Hi there,

while spending my night on the web, I passed by this idea
for a self tacking jib (for a sailboat) by a guy named dogsbone.


YOu think that (with some modifications) would work on a cat as well ?

Here it is:

Go to a hardware store (any hardware store) and purchase a shovel, hoe or rake handle. (Even better... borrow your neighbor's rake) Cut it to just a bit longer than the foot of the jib. Also pick up a 1/4" eyebolt (either lag or threaded)... drill a (slightly smaller than 1/4" hole in the business end of the handle and cut a very small section at the joint of the eye so that you can insert it in the inboard hole of your stem-head fitting.

Once you've installed it... it has transformed itself from a rake handle to a "club foot" boom for the jib. Tie the clew of the jib to the end of you new boom and lash on a single block to be located right above your bow cleat. Attach (even with a piece of line) a single block with a becket to the bow cleat. Run an adequate length of 1/4 - 5/16" line from the becket on the cleat block... up through the block on you new club foot..back through the single block on the cleat... and up on the deck where you normally cleat your jib. (See similar rig from Wichard:
http://www.wichard-usa.com/Boat%20pages/Cape%20Dory%2028%20page.pdf
that was rigged on a Cape Dory 28 at the bottom of the page)

Michael

So what have I done here ?
140 reads and no opinion ? If I offended anybody I apologize,
although I have no idea how ?????


Michael

Wouldn't work with my Nacra 5.8NA, the jib's too big. The F18s have the self-tacking jib, right??

higgins,
I think that people are probably thinking that thing about using a rake handle to make a club-footed jib on a beach cat is some kind of joke, so they don't take your post seriously.

Most catamarans have overlapping jibs, so a club-footed, self-tacking jib is not possible with those particular jibs. Obviously, you can have a jib made for any boat to use a club foot and be self-tacking -- but why?

Some of the newer classes that have spinnakers come stock with self-tacking jibs, but they don't use a club foot.
I think a club-footed self-tacker is a monohull thing.

But even then -- a rake handle????

You mean like this?:



We do a similar thing on model sailboats but only because it's simple and easy to control with one line. Ultimately, it doesn't allow you a high level of control over the jib shape because two of the three corners are fixed in relation to each other - which means that your only real means of adjusting jib shape is by changing the leach tension...a poor way of doing so.

We do some workarounds on the models by being able to adjust where the deck connection attaches to the boom - by offsetting it from the forestay, we can induce some downward tension on the jib boom that you wouldn't be able to achieve otherwise. However, it's still not terribly flexible.

And oh yeah...you lost my attention at the mention of garden tools too!

Thanks for the answers,

sorry if it sounded like a joke, but as it was used on a 28 foot sailboat, it sounded serious to me and as I'm a newbie at cat sailing, I found the idea great.

Ok, the production issue with the rake might be funny , but I could replace the rake either with a wood boom or come up with some plastic tube. It would be at least possible on the Sol Cat I got, as the jib's foot can pass in front of the mast. I was just wondering if it would work in the
real world.

I already bought (no, not a rake) 6 feet of round wood rod and the eye bolt and will give it a try next weekend.

Will keep you informed (if I survive that thing)

Michael

Jake,

as said I'm a newbie, so probably should not start anything about sail design and trim

but the appealing thing to me was, that the construction seemed similar to that of the mainsail, of course without all the trimming possibilities of it. But as a beginner, I have not much knowhow anyway. I'm happy if that thing sails

Ja, and the rake, OK probably would have killed my attention as well

Michael-
The reason your jib foot is short is because your jib has battens, like a H 16, right? (As I remember from my forays as an occassional Sol crew MANY years ago!) And it cleats to the fore beam. Check out the Alerion web pages for the "newest" on this type of thing- the jib boom actually rotates from a fitting in the deck (it is curved down in the front) so it's "stiff" in the vertical sense so one can control leach tension separately from angle.
This would be hard to do on a cat. See the Supercat pages for a relatively inexpensive way to convert your jib to self tacking w/wo the jib boom-

Kirt

Since you live in Florida, you should just get Noodles to crew on your boat and be your self-tacker. He is almost as useful as a rake handle.

Sorry, I just couldn't resist.

Kirt, thanks for the advice. I don't have the orginal jib, I bought a used one in St. Pete. This here has no battens
(but was cheap ) (see the pic)

Where are the supercat pages ? googling leads me to the fury guys and some travel agents.

And Brian who is Noodles ??????????????

ooooo...if only Noodle was here to hear the sizzle....

Here is another photo with more detail. See attachment.
Thought not shown in photo, the pivot point is supposed to be located 25% of the distance between tack and leech.
This is so there is sufficent pressure on the jib boom to maintain tension on the jib boom topping lift,
(the line you see at the back of the boom with small black plastic adjuster).
The purpose/adjustment of the jib boom topping lift is to match to curvature of jib leech to the main leech,
thereby maintaining a uniform slot.
The slot width/opening is adjusted by the jib sheet.

About where in FL are you? I sail out of Anna Maria / Bradenton and go up to St. Pete. about once a week.

The supercat pages referred to earlier actually started with a nacra 6.0 jib thread at the following address.

http://www.catsailor.com/forums/sho...ew=&sb=5&o=&fpart=1&vc=1

I installed the self tacking jib on my SC-20 with the help of Bill Roberts and Jeff at Endurance Sails and it works great. Downwind the jib actually switches from normal to wing on wing when it is blocked by the main and then back to normal when it needs to. I also have not had problem tacking.

Hey you guys, I'm sure you're playing a joke on me,
but still I would like to understand who Noodles is ?

And thanks for the "supercat" link, although as before,
this is far too advanced for my leverl of experience
(25 Minutes on the Cat on a channel, spending 15 minutes trying to paddel back to the seawall

And Brian, if it's me you're asking,
I'm far up north in Crystal River.

Oh no...it's no joke at your expense. Noodles is a real character who is, according to uber-sailor JC, is great at the crew position on a catamaran. However, Noodles has a long history of being entertaining and frequently...well...short and to the point and not real concerned about what anyone thinks of him. You just have to know him to understand.

I know him... I still don't understand him...