Diagram for heavy wind setup?

floydvoid

New Member
Hello!

So after work I have 16/17 mph winds forecast with higher gusts, I weight 160lbs. I think I understand how to de power my sail by pulling the outhauls tight and gooseneck adjustment. I watched the "gust adjust" video and I think I'll be able to to tie things up like that, but I have not really found a good diagram of the final setup or it's alternatives. I saw a discussion about a two halyard system that was not a gust adjust, but I am not sure how to tie it all up. What I don't want it to have the sail lashed to the mast in a way that does not let me lower the sail if I can't handle the winds. I plan to just set the sail to depower mode and sail it around this afternoon, so I don't think I need the main halyard to raise the sail to a new position. Should I just set the Jens line like in the gust adjust video?

Here is my best description of what I see in the video: Tie a 16" loop in a line, girth hitch the loop to the mast cap, pull the loop inline with the mast and pull the two legs to form it's own "slot" for the other end of the line to be strung through, tie the strung through end to the spar in the Jens position (70" from the top cap junction?) and haul on the other end of the line to raise the sail. Does this mean that you essentially have a loop down by the mast cleat? I need a diagram.
 
You will need two halyards, one in your normal position, one in the jens. You will need a loop of rope through the top of the mast (see picture). Loop is on the port side. Regular halyard goes through the normal top of mast. Take jens halyard and put through both loops keep the loops tight (I tie mine) and raise sail to jens position. Cleat jens halyard to mast cleat. Now pull the normal halyard and raise the sail the rest of the way and cleat to mast cleat. If the wind comes up, undo normal halyard and rig with drop to jens position. You need ropes that slide.

Are you using a hiking strap and vang to depower? Keep the boat flat upwind, ease the sail out in a puff and sheet back in when the puff passes. You may loose some speed but your not slide slipping as the boat is not heeling.






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To prevent confusion, let's first establish that there are at least three options
1. Classical Jens; one can tie a 'big' one or something smaller
2. Modified Jens with two halyards
3. Gust-adjust (Jens) with one (very long) halyard

The 'problem' with the classical Jens is that it needs to be tied on shore and cannot be easily changed or taken down on the water.
The other two options offer greater flexibility.

I have used option 2; it requires skinny halyards that I had to buy. Because I sail in typically light winds, I don't use this system often and tend to forget how to rig it...
 
You will need two halyards, one in your normal position, one in the jens. You will need a loop of rope through the top of the mast (see picture). Loop is on the port side. Regular halyard goes through the normal top of mast. Take jens halyard and put through both loops keep the loops tight (I tie mine) and raise sail to jens position. Cleat jens halyard to mast cleat. Now pull the normal halyard and raise the sail the rest of the way and cleat to mast cleat. If the wind comes up, undo normal halyard and rig with drop to jens position. You need ropes that slide.

So it looks like in your picture there is a piece of rope tied that creates the lower positioning of the upper spar, then you have two ropes and can adjust up or down depending on wind. It looks like in the "gust" video he uses the Jens line to make that loop, instead of a short piece of line like I see in the picture.


To prevent confusion, let's first establish that there are at least three options
1. Classical Jens; one can tie a 'big' one or something smaller
2. Modified Jens with two halyards
3. Gust-adjust (Jens) with one (very long) halyard

Can anyone draw me the #2 option? Just so I have it straight. Why not do something like lash a block to the lower position? It would slide? Not legal? I rock climb and rope on rope rubbing is generally avoided even with dyneema and spectra cord.
 
The second photo in the “sunfish for sale“ post shows, at least partially, the jens rigging.
 
Can anyone draw me the #2 option? Just so I have it straight. Why not do something like lash a block to the lower position? It would slide? Not legal? I rock climb and rope on rope rubbing is generally avoided even with dyneema and spectra cord.
It took me a while to find, but here is the post that clearly describes the two-halyard system
Thanks to Art Littleton!

 
. Why not do something like lash a block to the lower position? It would slide? Not legal? I rock climb and rope on rope rubbing is generally avoided even with dyneema and spectra cord.
The block is illegal and actually unnecessary. This rope on rope contact is pretty static so there isn’t much chance of sawing thru the line.

The rules allow thimbles on the outhaul and cunningham purchases to prevent sawing-thru, but they get pulled on sometimes frequently.
 
'Seems like someone with access to a "white board" (formerly blackboard) and a camera could help here.

(Although the more I read about it, the better I can reason with it). :confused:
 
'Seems like someone with access to a "white board" (formerly blackboard) and a camera could help here.

(Although the more I read about it, the better I can reason with it). :confused:
I printed the (Art Littleton's) Word document to guide me; the document has excellent pictures.
 
Regarding the Jens

Wavedancers
1. Classical Jens; one can tie a 'big' one or something smaller
2. Modified Jens with two halyards
3. Gust-adjust (Jens) with one (very long) halyard

The Jens does not lower the sail like Adventures in Reach is doing.

