Has anyone ever used......

[Bill Goldsmith]

I would use a standard snap shackle of the appropriate size. Normally headsails are hauled with a snap shackle because they're safer to manage on a pitching foredeck. You have one hand for yourself and you can undo the shackle with one hand.

This consideration is less important on a roller furled sail that stays up all season, so you could probably get away with a simple (and less expensive) main halyard shackle.

But I wouldn't. If you ever get caught in a real stinkin' blow, and you want to strip to bare poles, you'll want to get that genoa down and stowed pronto. Depending on the design of your furler you could have THREE shackles to undo: the tack, the head-to-upper roller and the upper-roller to halyard. And that's when you'll really be happy you went with the quicker shackle on the halyard.

Just my $0.02

Bill

Captains Commanding,

Hanalei's new miter cut roller furling jib will arrive from Mack Sails next week. I am considering replacing the jib halyard. The question is, "Has anyone ever attached the jib halyard to the jib using a half-hitch seized to a shackle?" This means no splice! The idea is to allow full haul of the jib without the possibility of the splice jamming in the mast head sheaves. I've seen it done on a racer in the next slip to Hanalei. Looked like a neat idea. Oh, what shackle would you use for a jib halyard?.....your comments, Sirs...............

Dave Stump
Captain Commanding
s/v Hanalei CD-30C
CDSOA Number ONE ! ! !(and intending to stay that way!)

goldy@bestweb.net

[Bill]

Captain Goldsmith,

What do you think of the jib? Are you pleased? Did it fit right? What percent of the fore triangle did you end up with?

D. Stump,
Hanalei

cd25d@rhapsodysails.com

[Randy Bates]

Your jib halyard hauls the shackle up to the sheeve? Isn't that a bit high? Me thinks your jib's luff length may be a tad too long for the "J".

Captains Commanding,

Hanalei's new miter cut roller furling jib will arrive from Mack Sails next week. I am considering replacing the jib halyard. The question is, "Has anyone ever attached the jib halyard to the jib using a half-hitch seized to a shackle?" This means no splice! The idea is to allow full haul of the jib without the possibility of the splice jamming in the mast head sheaves. I've seen it done on a racer in the next slip to Hanalei. Looked like a neat idea. Oh, what shackle would you use for a jib halyard?.....your comments, Sirs...............

Dave Stump
Captain Commanding
s/v Hanalei CD-30C
CDSOA Number ONE ! ! !(and intending to stay that way!)

randy.bates@baesystems.com