Small roller furling jib - why not?

[webcraft]

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The genoa on Avy-J must be 140 - 150% , a good sail (nearly new from Jekells) but I imagine it will be utterly useless for going to windward in a blow.

So ideally I would fit a roller furling jib with pretty much the same luff length but a much shorter foot - i.e. a jib rather than a genoa.

However, finding such a best at an affordable price second-hand is likely to be imposible. So - is there any reason I cannot carry and use a much shorter jib, which would be more like a storm jib and keep the CofE low down?

I suspect the simple answer is that it wojld not be useable as a furling sail because of halliard wrap . . . too much halliard above the upper swivel. But was wondering if anyone has done it, or if I am missing the bleeding obvious (not unheard of . . . )

- W

 

[typhoonNige]

We have a no. 4 which is effectively a working jib. It has a wire strop about 10' long which goes from the head to the furler swivel. It doesn't get much use but if anything above a F5 is forecast and we are going to windward it's MUCH better than a furled no.1 or no.2 genoa. If the strop is the right length there is no danger of halyard wrap

 

[webcraft]

We have a no. 4 which is effectively a working jib. It has a wire strop about 10' long which goes from the head to the furler swivel. It doesn't get much use but if anything above a F5 is forecast and we are going to windward it's MUCH better than a furled no.1 or no.2 genoa. If the strop is the right length there is no danger of halyard wrap

That sounds excellent, and not too expensive to get the wire strop made up. The sail can presumably then be furled to pretty much storm jib size if necessary without becoming totally shapeless?

Did you get your wire strop specially made, or did the sail come with it?

- W

 

[dunedin]

Why not just add a foam luff to the good 140% genoa. Then would probably be an ideal sail and work well in a blow as well

 

[knuterikt]

That sounds excellent, and not too expensive to get the wire strop made up. The sail can presumably then be furled to pretty much storm jib size if necessary without becoming totally shapeless?

Did you get your wire strop specially made, or did the sail come with it?

- W

You can Splice a strop from Dyneema without cover. Not very difficult.

 

[typhoonNige]

That sounds excellent, and not too expensive to get the wire strop made up. The sail can presumably then be furled to pretty much storm jib size if necessary without becoming totally shapeless?

Did you get your wire strop specially made, or did the sail come with it?

It came with the boat. A useful sail and it furls down to storm jib size when required.

- W

 

[neil_s]

I had such a sail made by Crusader - they built in the strop. It has just the normal webbing becket you find at the head of a sail but very long! It has proved to be a very useful sail. It's about 100%, working jib size, for my boat. It rolls up nice and slim, you can see under it, windward ability is OK and you can pole it out with a standard spinny pole.

 

[Kerenza]

Got it on my no4
By far the best answer is a standard length luff, with the sail starting some way down the luff. Keeps all the strings pulling in the right direction. Last thing you need in a blow is the luff coming out of the track.

 

[zoidberg]

There are multiple benefits from having an inner headsail. F'r 'zample, in heavy air and with the main deep reefed to match, that much smaller jib helps keep the C of E of the reduced sailplan where it ought to be, and the 'lead' over the CLR still manageable in terms of the resultant lee/weather helm.

There's also an argument for the sail to be cut with a higher clew than tack - towards a 'yankee' shape - for this shape has been describes as having a pull like a horse in brisk breeze, one can see under it in the likely seas, and there is less likelihood of 'catching a green one' in the belly of the sail when, ineveitably, one is shovelled up.

Having the tack strop and the head strop detachable/interchangable could well be a useful 'versatility' to have, which costs nothing extra to provide.

Don't forget the benefits from having a means of providing a 'barber haul' and a 'twing' feature for management of the sheet lead and slot.... could be the same snaplink or Barton-type High Load Eye on a moveable line...... http://www.bartonmarine.com/products-high-load-eyes.asp Cheap enough to make up yourself.