Hoyt Jib Boom

[Quickstep192]

Last year at a boat show, I listend to a very gracious Gary Hoyt explain the virtues if the Hoyt Jib boom. As a guy who often sails alone and has a heck of a time tacking (I have to let go of the tiller to tend the sheets), a boat with a Jib boom, or adding one to my boat seems interesting. Does anyone have experience with the Hoyt jib boom? Does it really perform off the wind? How does it perform upwind with just a 100% sail?

[sailingdog]

Haven't used one, but I don't see any reason why it wouldn't work fairly well. They've sold a lot of them.

[Idiens]

I am looking at fitting one. A couple of things I am trying to check first is clearance on my stanchions and lower shrouds. The video here:-
http://www.alerionexpress.net/id116.html
Looks great, but the boats shown have no stanchions or lower shrouds. It might also remove the option of carrying a tender on the foredeck.

[TrueBlue]

I haven't sailed with Garry Hoyt's jib boom but also agree that it seems to perform as he claims in the videos. I found it interesting the first video HERE was filmed last season at my dock - a few slips east of mine, where he keeps his Alerions and tests his prototypes. As Quickstep mentioned, Garry is gracious, if not a bit off center with some of his ideas. However, many of his successful designs speak for themselves and will live on.

[camaraderie]

I like the idea and the performance and sail handling benefits seem clear. Like all things though, there are tradeoffs which I would list as:
1. Need to clear boom 90 degrees on either side of center impacts lifelines/stanchions and may require removal creating a safety issue.
2. Impact on dinghy storage space at sea.
3. Has the same downside as club footed jibs...a knee-capper hazard on deck in rough seas.

So...it is a tradeoff and you have to decide whether the benefits outweigh the risks for your type of sailing.

[sailingdog]

Two other points that I would mention, in addition to cam's.

First—the hoyt jib boom limits the size of the head sail you can use. If your boat is a fractional rig that depends mainly on the main sail for power, this may be fine, but some depend on having a pretty large genny for light wind.

Second—I think having a Hoyt Jib Boom would interfere with having a roller furling headsail, so you are basically forced to go forward to do sail changes, with the risks to the ankles/knees that accompany the jib boom.

[Idiens]

Originally Posted by sailingdog

Second—I think having a Hoyt Jib Boom would interfere with having a roller furling headsail, so you are basically forced to go forward to do sail changes, with the risks to the ankles/knees that accompany the jib boom.

On those web sites, both furling and non-furling/battened sails are described. It seems to work with both.

I rigged a baby stay last summer and experimented a bit with a smaller foresail, both alone and as a cutter. The process of furling the genoa, tacking, and letting it out again is more work, but on long tacks acceptable. The boat seems to go to windward just as well with only the baby staysail set (with some exceptions), so now I am looking at the Hoyt jib boom as a way to make short tacking up rivers a lot less hard work.

[camaraderie]

Dawg...I didn't list those as trade offs since:
1. The limited size of the headsail is offset by the more efficient performance and shape.
2. They ARE designed o be used with a furling mechanism as many of the IP's have just such a setup.

[sailingdog]

Cam-

My bad... I was confusing it with the Bierig Camberspar, which can't be roller furled.

[soul searcher]

here is an interesting coment by Robert Perry I lifted off the ssca board

bob perry



Joined: 22 Jun 2006
Posts: 20
Location: seattle, wa
Posted: Wed Jul 05, 2006 9:50 pm Post subject:

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Stormy:
I have tried to "get it right" several times and only once have I gotten it right to my own satisfaction. The reason is that there are pragmatic issues with conflicting design elements that make running a full width track, i.e. gunwhale to gunwhale impractical on most production boats. Sailors want self tacking convenience but they are seldom willing to pay the price to get it right.

The one time I did get it right it was on a custom 38'er for a Seattle client. We ran the self tacking track accorss the forward cabin trunk and extended it out to fasten at the ends to the top of a stanchion. Of course this meant that when you went forward you had to step over the track but it worked great.

For my money the best self tackling arrangement is the Gary Hoyt boom. This boom design takes care of the need to change sai shape as you ease the sheets. It's cumbersome and can be clutter on the fordeck but it does work great.

However, In general I am not in favor of self tacking arrangements of any type. If you keep your LP's on the low side tacking the sail is not much work whether it be a staysail or a working jib.

the whole thread is athttp://64.70.221.24/DiscBoard/viewto...utters&start=0
It's a pretty interesting read.
hope it helps