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Ryban · 01-12-2017, 11:52

I'm about to pull the trigger on a storm jib from thesailwarehouse.com, but wanted to do my due-diligence and see if there's anything I should be considering.

I was going to go with their "SJ16.0H" which is a storm jib, with hanks, measurements 16, 12 and 7.6 made from 8 oz Dacron.

I think having this shipped here would be significantly cheaper than having the local loft make something up.

**JPA Cate** · 01-12-2017, 15:14

Ryban, just at a glance, that looks a little large for a storm jib. But for someone to tell you, we must calculate its area, and for that, it would help to have the LP, assuming that the 7.6 is feet, and the short side of the oblique triangle. You could draw it out on graph paper, and work out the area, too. There are guidelines in the yacht racing rules, but I personally would go smaller, based on input from a sailmaker who races a lot. He thought racing storm jibs are too big, mostly, for their survival job.

One thing to check is the sheeting angles for your boat, you will be disappointed in the sail if it doesn't sheet properly.

What you're thinking about buying is a generic sail. When the sailmaker comes to your boat and measures it for sails, he notes where fixed blocks for sheets are located, and uses that information when he designs the sail.

Ann

**newhaul** · 01-12-2017, 23:48

Seems a bit to big to me as well along with kinda light cloth. Depends on what boat its for as well .

**Jim Cate** · 02-12-2017, 00:39

Assuming the dimensions given are the luff, leech and foot in feet, I work it out around 43 sq ft. A bit large for a survival sail, but maybe not out of reason... and for a sail of such small size 8 oz, if with good patches and stitching, seems ok to me.

But, have you checked to see if those dimensions produce a sail that you can sheet to your extant fairlead blocks? Pretty important, because if you can't get the leech tight, it will flog itself to death in short order.

Jim

Ryban · 02-12-2017, 04:44

And this is why I asked! Some considerations I hadn't accounted for...

I haven't even installed the stay that I'll be using to fly such a sail, but it'll be just inside of my existing forestay, so I can use that as a reference. I guess it does seem a little big. I think a 100% jib on my boat is 150 sqft -- if that number is correct, it puts this storm jib at around 30%.

Should I be looking smaller than 30%?

rosatte · 02-12-2017, 08:43

Adding a inner forestry have you considered the load ur putting on this stay at a unconventional angle from the mast this is something that needs to be looked at by a professional rigger not a do it itself handyman

Ryban · 02-12-2017, 08:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by rosatte

Adding a inner forestry have you considered the load ur putting on this stay at a unconventional angle from the mast this is something that needs to be looked at by a professional rigger not a do it itself handyman

I have entirely separate thread on the inner forestay addition if you'd like to comment there. But I've been working on a strong solution that would include bow reinforcement.

Cheechako · 02-12-2017, 08:51

Well, we dont know what your boat is, so hard to say anything about size.
-As mentioned lay it out and make sure you can use the sheeting angle available. Although this can be adjusted some with a pendant.
-Make sure it is triple stitched and has a lot of reinforcing on the corners and and cringles.
-Is it leathered at the corners?
-Do they specify the hank size?
-Seems to me 30% isn't too bad. Too small will do nothing unless you just want a riding sail.

**Don C L** · 02-12-2017, 09:14

So I don't know if you have seen this but it might help:
P?n Albin Vega S?lges B?den er s
Sailrite - Fabric, Canvas, and Sewing Machines Since 1969

sailrite's figures seemed on the high side to me.

Do you have track on the deck for the leads? Mine sheets way forward, just ahead of the chainplate actually, not sure about yours.

Storm jibs for a small boat are probably pretty common in consignment shops and probably in like-new condition. I had one that I had made for my old boat and I used it once in 8 years. Did you check with Bacon Sails in MD yet for a used one with similar dimensions? Bacon is a good outfit, I got a main from them.

8 oz sounds about right, but it needs to be sewn as a storm jib.

Ryban · 02-12-2017, 09:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by Don C L

So I don't know if you have seen this but it might help:
P?n Albin Vega S?lges B?den er s
Sailrite - Fabric, Canvas, and Sewing Machines Since 1969

sailrite's figures seemed on the high side to me.

Do you have track on the deck for the leads? Mine sheets way forward, just ahead of the chainplate actually, not sure about yours.

I hadn't seen that, but that's a good resource. Also seems on the large side to me, though.

Can you clarify what you mean by track on deck for the leads? The only tracks I have on the boat are for the jib sheets.

**Don C L** · 02-12-2017, 09:21

Here's one at Bacon now:
https://baconsails.com/bacon/select_sailboat.php

**Don C L** · 02-12-2017, 09:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ryban

I hadn't seen that, but that's a good resource. Also seems on the large side to me, though.

Can you clarify what you mean by track on deck for the leads? The only tracks I have on the boat are for the jib sheets.

The sail plan for my own 29' shows the storm jib sheeted down just ahead of the shroud chainplate. In other words I SHOULD (but don't) have a track all along the toerail so I could slide the block (or probably two really) on car up to where it will bring the sheet down at the right angle so the tension on the leech and foot are correct. For your boat you should check the sail plan and see where it falls. I have my doubts about the sailrite picture, maybe the Vega owners group can provide help there.
Albin Vega - The American Vega Association Home
https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/AlbinVega/info
https://www.facebook.com/American-Ve...7228353017787/
Vega Database
Albin Owners Group - Index page

S/V Alchemy · 02-12-2017, 09:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ryban

I have entirely separate thread on the inner forestay addition if you'd like to comment there. But I've been working on a strong solution that would include bow reinforcement.

The bow reinforcement, by which I assume you mean some sort of backing plate for an eye strap on your foredeck, is not the only consideration. You may need running backs or some other sort of reinforcement to counter the forces of what is a semi-conversion to a cutter-rig.

I'm not criticizing your goals, and I'm not fully aware of your methodology, but there's more to these modifications than is usually understood at the owner level.