nickfabbri
Well-Known Member
I quite like the idea of a self tacking jib. Can they be fitted to any boat , are they any good and am I just being lazy?Oh, and where can i get the wherewithall to make one
self tacking jib
- Thread starter nickfabbri
- Start date
johnalison
Well-Known Member
If you read the reviews of boats with them, they usually describe a loss of performance, due to the loss of sail area and overlap with the main. With a heavily main-driven boat this may not matter much and the ease of tacking may well be of greater value, especially if you do a lot of river sailing.
You also end up with a strange-looking rail on the foredeck which I wouldn't want to bark my shins on.
You also end up with a strange-looking rail on the foredeck which I wouldn't want to bark my shins on.
simonfraser
Well-Known Member
you're being lazy !
a better winch perhaps ?
agree with Kerm... nasty bit of extra hardware on the foredeck, yuck :-((
a better winch perhaps ?
agree with Kerm... nasty bit of extra hardware on the foredeck, yuck :-((
Stevie_T
Well-Known Member
Difficult to 'Heave to' as well
wizard
Well-Known Member
You dont say what type of boat you are sailing - the fractional rigs with large mains are the most frequent users of self tackers.
When beating with rapid changes of tacks they are the bees knees, the purists will hate them but as you get older and the crew numbers diminish ......
Downwind is a different story, where a cruising chute or spinnaker is essential.
When beating with rapid changes of tacks they are the bees knees, the purists will hate them but as you get older and the crew numbers diminish ......
Downwind is a different story, where a cruising chute or spinnaker is essential.
Cloven
Well-Known Member
Agree with wizard. I have a Hunter 323 with a self tacking jib and formerly a Hunter 272 with same. However, they were both designed as such and have what you might call more of a dinghy rig - big main and small fractional jib. Fitting one to a boat designed for a small main/big jib might well be a mistake. As for the self tracker track, I have yet to trip over it so I have not found it a problem.
As the sail is controlled by a single sheet, heaving-to does require an extra bit of rope on each side but its not a problem if these are fitted directly to the track slider and led back to the cockpit.
For short handed sailing and also as both my wife and I are now retired, they are fantastic. Yes there is a trade off with power but I would not go back to a big overlapping jib or genoa now. We do however carry a cruising chute for those light downwind days.
As the sail is controlled by a single sheet, heaving-to does require an extra bit of rope on each side but its not a problem if these are fitted directly to the track slider and led back to the cockpit.
For short handed sailing and also as both my wife and I are now retired, they are fantastic. Yes there is a trade off with power but I would not go back to a big overlapping jib or genoa now. We do however carry a cruising chute for those light downwind days.
William_H
Well-Known Member
As stated the jib must have a foot which is shorter than the distance from forestay to the mast. Which even on fractional rig boats cab be too small. You should make provision for forceably backing the jib for heaving to or if your boat is inclined to get stuck in irons. (Especially in a big sea and strong winds).
It is difficult to get the down ward pull on the leach of jib correct in relation to the pull aft along the foot and the correct angle from the forestay to the clue. This is done with a lot of adjustments on a mainsail and the jib will be the same. So many cutters have a self tacking jib on a boom. i quite like the idea of a self tacking jib on a boom but then it makes the foredeck a bad place to be if you tack.
good luck olewill
It is difficult to get the down ward pull on the leach of jib correct in relation to the pull aft along the foot and the correct angle from the forestay to the clue. This is done with a lot of adjustments on a mainsail and the jib will be the same. So many cutters have a self tacking jib on a boom. i quite like the idea of a self tacking jib on a boom but then it makes the foredeck a bad place to be if you tack.
good luck olewill
Amphitrite
Well-Known Member
Sailed one on a chartered Hanse once. Not much performance loss when sailing close to the wind (but boring for crew as they do not have anything to do when tacking), but downwind they are a nuisance as they tend to shift sides with a loud bang if you do not fix the jib. And heaving to is not easily done.... So if you are not sailing in narrow rivers and creeks, I would not bother with one....
cliffordpope
Well-Known Member
The expression "self-tacking" does not quite express the full story.
If you have the sail on a sliding track, then yes, you can just leave it alone and it will slide across automatically as you go about. But you need a boat that turns smartly with no tendency to stay in irons, because you have lost the option of letting the jib fly, or even of backing it.
An alternative as has been suggested is just to have the jib on a boom. That too could be on a horse, or could simply have a single block on the deck, lead back to the cockpit. That way you have the choice - leave it belayed if the boat will turn through the wind, or let it go then pull in again if reluctant.
As with mainsails, there are permutations of boom, horse, single or double ended sheet, additional blocks on the quarter, etc, all giving different possibilities of efficiency or simplicity.
If you have the sail on a sliding track, then yes, you can just leave it alone and it will slide across automatically as you go about. But you need a boat that turns smartly with no tendency to stay in irons, because you have lost the option of letting the jib fly, or even of backing it.
An alternative as has been suggested is just to have the jib on a boom. That too could be on a horse, or could simply have a single block on the deck, lead back to the cockpit. That way you have the choice - leave it belayed if the boat will turn through the wind, or let it go then pull in again if reluctant.
As with mainsails, there are permutations of boom, horse, single or double ended sheet, additional blocks on the quarter, etc, all giving different possibilities of efficiency or simplicity.
davidbains
Well-Known Member
If your boat is large enough you could try a self tacking staysail inside the genoa which can then be quite high clewed. We went this route several years ago and use it more and more.
altair2
Member
I have a semi-cutter (!) with both a club footed staysail and a high cut Genoa/Yankee. I find it works very well in most winds, and I have have even managed to goose-wing the 2 foresails and carry the main on a steady run. I can heave to by backing the Genoa.
Beware of the strain on the mast. You need either running backstays or a well tuned diamond to support the staysail.
Beware of the strain on the mast. You need either running backstays or a well tuned diamond to support the staysail.
PaulR
Well-Known Member
our dehler 34 has one - in the right conditions it is superb - especially upwind when f4 or above - in light airs it can be frustrating as she can be underpowered but that it relative - still find performance better than most even with self tacker - as an example yesterday we were beating up the solent from hurst to cowes - c 10-15 knots apparent - was using self tacker but only overtaken by one larger yacht and caught plenty of others so with right design not a big issue- we also have genoa for ours and swap them round depending on how many crew /how keen they are and weather - truthfully spend about 50/50 over typical season athough in past few more windy weeks have used self tacker exclusively