Heavy Weather Jib

[John Stone]

I recently came across a storm jib a friend had given me a number of years ago. It was for his C&C 40. Heavy cloth, triple stitched, semi-soft hand, leach line, big heavy head and tack rings/grommets. I listed it for sale but decided to take it down to the Far Reach today and run it up the headstay. It has grommets but no jib-hanks. It was designed for foil headstay.

I think it looks pretty good. It’s 120 sq feet. I’m thinking I might keep it but not as a storm jib...more as a heavy weather jib. One of the things I noticed sailing in the trade winds is sometimes I had too much wind for my working jib and a double reefed main but not enough for a stays’l and a double reefed main. It felt like I needed another in between gear. I think this might do the trick. I could fly it with a double reefed main and stays’l. It’s not as high cut as a yankee nor does it have as long a luff. But si have to think it hould add some more drive. It’s small enough to fold up on deck easily and when folded it’s a pretty small package. Worth the space to haul around I think.

It’s set up with a very long wire pendant attached to the head and a short pendant on the tack. I need to cut both of those off. I don’t see any value in the long head pendant. And I don’t want a wire pendant on the tack to beat up the bow sprit. My first thought was to fly it on a short Dyneema tack pendant. But maybe I should fly it a bit higher. Thoughts from those of you that use a yankee?

[Jim Walsh]

Back when nearly every boat was equipped with wire halyards and rope tails the purpose of the luff pendant on the head of a storm jib (or any other headsail) was to ensure the halyard would assume the same relative position as when employed with your longest luff headsail. Racers and many cruising boats would have the wire portion of the halyard long enough to go over the masthead sheave, down the mast to the halyard winch with three turns on the winch. The rope tail went to the cleat. Thus no stretch in the halyard.
Having delt with wire halyards and the inevitable fish hooks I'm a big fan of the newfangled rope halyards of this modern age.

[John Stone]

Jim, Do you remember the wire halyard winch drums with the brake lever? I never had a problem with them but I know the horror stories. Nonetheless, I agree. I’m all about rope halyards.

[Paul D.]

I've sailed and raced with wire halyards. Give me stay set X or newer low stretch line any day!

From the photo, that looks about the right placement to me. You may wish to consider the clew cringle height for pole placement on long downhill runs.

You will put bronze hanks on it eh?

All the best,

[John Stone]

You may wish to consider the clew cringle height for pole placement on long downhill runs.
You will put bronze hanks on it eh?

Paul, you are right about clew height for pole placement. Should not be an issue—T track runs from about 3’ to 17’ above deck. It looks about right to me too for the kind of wind that would see its use. Maybe a little higher. Actual use should tell the story.

I have seen the SS snap hanks some advocate, but what will wear first? The SS hanks or the SS headstay? Nice thing about bronze hanks is the hanks will wear and not the headstay. So, yes, bronze hanks all the way.