The advantage of the Jens is to allow more of the upper boom to flex, which depowers the sail, while keeping the lower boom in its normal position.

The original jens was was tied to the upper boom. You would then have to lift the whole rig and insert the mast. It was not fun to set up and the sail could not be lowered without removing the complete rig.

The advantage of the two halyard or gust is you can lower the sail without removing the rig. These methods allow you to shift gears on the water if the wind increases use the Jens if the winds come down go back to the standard setup.
 
Hello!

So after work I have 16/17 mph winds forecast with higher gusts, I weight 160lbs. I think I understand how to de power my sail by pulling the outhauls tight and gooseneck adjustment. I watched the "gust adjust" video and I think I'll be able to to tie things up like that, but I have not really found a good diagram of the final setup or it's alternatives. I saw a discussion about a two halyard system that was not a gust adjust, but I am not sure how to tie it all up. What I don't want it to have the sail lashed to the mast in a way that does not let me lower the sail if I can't handle the winds. I plan to just set the sail to depower mode and sail it around this afternoon, so I don't think I need the main halyard to raise the sail to a new position. Should I just set the Jens line like in the gust adjust video?

Here is my best description of what I see in the video: Tie a 16" loop in a line, girth hitch the loop to the mast cap, pull the loop inline with the mast and pull the two legs to form it's own "slot" for the other end of the line to be strung through, tie the strung through end to the spar in the Jens position (70" from the top cap junction?) and haul on the other end of the line to raise the sail. Does this mean that you essentially have a loop down by the mast cleat? I need a diagram.
Why not keep it simpile? Try using a reef--works fine and if screaming it will not slow you down on reach/run. Or an Odie rig--run the halyard down the port side to the block this will flatten the sail on stb tack just like you were on port.
 
Ok, well, last sat I could not keep the boat down with the standard halyard position so I attempted the Jens. I don't have any skinny line to have two halyards so I made a loop through the mast head with a piece of spectra cord and ran my halyard through that about 16" from the head. I tied the halyard about 74" from the top of the upper boom/ gaff. I saw 64-70" for the Jens, but that didn't seem like enough. I shifted the gooseneck back to 19". I had to throw the boom over me on tacks, but it was ok. I was still getting blasted, but could keep things down a bit better. I am about 155lbs, I don't have a hiking strap, but I can lay out pretty far. I think I was at 10mph sustained with 30mph gusts, but no real idea. I was out on lake Williams in Lebanon CT. I'll post a picture of my rig when I can upload it.
 
Why not keep it simpile? Try using a reef--works fine and if screaming it will not slow you down on reach/run. Or an Odie rig--run the halyard down the port side to the block this will flatten the sail on stb tack just like you were on port.

How do you reef a lanteen? I was still getting blasted on port tacks. I have a Flite12 sail (same size as minifish) than I need to mount up to some spars for use in heavy wind. Maybe it wasn't really all that heavy and I need to get my butt over the rail more- I was fully stretched out with foot under the foot well lip and body fully out on the windward side- I fell right out at one point
 
First off you are going to get blasted in gusts to 30. Most sailboat are not out in those winds.

If you are going out in big winds you need a hiking strap and a long tiller extension as you need to be farther out for righting moment.

What sail are you using? Are you using a vang to flatten the sail? Do you have a foil board? (prevents side slipping and helps on tacks) Do you have a ratchet? (takes the load off your hand so it is easier to sheet in and out in heavy air )

If the winds are over 15 you need to have the gooseneck at 22. You also need to be continually sheeting in and out to absorb the puffs. You need to be in great shape to hike hard and sheet hard.
 
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Response 7 explains reefing. Lug rig

BTW I think 22 inches is pretty far back for the gooseneck if you have a plastic/grp board. 20 inches seems to be more common when it blowing 20 or so.
 
What sail are you using? Are you using a vang to flatten the sail? Do you have a foil board? (prevents side slipping and helps on tacks) Do you have a ratchet? (takes the load off your hand so it is easier to sheet in and out in heavy air )

Setup: I have the newer shape wooden board, my boat is AMF 1981 with original sail. I have a harken ratchet as suggested by the my2fish blog person and a dyneema bridle from Intensity. I made an outhaul and pulled the bottom of my sail as tight as I could. I don't have a cunningham setup that pulls down on the luff (that is a cunningham right?) but I plan to tie one up soon. I tied a vang and hauled down hard on it. My tack was about an inch above the deck for both my rigging setups described above.

I did have my board pushed all the way down as I couldn't manage adjusting it - I figured it being down would help resist heeling a bit, maybe I'm wrong?
 
Here are some photos of me on the water with different setups and of my Jens rigging, unfortunately none of me laying all the way out!
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A modern board will help out going upwind. You can get them from Intensity for a reasonable price compared to Laser Performance products.
 

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