Cats With A Self Tacking Jib aka Solent

[Sand crab]

A self tacking jib has a track in front of the mast so it's as easy to tack as turning the wheel. People also use the term solent for this however a solent may not always be self tacking. Did I get that right? I think self-tacking jibs (self tacking) are really cool but there is no list that compiles the makes and models. Let's not get into a discussion about genoas vs jibs, genoas are also cool.
I'll start and correct me if I'm wrong.


In no particular order:


Seawind 1160
Lagoon 42 TPI (the older 42)
Maine cats (all of them)
Lagoon 47
Lagoon 55/57 (didn't some of these have this?)

Catana 47 and 582 (were these an option because these models have both?)
Gunboats (was it all of them?)
Outremer 45 (old ones)

Outremer 50/55 in standard and light (option?)

So feel free to add to it or fill in some info.

[Thumbs Up]

Manta

[Sand crab]

Originally Posted by Thumbs Up

Manta

Yup and I knew that too, dang it. See, the list gets better already.

[StuM]

A solent rig is two headsails, similar to a cutter rig but with the top of the inner headsail being close to the head of the outer headsail, so no additional backstays required. Nothing to do with self-tacking.

[model 10]

And my Italian sailmaker says there is an English and a French style Solent. I can't remember which kind we have.

[Sand crab]

Stu, many have started to refer to a self tacking jib as a solent even without the other sail or stay.

So lets just say this thread is about self tacking jibs.

But some call it a solent. :bigg rin:

[fxykty]

The tag of the original sail bag for our self-tacking 95% (or so) jib has ‘Solent’ written on it. Maybe that’s the French meaning?

The original owners of the 50/55s could specify either 135% genoa or 95% solent - I believe the split is about 50/50. Our cabin top has a moulded recess for a genoa track and another moulded recess for winch. I’m glad our OO chose the self-tacker.

However, our mast (which is original) has two forestay tangs very close to each other at the 7/8 location, with the upper tang holding the forestay. About 20cm below the upper tang is another tang, with the same dimensions as the upper tang. So perhaps that’s where the English solent comes from?

We’re planning to install a temporary soft forestay for a storm jib on the lower tang, so I guess if we ran both sails that would be the solent rig referenced above.

[Sand crab]

Do you like your self tacker?

[fxykty]

Originally Posted by Sand crab

Do you like your self tacker?

Love it. Tacking can mean turning the wheel (or pressing the auto tack buttons) and nothing else, no wear of sail or sheets on the rigging, no worries about sailing in 20-30 knots with a furled headsail, and a smaller roll on the forestay.

Only two bad things:
- less sail area so light wind upwind (below 7knots true) needs a screecher, which doesn’t get quite as high as the jib (40 degrees vs 36)
- needs a barber hauler to hold the jib full out for deep reaching or to backwind (for heaving to, though we’ve discovered that doesn’t work with our boat - too much speed).

A final possible issue is getting the jib sheet out of the way when the jib is furled and we want to install the inner forestay and hoist a storm jib - haven’t done this yet so can’t comment if we can just leave the sheets in place.

[44'cruisingcat]

Seawind 1000 and 1250?

[thinwater]

Had one on my PDQ and didn't really like it.

• Not enough area.
• Poor sail trim options off the wind.
• Can't roller reef effectively because the leads cannot be moved forward. The lack of fore-aft adjustment is constantly troubling.

Lazy, but not very good.

[Dave_S]

Some Schionning

Saw a boat the same as mine with self tacking jib. Mine doesn't

[waterdog]

Our Manta is self tacking with a camber spar. I was highly skeptical at first, but love this rig. Excellent downwind performance. We’ll go wing on wing through a wide angle and it goes...

[LeeV]

Seawind 1260
Bavaria Nautitech Open 40
Bavaria Nautitech Open 46

[44'cruisingcat]

Originally Posted by Dave_S

Some Schionning

Saw a boat the same as mine with self tacking jib. Mine doesn't

Most of the time you're going to be better off with the extra sail area you can have with an overlapping headsail.

It's not often we tack our way up rivers.