Best knot to attach single line to jib clew?

[Seaworthy Lass]

Originally Posted by meirriba

And how to attach the soft shackle to the line?

I posted these suggestions earlier:

Originally Posted by Seaworthy Lass

CAELESTIS beat me to it: eyesplices.

If you want a continuous sheet I would go with a bowline on the bight (coupled with a soft shackle). The load can be taken from either side with a loop like this.

I have seen an Alpine Butterfly loop used with a soft shackle, but after seeing how the Alpine Butterfly jams when the tension it applied to the loop and one end (it needs to be cut off if sufficient tension is applied), I don't favour this option.the AB loop is best if load is applied to the two ends.

[tedestrela]

Originally Posted by Ann T. Cate

This is for a storm jib on a 48 ft. boat. I would cut it, and tie it on with bowlines. I would not care much about clunky looks. In storm jib conditions, its appearance is not of importance to me, but the security of the bowlines is. Ymmv. Then get another line if you want to have a separate reaching sheet or spare genoa sheet.

Ann

IMHO Ann you have it 100% right! In storm conditions keep everything very very simple. Bowlines can be easily dismantled whenever problems arise which they do when gale/storm force conditions are experienced. Keep fancy knots for fine weather-not for storm conditions and cut the sheet in two.

[hamburking]

Originally Posted by jeepbluetj

I'm well into the novice camp when it comes to knots and stuff. But a cow hitch seems like the perfect solution here. It's amazingly simple. Sure it can be hard to undo (but a marinlspike would work) and it can slip a bit, but it's the right knot for the problem presented.

Everything else is way too complicated. OTOH, Seaworthy lass has forgotten more about knots than I ever learned.

If you are tying up your cow, by all means use the cow hitch.

The double 8 (single loop) is not complicated, will not slip, and can be untied.

[bailsout]

KISS. Cow hitch. Make sure you have a marline spike when you want to remove it. All I use on my fore sails. Never slipped.

[msrcal36]

Bunt line hitch

[ryon]

I'll go with a cow hitch/lark's head/ring hitch. Work the bight, not the rings, when you need to untie. Just to add more confusion, how about a round turn and racking seizing, possibly with chafe protection in the crotch? This will give a clean profile, and can be cut quickly if ever necessary.

[Cheechako]

The Cow Hitch works fine.... with above mentioned caveat about getting it undone after heavy use! I have used it extensively for a normal clew with a pressed or sewn clew cringle. I have never had a headsail with a D ring so don't know about that.

[nautiguy]

I like a buntline hitch. I also like two turns through the clew, then two half hitches; simple, won't slip, easy to capsize.

[sailcrazy]

On our 43' cutter, running a 135 headsail, we have always used "cow hitch", I guess, although I've never heard it called that before, on our 15mm dia sheet. We make a bight at the enter of the sheet, push that through "D" ring, run both ends through the bight, and pull it tight. In the last 12 years of using it, it's never slipped an we've always ben able to undo it when we take the sails down at the end of the year. And it make a nice small knot, good for furling and for tacking.

[deblen]

Originally Posted by deblen

Cow hitch

OK-a cow hitch/larks head can slip a bit under some conditions. Then use a double cow hitch :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OM30L0PRDsI

The reasons I personally prefer the cow hitch :

Simple & quick

I would leave the sheet "permanently" att'd to a storm jib anyway,so not really concerned about untying it.

Granted-this is for a storm jib so catching the knot on rigging,etc. may not be a major worry in this case,but I think the physical size of the knot is still a valid consideration ie: headbanging,possible catching,etc.

Bowlines & other larger knots,especially knots with eyes have a tendency to follow Murphy & ,for me,have caught on something too many times.

Stopper knots,as suggested by other posters, are my next choice,especially if I plan to remove the sheet from sail regularily-they may be a bit easier to untie.

How much do you trust a soft shackle to not "untie",when it may end up flapping viciously during an un-planned course change in storm conditions?
I have had no personal experience with them in this situation.

Not criticizing any of other posters choices-If your method has worked for you-great!
Interesting thread-this is how we learn from each other's actual experiences.

Cheers/ Len


Here is another possibility-no personal experience:
http://www.animatedknots.com/fig8fol...matedknots.com

[Bernie10]

Personaly I use a Bowlines knot For almost everything and they always undo easily

[Schooner Chandlery]

We use a cow hitch on our regular jib since it has a traditional clew not a ring.

I've used Prussic knots while climbing. They can slide (their benefit in climbing is their ability to slide very easily in the unloaded direction after all) so I'm not sure it's really a great idea either. A bowline on a bight would seem to be the better choice.

Since our lines are large enough to be hard for me to work with, I find myself sometimes using lashings instead. I do have a habit of using lashings in the sort of situation you've described since after heavy loads one can always cut the lashing away without harming the primary line. Lashing in this type of situation works for me but not for my husband, his always seem to slip--so there is something in technique--lash the sheet line to the ring using smaller line of sufficient strength (if 5/8" sheet, think 3/16" to 1/4" line for example). My technique is using something akin to a square lashing followed with some crossing turns ending with a square knot. Takes time to do that correctly though. I say "akin to" because square lashings are typically shown with two hard objects lashed together.

I've seen--a 150+ft sailing megayacht--the use of a piece of metal (likely titanium or aluminum) on one side of the clew ring with the sheet cow-hitched around the piece of metal (rather than cow-hitched directly to the sail) Not really sure why that would be any better than a cow-hitch directly to the ring. There must be a reason but I have no idea what it is.

Good luck!
Brenda

[Symphony]

Bowline in a bight is a good solution. Nice and easy on your line when you want to repurpose it for something else, too. How large a line are you using?

[charliehows]

another vote for the bowline; never slips, always easy to undo, been using it for years on my jibsheets.

[zeehag]

cowhitch has always worked fine on the boats i have sailed and owned.
wow. 60 years , now..