[Bruce3966]

So I am going to have a jib bag customer made with a drainage screen at the very btoom. I will have the jib haylard raise it above deck when I am gone (stuff when I am there but flake and store in jib bag when I am gone). Just curious on the jib sheets though. Would I want to disconnect those and keep in the cabin or have them just go up and into the jib bag when gone? If it is more common to disconnect them when leaving, can one use lets say a piston shackle to connect to the clew instead of having to tie a new bowline twice each weekend? Not that tying a bowline is hard but just thinnking of ease.

 

[Minnesail]

I leave my jib sheets on. I'm sure sunlight and exposure to the elements wears them out faster than if they were stored inside, but it's a lot easier than having to re-run them every time I want to go for a short sail.

I use one line for jib sheets tied to the clew with a cow hitch, so when I want to switch sails I have to re-run the whole line. I'm thinking of switching to a shackle to tie the sheets to the sail.

I've been told that any sort of metal shackle is a no-no because if the sail is flogging it could cause injury to people or damage to the boat, so I think I'm going to teach myself to make a soft shackle.

 

[aloof]

Tying a bowline takes time? The sheets should be removed and hung up neatly coiled below decks. If they are dry perhaps they could be coiled and placed in the jib bag. My cruising budget, although huge, does not have room for leaving any running rigging out in the sun. Apparently some sailors like moldy sunburnt lines, I hate them as much as spending hundreds of dollars buying new ones.

 

[Bruce3966]

Agreed on both, a shackle could hurt if whipped and no a bowline doesn't take long to tie..was just curious if others used a shackle or something else to secure their jib sheets to the jib. I agree on not leaving lines out to the sun. I will always store my jib lines in the cabin when gone.

 

[Silversailor]

Consider using soft shackles. Easy to make.

 

[Bruce3966]

I was just reading on the soft shackles. Pretty cool! I guess for my small tub I could just find the middle of the sheet and put it through the clew and then run both ends through that, cinch tight and that would probably work. The previous owner used a snap shackle on the jib sheets and ran his line this way. He also only ran the 150% genny and I couldn't imagine how often the shackle banged on the things while tacking.

 

[Sailormon6]

I have two boats - one with roller furling and one without. I leave the jibsheets on the one with roller furling, knowing full well that the sheets will deteriorate sooner, and I'll have to replace them. The jibsheets prevent the sail from unfurling. I remove the jib sheets from the other boat.

If I were you, since your boat doesn't have a furler, I'd leave the jibsheets attached to the sail, coil them, and tuck them into the jib bag. The next time you arrive at the boat, toss one coil down the port side of the boat, and toss the other down the starboard side, thread each through it's block, and you're ready to go. That's the way I do it with my other boat.

 

[aloof]

I don't think that hitch is recommended. (Are we being trolled here?) With good new line it will slip. With age it will never come undone. It's other drawback is it hangs up on the shrouds exceptionally well. Oh and it's not sailorly, that's why it's called an Aussie hitch (Heh). If for some reason (??) you cannot cut the line into two sheets at least tie a bowline on a bight.

 

[CLucas]

I replaced my genoa sheets this winter after finding a great deal on NERopes VPC -- low-stretch and won't absorb water. Taught myself core-to-core splicing and spliced a small eye into each sheet -- fastening with a soft shackle made from 1/4" Amsteel. No bowlines to hang up on shrouds, no shackle/projectile waiting to take out my lovely crew and piece o' cake to switch out.

 

[Minnesail]

I guess for my small tub I could just find the middle of the sheet and put it through the clew and then run both ends through that, cinch tight and that would probably work.

I don't think that hitch is recommended. (Are we being trolled here?) With good new line it will slip. With age it will never come undone. It's other drawback is it hangs up on the shrouds exceptionally well. Oh and it's not sailorly, that's why it's called an Aussie hitch (Heh). If for some reason (??) you cannot cut the line into two sheets at least tie a bowline on a bight.

Are we talking about the cow hitch? Cow hitch - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

That's not recommended? Doh. It's how I've been doing mine. I haven't had any problem with it slipping (old line) or hanging up, and it comes undone easily when I change headsails. Of course I'm on a small boat, so the loads aren't that great.

I suppose I could switch to a bowline on a bight, but it seems like that's a much bigger knot that would be more likely to get hung up on something.

 

[Shockwave]

Sometimes jib sheets need to live on the clew if the jib lives on a furler. We coil and hang ours from the pulpit but they are still in the weather. If you can coil and store out of the weather it's better but if you're in a rush chucking then in the bag isn't the worst thing you could do. If the get stiff and moldy bring then to the laundry mat and wash them with a good softener.

 

[cyclebear]

I use a soft shackle - a loop in the middle of the jib sheet with a toggle.

I have never had it come loose. One in a while the seizing at the throat of the loop may need restitching.

It requires no knot tying expertise on the part of the crew, it's soft and secure.