Furling Jib

billboats

New Member
:confused: I am considering installing a furling jib in the Spring. I had a discussion with a friend who has lots of experiance in racing J22's and Flying Scott's. He does not feel they are worth the money and time. He claims that they are just as hard to handle, maybe more so, than a standard jib. Says they take extra time to wrap smoothly and like to come undone. He may be bias, 'cause the J and the Scott have a 3 man crew to handle the jib duties.
I single hand and trailer my 14.2, so the furling jib seems lots easier.
Thought? Ideas? Comment? I've got all winter to make a choice.

BTW, my current stock jib's hanks like to come of the forstay when I lower it makeing a mess on the deck and causing the sail to go overboard. Maybe just new hanks?:rolleyes:
Thank, Bill Twin Cities
 
I no longer use a furling jib, because I'm usually racing, but I had one on a previous Capri 14.2. My experience with the furler was positive. It was easy to use, and nice to be able to furl it partway when desired. Of course you do want to remove the jib hanks. Catalina sells a jib especially made for furling, but I think the regular jib would be okay. However, the furler will not accomodate racing sails, as they are deck-sweepers, and with a furler you need a high-cut jib, with the clew 2-3 feet above the deck.

As for the plastic hanks on the standard jibs - they are really pathetic. I recommend people take them to a sailmaker and replace the plastic hanks with proper ones, the kind with snaps.
 
Love the Furling Jib

I just converted mine about a month ago. Bought the Harken 434 device. I love it. It works great, rolls up neatly. Was (mostly) easy to install. I sail alone often, and it just seems a lot safer to be able to roll up the jib when the wind gets heavy. I don't race, so I used the original sails.

The thing is when you convert, the wire in the luff of the jib becomes your forestay and the original forestay is removed. So you have to be sure the wire in the luff of the jib is strong enough, or get a sail maker to replace it.
 
I love my roller furling jib as well

Last spring I installed a roller furling jib on my 14.2 and it is GREAT. We had the same problem of the jib falling off the forestay and going into the water. With the roller furling jib you can sto the jib when you want very easily. Since the cable in your jib is now your fore stay make sure it is in good shape or you will drop your mast. I decided to make my own cable to extend form the top of the furler to the mast. I did not crimp the eyes properly and one end pulled loose and I dropped the mast. This was NOT fun. Since then I moved the pulley block used to raise the jib above the "forestay" and I attach a line from the bow to the mast. This does two things, it helps me raise the mast as well as a "belt and suspenders" for the wire in the jib. It makes me feel better on those windy days.

Good Luck
Roger
 
Jib Hanks

Ed Jones said:
I no longer use a furling jib, because I'm usually racing, but I had one on a previous Capri 14.2. My experience with the furler was positive. It was easy to use, and nice to be able to furl it partway when desired. Of course you do want to remove the jib hanks. Catalina sells a jib especially made for furling, but I think the regular jib would be okay. However, the furler will not accomodate racing sails, as they are deck-sweepers, and with a furler you need a high-cut jib, with the clew 2-3 feet above the deck.

As for the plastic hanks on the standard jibs - they are really pathetic. I recommend people take them to a sailmaker and replace the plastic hanks with proper ones, the kind with snaps.


Isn't there anything I can do on my own to replace the jib hanks? I've been researching jib hanks and really can't find anything on the Internet, or at West Marine. I don't want to have to pay a sail maker, and I really don't want to furl a jib...two more lines to tangle in the cockpit, or the centerboard trunk/well...I would love to just have a well hanked on jib, that I could just douse onto the deck and tie up with bungee chords til I dock or go up the ramp.

Which brings me to another question, for the person who has to navigate the bow deck like my wife or kids or worse me(if I go overboard, who's going to sail the boat...in some ways my life preserver is the msot important), it can be a little scary that there is nothing to brace a foot against...has anyone ever mounted a short toe-rail...I have a Mod 1 so I have access underneath and I am thinking of only running about two feet on either side the point of the bow so that a jib should not get roughed up sweeping across it.

Lastly I am looking for some sort of mast flotation device to put at the top of my mast in case of a knock down to prevent a turtling while I scramble to retrieve my wife and kids. Any suggestions for any and all questions is appreciated.
 

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