I have a question on the Prindle 18-2/19 4 Way Jib Adjuster
I have the hardware minus the rigging for the 4 way adjuster for a Prindle 18-2. In checking, the special rigging for this is about $80.00 once you add in bungee cord, rope, shipping, and taxes. My question is; is the added performance worth it for a boat that will be mainly used for fun sailing and one or two ocean races per year? And if so what are the benchmark settings?

Only you can decide what is worth it.

The ability to travel out should defiantly improve down wind sailing.

The forward/back ability is mainly used to correctly align your sheet angles and is not adjusted that much (you can move them forward in downwind to help create a fuller jib and towards the sterns for a flatter jib to de-power, but i seldom adjust that).

The main drawback (besides $80) is the addeded deck clutter.

$80.00?!!!! That sounds nuts! There are only 10 elements to the system: the two cleats afixed to the hulls, the four Harken micro bullet blocks, the covered steel cable, the two flat plates which afix to the jib car, some line and bungy.

If you have the plates, blocks and steel cable - the bungy and line can be had at any West Marine store, Lowes or Home Depot for 1/4th that! It's just about 35' of 1/4" line and 8' of bungy. Should run you no more than $20.

But to answer your last question - No. The 4-way jib adjuster works with the barberhauler and jib car placement to control the size of the slot between the main and jib. It's not necessary - you can attach the main jib blocks to the eyelet directly on the jib car if you want.

If you do use the 4-way system, this is how it's set: Moderate winds has the jib traveler car in the middle with the in/out jib adjustment 4-6 inches from the hull. As winds increase, move the 4-way adjuster for the block as close to the hull as you can. This opens up the slot and maximizes your speed. If the wind is light, bring the blocks in about 6 inches to reduce the slot. Set the jib car traveler (track on the hull) in the middle and as the wind picks up slide it back to the end of the track (15 knots plus). In light air slide the car forward.

Hope this helps.

Have the plates, the cleats are in place, the actual replacement cable with the bullet blacks is $64.00 from Murrays - this is what I don't have. Add in a few more shceckles for the line and bungee with shipping it comes up to about $80. Rather do one stop shopping!!!!

Well it look like this my be a useless project right now. Much of the wind we sailing in is about 10 kts, have the cars for fore and aft movement, and the clutter yieks!!!!

Thanks

I've seen an 18-2 with lengths of chain on top of the tramp run diagonally between the inside of the hulls and the main beam. The jib blocks could then be attached to appropriate link. The idea being that with a 4-way system you're going to be moving the leads either out and back or in and forward, so a diagonal line gives you almost the same adjustability, and less clutter

I can't recollect exactly how it was rigged, but it seemed to work quite well.

I use line instead of the cable. I removed it so it would be "softer" for my crew when i tack (didnt really make any difference).

I use vectran but i have friends that use regular non stretch 3/16th. I have a friend that has omitted the cable/line completely without problem. His jib blocks simpy sit a few inches above the tramp when under tension.

You can see that i have tied off the tan vectran on the starbard side of my picture

Hey guys,

I have a prindle 19 with this setup and my jib seems luff the top two tell tales well before the bottom one and my jib car is well forward. Could moving the jib car outboard or inboard more help me?

Moving the jib leads forward and aft is the proper way to get both sets of tell tails to break at the same time, not inbord or outbord.

That was my understanding too, but I was just checking cause they aren't breaking anywhere near at the same time. I know the top may always break a little before the bottoms but i'm not at that point.

Here are the benchmark settings as recommended by Pease and Jay Glaser when they produced "Danger Sails". Light air=less than 10 knots-leads set two holes forward of track center and set 9" inboard of inside of deck. Medium air=11-16 knots-leads are set at center of track and 9"-5" inboard. Heavy air=17+ set the leads two holes aft of track center and pull all the way out to the deck shear. In my own experience with both the standard jib and the MX configuration I found that jib lead settings for the standard blade jib were more dependant on the shape of the sail (blown out vs new). I can't tell you how many times I bruised my shins on those damn connecting wires. I hope this helps. Greg

My Hobie 20 has this same 4-way system with the wire accross the tramp. According to the manual, that is the way the class rigging is supposed to be.

30 years ago my Tornado had the rachet blocks on the hull track and an in-haul to twin blocks slung under the boom. You could adjust the slot using the in-haul and foot tension was dictated by the position of the rachet block on the hull track.

We also had a standard barber-haul to the end of the front beam.

Why isn't this set-up used now? It would eliminate the cross-tramp wire.

It also made it so the jib was automatically sheeted in or out slightly, depenant on the mainsheet position.

wouldnt your description open the slot more in heavy air and actually increase power? i would think you would want to close the slot in 17+

If you choke the slot too much in a breeze you'll backwind the main. You can invert the sail along the luff. It looks weird, and is slow, but I guess if you're in a survival situation it may help depower the beast.

I don't remember the details, but we were always very fast in heavy air. That is they way Reg White rigged the boat and it was standard on Sailcraft Tornados then.

Remember, this was 1973-74 and a lot of water has gone under the keel in the T-boats.

I still believe you want to open the slot in heavy air and this rig is controlled with the mainsheet. My main thought is to get rid of the wire on the Hobie 20 now.

I am still asking the experts whether it is good or bad by today's standards.

Mike Brindisi (Hobie dealer in Lincoln, Nebraska) came up with a replacement for the tramp wire on the 20. He removed the cleat on the car and used two, one-hole straps (bolted to the existing tapped holes of the car) to secure the first of four S/S rings connected via short pieces of 1" webbing. The inboard/last ring is "connected" to the opposite side ring set with a length of dyneema. More of a comfort thing for the crew. You manually move the jib block cleat to different positions. He's still selling the setup. Ran it on our boat and liked it. Most complaints I heard was keeping the line between tight, will obviously start floating up if not tight.