thoughts about lowering and securing a jib

[Jcolman]

My boat has hanked on jibs. No roller furling. I want to be able to lower my jib without going forward to secure it to the deck in heavy weather. I realize that a roller furled jib would make this an easy task but I'm looking for a way to easily handle the four jibs I own for my boat when I'm out sailing by myself without necessarily having to go forward to the bow.

The problem is that when I lower my jib, I still have to go to the bow to secure the jib to the deck. I'm thinking that maybe if I run a light line to the head of the jib, or maybe the second hank down from the head, and feed the line aft to the cockpit via a turnbuckle at the bow, I could let loose the halyard, lowering the jib, then pull down on the "jib line" which would prevent the jib from rising up on the stay in heavy winds. While the main portion of the jib would still be laying on the foredeck, unsecured, at least it would not be able to "ride up" the forestay.

Thoughts?

[Neptune's Gear]

Yep, that method works fine.
It used to be pretty common, now, along with hanked on jibs, disappearing!

[dohenyboy]

Downhaul.


Sent from an undisclosed location on the high seas or from the lounge chair by the pool, you decide.

[BigIdea]

You're on the right track. I rigged my San Juan 28 with a take down line on the jib much as you described... line connected to the head of the jib and run through a turning block at the tack, then back to the cockpit. The take down line was long enough so that when the jib was fully hoisted, there was enough line left in the cockpit to pull it snug & cleat off.
To keep everything under control during take down, I found it best to head dead downwind, sheet the jib in tight and backwind it... that kept it on the deck while I dropped it. I also had rope netting between the lifelines up forward. The process worked well in all conditions encountered in the San Francisco Bay (i.e. up to 30 kts).

[markpierce]

On my former cutter, had downhauls for both jibs as well as the mainsail. Once down, they were easy to control/secure. Of course, all halyards and downhauls were controlled from the cockpit.

[ryon]

Originally Posted by dohenyboy

Downhaul.

One of my greatest pleasures as crew is "burning the downhaul". I'll call out 'clear the alley', and the rest of the crew scatters, as I blaze thru like O.J.,.. No, make that Bo Jackson!

Of course, that does involve going forward...

[Stumble]

This actually works better if you connect it just below the top hank. Either too the bottom of the head board, or the next to last hand. This way it doesn't sideways on the sail.

My recommendation for line would be 1.7mm Amsteel. It comes in spools of 200' and 500' and runs about $1/10'.

[jongleur]

I believe the term is "disgracing line".

[JPA Cate]

Jcolman,

Look into the Kay-Zee system. Jim and I used this for a lot of years. You still have to go on the foredeck (sigh!) to properly secure it, but it will allow for headsail changes, and you to be in control of them. But, IMO and IME, one tiedown forward is inadequate to secure a headsail in a seaway.

Ann

On edit: please feel free to PM me. We used the Kay-Zee for years, Jim used it singlehanding.

A.

[Snowpetrel]

A modification to the downhaul we used for years on my folks boat was to make it endless, the tail of the halyard went through a block near the tack and then up the luff. Ideally we should have spliced in some lighter stuff but we didnt. All the square riggers I sailed on used them everywhere, sometimes doubling back to the clew from the head to help contain the staysails and gaff topsails, but I never worked out a sensible way on a yacht to avoid having to go forward and put a few lashings on if there was any wind.

Used the kayzee once. Seemed like a clever system but maybe added another layer of complexity?

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by Ann T. Cate

You still have to go on the foredeck (sigh!) to properly secure it, but it will allow for headsail changes, and you to be in control of them. But, IMO and IME, one tiedown forward is inadequate to secure a headsail in a seaway.

Second that. You can get the jib down and on the deck but my experience as well, unless you secure it in some way, even with netting on the lifelines you risk the sail blowing over the side or catching a wave and washing over the side either of which might damage the sail or stanchions.

[denverd0n]

Originally Posted by skipmac

Second that. You can get the jib down and on the deck but my experience as well, unless you secure it in some way, even with netting on the lifelines you risk the sail blowing over the side...

And I'll "third" that. I used to use a downhaul all the time on my San Juan 23, but that was just to get it out of the way temporarily. For any serious weather, you MUST go forward and truly secure the sail. Otherwise you are just asking for trouble.

[sparrowhawk1]

When I had a hank on jib I had a down haul that went through the clue. It started at the bottom of the headboard, went through a ring at a hank just above the clue through the clue, back on the otherside of sail, through another ring at a hank that was lower than the clue, down to a block at the tack, into the cockpit through blocks on the stanchions. When pulled in tight the sail would be "bundled".

[Stu Jackson]

Jib downhaul. To take down the jib, sail on port tack closehualed, then heave to. Drop the jib and because of the way the hanks are installed, the sail will literally fold itself on your foredeck. Keep the downhaul tight and the sheets, too, and the sail ain't goin' anywhere. I used this for 12 years on our C25 on SF Bay.

[Cheechako]

the downhaul for the halyard is an old and worthy idea. But in heavy weather, you need to go forward and secure that sail anyway... it's not going to just lay there on deck.