Adjustable jib cars

[landonshaw]

I am starting to look into getting adjustable jib cars. Does anyone have information on these and any experience using. It seems to be rather expensive, is it worth the money?


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[savoir]

You will have to tell everyone what you mean by " adjustable ".

Is it adjustable by block and tackle ? Adjustable by pin stopper ?

[landonshaw]

The car is adjustable from the cockpit without the use of the pin. I imagine that is the block and tackle format. Thanks


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[Tortuga's Lie]

I wouldn't hesitate to use the Garhauer brand. They are usually robust and half the price of Harken and Schaeffer..........

Garhauer Marine Hardware -11155853

I am contemplating the same as it is a pain to adjust the cars under load.

I have no affiliation with Garhauer, just like their products.

Tom

[savoir]

I would recommend pin stop slider type cars because they are both cheaper and more durable. When you think about buying ball bearing/line adjustable cars don't forget to factor in the cost of 4 double blocks, 2 lines and 2 cleats/clutches.

Take a look at these, which come in several sizes.

RC52230 | Ronstan Sailboat Hardware US

Ball bearing jib cars are not necessary on a cruiser.

[Muckle Flugga]

Originally Posted by landonshaw

I am starting to look into getting adjustable jib cars. Does anyone have information on these and any experience using. It seems to be rather expensive, is it worth the money?


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So, you mean that you don't have adjustable cars at the moment??! Or is it just that they aren't remotely adjustable from the cockpit area?

[UNCIVILIZED]

There's no substitute for adjustable jib leads. They let you adjust the sail's draft to power up, such as when it's light & choppy, or power things down just as easily.
They're worth their weight 10-Fold if you're using a furler, & roll the jib partially in or out. As you can re-set your lead position, without having to use 2 sheets on the one side, in order to re-set pin stop type cars without luffing up or tacking.

Ditto when you change course from say, a close reach, to one further off of the wind. They're essentially a traveler for your jib, & add a lot to your headsail's efficiency & versatility.

I've used a huge percentage of what's out there, & my Fav's are Harken. Both from a functionality standpoint, including ease of use/adjustment, as well as durability, that & customer support.
In addition to fully standing behind their gear, Harken tends to make parts for their older stuff for far longer than most. Although it's Rare to need it, as the durability of their gear vs. that of others tends to come out leagues ahead.

That said, there are plenty of other good makes of gear out there that'll do the job for you; Ronstan, Schaeffer, Antal, etc., etc..
And you needn't get cars with ball bearing in them either, the ones with plastic slider inserts work fine. They just need a bit more grunt in order to adjust them, due to their higher friction.

For a full on DIY job, on the cheap, you can cut the stopper pin out of a car for 1 1/4" track, then bolt or tie a block onto the car, add a towing purchase, & use said setup as a towable car lead also.
Some pin stop cars are "semi-designed" for such, in that they have a setting where you can lock the pin stop on the car so that it's fixed in the up position. And if you go this route, try & find cars which again, have plastic inserts.

I'd say, on a budget, get a pair of purpose built (dual lead) towable cars for 1 1/4" track. Plus a couple of pin stop cars. One set would be for use with your #3 (100%) & smaller sails. While the other pair can be mounted on the toe rail track, for reaching.
And to keep your towing hardware costs down, look at using a setup with rings, or some of Colligo Marine's "sheaveless" blocks. That, & or do some Ebay shopping - you'll also see towable jib cars on there for cheap (too).

[Snore]

Check out Garhauer. I have them on my boat. Fair price for a good product and they can be made to fit your existing tracks


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[landonshaw]

I already have the pin stop and they are in good condition. Just looking for ways to improve my performance.


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[landonshaw]

I would like to use my same tracks so will have to measure. Not so much on a budget, but that said the sky is not the limit. Does harken fit different tracks, or are you locked into one size?



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[Stumble]

Landon,

All the cars will be made to fit a specific size track (or a very narrow size range with inserts). Luckily manufacturers settled on standard track sizes decades ago so it would be rare that whatever track you have you cant find cars to fit.

Honestly, I think movable cars are the single best bang for the buck of any sail handeling gear. If used properly they can easily net a knot in speed gain, or reduce heel by 10 degrees in a blow. As with most 'racing' gear, it makes the sails more controllable with less effort, and that is always a good thing. Too many cruisers accept poor performance and difficult to use gear, then wind up motoring because sailing is too difficult.

[roverhi]

Another thumbs up for Garhauer. Have E-Z G-2 on my 35' boat. Garhauer are such good people to work with. Managed to lose part of the block slide when I did an overhaul on the cap rail. Sent the part to them, they fixed it and sent it back with no charge.

Heed their request for the thickness of the Genoa Track. The cars as supplied wouldn't work on the SS genoa track. The track was just thick enough that the car would bind up and had to be nursed along the track. Garhauer said to send the car back to them and they would re-machine it to fit my track at no charge. Decided to just buy new aluminum track from them when I did the cap rail overhaul.

[Snore]

Stumble

Don't want to be rude- but Garhauer will machine to an unusual track size.

They are GREAT folks to work with. Hard to justify the price of some other brands compared to their quality and service.


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[landonshaw]

Roverji, thanks for your comments. A few questions if I may.

You have the E-Z G2. That is listed as the E-Z G2UB on the web site??

That is the one I would be looking at also. E-Z G2 UB.

They offer a optional swivel cam. Is that a swivel cam cleat? If it is, did you purchase it? If it is a cleat, I believe in our boat we would have the cleat up by the cockpit for easier access.

Thanks, sv aloisius


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[UNCIVILIZED]

Originally Posted by Snore

Stumble
Don't want to be rude- but Garhauer will machine to an unusual track size.

They are GREAT folks to work with. Hard to justify the price of some other brands compared to their quality and service.
..

After they re-machine the track, do they re-anodize it also? If so, that'd be tits. And if not, you're pretty much hosed.

As to lead options, here are more: Some by Barton Barton Marine - Products - Genoa cars and sliders for 32mm track
Some by Ronstan T-Track Traveller SystemÂ*Series 32mm, Cars | Ronstan Sailboat Hardware US

I'd wager that Selden makes some, plus a heap of other companies. You just need to get out there & do some looking yourself. That & go sailing on boats with a few different types of systems. That way you get to see & experience the plusses & minuses of each, firsthand, for yourself.

I'm a Harken fan because it's what I grew up with, they work great, & 30yrs ago, there wasn't much else to choose from. Nor anything even close in terms of quality or innovation. Funny thing is, such is still the case when you look @ the majority of race boats.
It's not as if the other gear doesn't work (most of the time), but I've seen a lot of folks switching brands after their first ocean crossings. So make sure that whatever you buy is top notch, so that you don't have to buy twice.

Buy (quality) once, cry once (and only once).