Sailing as a Cutter Rigged Sloop

[landonshaw]

So we were out sailing yesterday after putting our roller furler back on the boat. Still not fixed but know how to fix once the bearing comes in from France. When I took the forestay off I secured the mast with my jib halyard and main halyard and bent the mast forward a bit to give slack to the forestay. Once all was removed, I attached a second, not sure of the technical name, forestay inside the original forestay. I would be what is called a Cutter Rigged Sloop with this configuration. Having a Yankee sail, foremost and a Stay Sail inner sail. With all of the rigging up.

My question is when we went out and I left the inner rigging attached to a point on the bow where it would be for the Stay sail, but every time I went to tack this rigging caught the knots on the clew of the jib and it was a bugger to smoothly complete the maneuver.

If you are flying only one jib, how do you smoothly jib? I am sure it is an easy exercise, although we were not successful, lost all sorts of speed on each maneuver.

[atoll]

some people use eyes and halyard clips to attach to the clew to the sheet,this has a much smoother profile than knots,other wise having someone to help it round speeds thing up

[conachair]

Originally Posted by landonshaw

If you are flying only one jib, how do you smoothly jib? I am sure it is an easy exercise, although we were not successful, lost all sorts of speed on each maneuver.

I usually just roll it in most of the way then roll t out again.

Though being more of a cruiser tacking doesn't happen very often.

[barnakiel]

When the gap is big enough, the sail will be pulled across. But when the gap is too narrow, one has to furl some.

If your rig allows for this, you can have the inner stay removable - out of the way in light winds - when the outer sail is used most.

b.

[rebel heart]

Just for sizing, on a 36 boat (with 43' bow to stern including the sprit), my inner forestay is maybe 10' back from my outer forestay. So the clew a high cut yankee clears just fine provided it has a foot of 10'.

When I run our drifter on the outer forstay it snags all the time with a 25' foot.

[Seaworthy Lass]

We have a cutter rig and the stay sail is up permanently. In moderate to strong winds tacking the jib is not a problem. In light winds it needs to be walked through the gap. Gybing however, the narrow gap is a problem and the jib frequently needs to be furled.

The jib sheet are tied on as bow lines. It helps to stagger these knots slightly to get a more streamlined combination.

[bill352]

Try using one length of line for both sheets and secure the middle of it to the clew with a cow hitch, or, preferably, a clove hitch. This will solve the knot problem, but it will still probably be a tight fit.

[micah719]

As an emergency solution, consider running extra long sheets and tacking the jib around forward of the stay. Unconventional, I suppose....

[landonshaw]

My inner stay is removable so it is moved Thanks for all of your comments.

[markpierce]

My cutter had a flying jib which didn't greatly overlap the staysail jib, so tacking with the flying jib wasn't hindered.

[Auzzee]

Originally Posted by landonshaw

My inner stay is removable so it is moved Thanks for all of your comments.

Depending on the original mast section and rig, you may find that without the inner forestay, the mast pumps. If it does, it would be prudent to reattach it.

[Khagan1227]

Originally Posted by micah719

As an emergency solution, consider running extra long sheets and tacking the jib around forward of the stay. Unconventional, I suppose....

With a light wind sail I fall off the wind, let the gennaker run free. As it lifts forward of the stay, haul on the windward (soon to be leeward) sheet and she'll pass forward of the stay most of the time.

I stole the idea from a youtube video I saw years ago.

[Cacique]

Use a Cow Hitch
"Try using one length of line for both sheets and secure the middle of it to the clew with a cow hitch."
i.e. Use one length of rope for your yankee sheet feed the middle section through the clew a couple of inches and then feedthrough the long peices so really there is no knot to speak of to snag on the inner forestay, this is what we have done on our cutter for the last six years and it seldom snags, sometimes you have to be a little patient and allow the wind to blow a belly into the yankee before it slips through the gap but this only helps in pushing the head of the boat through to the other tack. Previously we used separate sheets tied on with a bowline, they would regularly snag, since using a cow hitch no problems.
Best of luck, give it a try

[landonshaw]

Good suggestion. And that seems to be my problem as you described it. Ill try the cow-hitch. Thanks