tied by me so I can't verify quality of the knot, but the buntline hasn't come undone.
Thanks
WOW what a response!!! Thanks a bunch. The thought of a shackle wacking me doesn't sit well. I like the idea of Caguy,seems simple and direct. The only thing I can see with that setup is if you get the jib flopping about it could loosen?
I'll give it a try this weekend.
CHEERS All
WOW what a response!!! Thanks a bunch. The thought of a shackle wacking me doesn't sit well. I like the idea of Caguy,seems simple and direct. The only thing I can see with that setup is if you get the jib flopping about it could loosen?
I'll give it a try this weekend.
CHEERS All
Yea I made the same comment when I received the sail. His response was that "these sails are made to off shore specs". Anyway the sail maker will pay a local loft the replace the ring, so I may go that route.
For JonnyQuest
The trick to prevent your bowlines flogging undone is to leave longish tails on the knots. About 6" usually does it fine.
By tail I mean the length of rope hanging loose after the knot.
This is effective because when the sail flogs the weight of this tail keeps the bowline tight.
The trick to prevent your bowlines flogging undone is to leave longish tails on the knots. About 6" usually does it fine.
By tail I mean the length of rope hanging loose after the knot.
This is effective because when the sail flogs the weight of this tail keeps the bowline tight.
I used a shackle for a couple of years until it took a very large divot out of my dinghy on the foredeck. I quickly went to amsteel soft shackle, modified one similar to the setup shown earlier. Never has come loose yet. Of note, I am replacing my double braid with 12 strand single braid. It's much easier on 65 year old hands
-j
-j
I just posted about this issue the other day on another site I think, but a shackle is a poor idea for several reasons. A wildly flogging sail, with crew on the fore deck, can turn very nasty, (I know).
And, some years ago, when sailing very close to the lee shore on starboard, I tacked around to port, and when the jib came across, the snap shackle firmly attached itself to a stay. I was flying headsail only, as it was absolutely howling that night, and when the crew rushed forward to engage the shackle, (without the presence of mind in the situation of not releasing the halyard), the port wind whipped the boat around, and run aground. Mike Tyson could not have released that shackle. I have also had screw shackles hang a shroud as well, but it didn't end that stupid.
Now I might add, that I was sailing the ditch, so a lee shore is ALWAYS an issue. There was nobody out that night, and I like sailing the "extremes", and it annoys me intensely to see perfectly good sailing vessels motoring along, when it can be done simply enough with a sail.
But no shackles on them...
And, some years ago, when sailing very close to the lee shore on starboard, I tacked around to port, and when the jib came across, the snap shackle firmly attached itself to a stay. I was flying headsail only, as it was absolutely howling that night, and when the crew rushed forward to engage the shackle, (without the presence of mind in the situation of not releasing the halyard), the port wind whipped the boat around, and run aground. Mike Tyson could not have released that shackle. I have also had screw shackles hang a shroud as well, but it didn't end that stupid.
Now I might add, that I was sailing the ditch, so a lee shore is ALWAYS an issue. There was nobody out that night, and I like sailing the "extremes", and it annoys me intensely to see perfectly good sailing vessels motoring along, when it can be done simply enough with a sail.
But no shackles on them...
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