Typhoon Self Tending Jib

[Jeff D]

Does anyone have any experience with a self tending jib on a Typhoon? Some of the brochures listed this as an option, but I have never seen one so equipped. I am interested in how this was rigged, as well as any positive or negative real world experience.

[TY375]

I had one on an old Pearson Hawk daysailer and found it very handy. I fully intend to rig one one of these days on my Ty, but have to get a smaller jib first - the jib has to be able to clear the mast, which limits it to a foot of about 6 feet (vs 7 ft 7.5 in. for my current smallest).
I think the sheet will rig with a bridle made of a single line attached to the end of the jib boom, down to the deck on one side, back up to a pulley on the end of the boom, down to the other side of the deck, back up to either a second pulley or a second sheave, along the boom to it's forward end and through another pulley, and finally back to the cockpit. Alternatively, you could install a traveler on the deck. I've seen designs on wooden boats that are just a simple bar bent down at both ends (think of a towel bar mounted on deck). A pulley for the deck end of the bridle then just slides along the bar.

[Jeff D]

I have sailed two boats with self tending jibs - a Freedom and a Bullseye - both had booms attached to hold the shape of the jib. In both cases the booms were attached solely to the jib.

I am interested in how this can be rigged on a Typhoon. I see that RigRite has a series of jib boom pedestals, but these seem like overkill. I was thinking more along the lines of a wooden club joined by a shackle (or something like it) to the bronze fitting at the bow, and help up with a topping lift. Has this been done? This would allow the continues use of the roller furler.

[TY375]

Jeff - that's exactly what I had on my Hawk, a wooden boom attached by a shackle to the stem, with a fastening on top for the clew of the sail. I didn't bother with a topping lift, as the whole thing was only 5 ft long or so and made of a 2 x 2. When lowering the sail, I just tightened the sheet to pull the boom down onto the deck. A PO had installed a pulley with a spring at the base to hold it upright in the middle of the foredeck and that's what I used as the deck attachment point for the sheet. As long as the attachment point of the boom clears the furler, you should be OK.
John

[Troy Scott]

The Ty with a normal main and a small enough jib to self-tend, will probably have a lot of weather helm. Tys with "regular" sails balance best with a flat or reefed main and a 150 genoa. Of course you may be able to address this is you get all new sails made with this idea in mind.

[Steve Laume]

troy might have a point about balance.

Balance aside from the fact, you are just not going to have much jib. On our Ty we had the working jib, a 135 and I believe a 165. All of these sails got a fair amount of use.

If you are planning on the club footed jib as your only sail, you may be disappointed in anything other than strong winds with a reefed main or harbor cruises between the moorings where you don't care how well the boat goes.

Part of the problem is that the Typhoon is a fractional rig. If you ran the head stay all the way to the mast head it would gain you some fore triangle area.

Alberg was pretty good at what he did. Once you start messing with things it opens the proverbial can.

One tactic I used on occasion was to sheet the jib on the windward winch. It made it easier to adjust while single handing, Steve.

[Shelby]

My Ty is an open daysailer....has the factory set up club footed..selftacking jib....and I can assure you all....the boat is quite balanced....sails very well.......no weather helm... it is a masthead rig...