Sailing New England to Australia in February

[gah964]

Originally Posted by savoir

You do have to wonder why they didn't clip on another jib. Race boats usually come with a pile of used sails. The jib blew long before the storm hit.

my guess they had a head wind. panicked and not wanting to go on deck.
these two where not sailors. more of your typical motor sailor.

[Delancey]

Never used the J-lock, only the Press Locks. Easy to use, never had problems with them.

[boatman61]

Used clips on the headsail just once... lasted 15mins... after the first tack I dumped em..
My way of fixing the sheets is not a bowline.. really annoys me when the knots hook up on the stays and turn a neat tack into a flappy mess.
I get line long enough to make the two sheets but don't cut it.. instead I double it and feed the eye through the sail ring then feed the tails through the bight and pull till well tight.
Result is minimum snags tacking and two less knots to slap one round the head.. remember this is for furling gennies.. hank on sails on a trip like that I'd have two head sails set up up front.. No1 & No3 hanked on below that.. each with their own sheets set up and ready to go.. if you've double forestay's 'WOW'... if just the one then its just a case of drop sail.. head forwards and unclip/stow/bungee the No1 to the guard wires.. un bungee No3 and head back n hoist n away, reefed down now just play with the main as conditions dictate till one needs to fore-reach/heave to.. my shorthanded/solo habit
For those who may not know...

[transmitterdan]

Boatman,

That's what I use on headsails as well. I think the name is known as a cow hitch or lark's head. The hitch will creep slightly (a few cm) during a single long tack but not enough to fret about. But I use old fashioned polyester 8 strand sheets. Maybe the cow hitch isn't the right thing in new slick high modulus line?

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by transmitterdan

Boatman,

That's what I use on headsails as well. I think the name is known as a cow hitch or lark's head. The hitch will creep slightly (a few cm) during a single long tack but not enough to fret about. But I use old fashioned polyester 8 strand sheets. Maybe the cow hitch isn't the right thing in new slick high modulus line?

Hey.. these two are like me..
WTF's hi-modulwhatsit line....

[Jon Eisberg]

Originally Posted by transmitterdan

Boatman,

That's what I use on headsails as well. I think the name is known as a cow hitch or lark's head. The hitch will creep slightly (a few cm) during a single long tack but not enough to fret about. But I use old fashioned polyester 8 strand sheets. Maybe the cow hitch isn't the right thing in new slick high modulus line?

I've been using a continuous length of Samson MLX for my headsail sheets for a couple of years now, and that's a pretty "slick" piece of rope... (Beautiful stuff, btw, great in my opinion for headsail sheets and furler lines)...

I thought I might have to resort to a bit of lock-stitching to keep it from slipping, but I didn't bother and just saw how it went... I've yet to detect any noticeable creeping, once the hitch has been 'set' after a bit of sailing...

You'd better have a marlinspike handy when you want to undo it, of course :-)

[Julie Mor]

I think this is a really bad case of, "If at first you don't succeed, try, try, again."

[Evenstar]

Originally Posted by boatman61

Used clips on the headsail just once... lasted 15mins... after the first tack I dumped em..
My way of fixing the sheets is not a bowline.. really annoys me when the knots hook up on the stays and turn a neat tack into a flappy mess.
I get line long enough to make the two sheets but don't cut it.. instead I double it and feed the eye through the sail ring then feed the tails through the bight and pull till well tight.
Result is minimum snags tacking and two less knots to slap one round the head.. remember this is for furling gennies.. hank on sails on a trip like that I'd have two head sails set up up front.. No1 & No3 hanked on below that.. each with their own sheets set up and ready to go.. if you've double forestay's 'WOW'... if just the one then its just a case of drop sail.. head forwards and unclip/stow/bungee the No1 to the guard wires.. un bungee No3 and head back n hoist n away, reefed down now just play with the main as conditions dictate till one needs to fore-reach/heave to.. my shorthanded/solo habit
For those who may not know...

Lark's heading a long sheet on is a great way to do it. Once. Then it gets so whacked down on there you have to cut the line to get it off, then you are back to two sheets...

We use a Lark's Head on the staysail because the loads aren't as high, but that didn't work to well on the Genoa.

[Evenstar]

Originally Posted by Jon Eisberg

I've been using a continuous length of Samson MLX for my headsail sheets for a couple of years now, and that's a pretty "slick" piece of rope... (Beautiful stuff, btw, great in my opinion for headsail sheets and furler lines)...

I thought I might have to resort to a bit of lock-stitching to keep it from slipping, but I didn't bother and just saw how it went... I've yet to detect any noticeable creeping, once the hitch has been 'set' after a bit of sailing...

You'd better have a marlinspike handy when you want to undo it, of course :-)

Marlinspike? We had to use the hot knife...

[Jon Eisberg]

Originally Posted by Evenstar

Marlinspike? We had to use the hot knife...

One of the many differences between sailing a 30-footer, and a 53-footer, I suspect...

:-))

Hope you're enjoying NZ, B.J. Are you gonna be able to make it down to the South Island while you're there?

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by Evenstar

Marlinspike? We had to use the hot knife...

Thats when they convert to docklines...

[Evenstar]

Originally Posted by Jon Eisberg

One of the many differences between sailing a 30-footer, and a 53-footer, I suspect...

:-))

Hope you're enjoying NZ, B.J. Are you gonna be able to make it down to the South Island while you're there?

We're having a great time here, but we'll have to come back again to get to South Island.