Challenge: Heaving-to with Self-Tacking Jib

[Curmudgeon]

So douse the jib. You don't need a jib to heave to. Amgine's 3rd bullet above.

[jackdale]

Originally Posted by Curmudgeon

So douse the jib. You don't need a jib to heave to. Amgine's 3rd bullet above.

That is becoming my thought as well. Or just let it luff.

Jack

[Amgine]

As a cruiser, I've spent literally days learning to sail my boat backwards. It's a very helpful technique when anchoring/leaving anchor without using the engine. I've never heard of a racer doing so for any reason, but glad to hear it's not considered useless by the go-fast fraternity. (I've never used it in the situation, but it's also the suggested technique at sea in heavy weather when stuck in irons as it avoids a crew on the foredeck, though I expect I'd have the motor idling along in gear so not an issue for me.)

Sailing backward might be useful in a COB as well.

[legarots]

Jack, which method did you end up using for MOB with a self-tacking jib?

[YOGAO]

On our boat, the self tacking jib sheet comes back to a jib traveler. We can then prevent the jib from self tacking by securing the traveler to one side or the other.

How about using a rope vang between the clew and a stanchion base or reverse a barber hauler?

[CharlieCobra]

I'm rigging some blocks to control the ST Staysail on Oh Joy. It has a traveller and boom with sheeting but no way to control the car. I plan to fix this...

[Night_Sailor]

Originally Posted by jackdale

There are some distinct advantages:


While discussing this approach in instructor's clinic I was conducting, we realized that self-tacking jibs presented a problem. My solution was a figure eight, but I promised that I would seek the advise of others.

Jack

An old thread I stumbled upon because I'm designing a self tending stay sail for my boat. Still it is interesting and worth a comment.

Assume you are sailing close hauled since the questions is about self tending sails:

For the self tacking jib, the best method is to bear off to a broad reach a few boat lengths, spin around heading up into the wind on a reciprocal course--should be a close reach, and then control your speed by dumping your sails.

I've done this many times on self tending jibs and it works well for recovery under sail.

I am not in favor of the heave-to finish as many boats will fore-reach (keep sailing along) and not properly heave-to.

For actually heaving to, I either lash the jib car to the toe-rail or else move the limiting block, if there is one up against it so the car cannot move. If you want to stay in the cockpit, I suppose a line attached to the car going to a block at the toe rail and then back aft would work.

[alexico]

In a man overboard situation there is no time to mess around with the self tacking jib. U can’t crash tack. So (if no engine) reach tack reach and lose the jib on your close haul approach. If you r on a long haul and don’t have to tack tack tack tack etc. u could simply secure the self tacker to leeward. Then if you need to crash tack u r all set