[scratchee]

Like most people here (I assume) I try to leave my boat shipshape when I walk away from her after a day of sailing. When I turn to take that last look I sometimes wonder if I have too much stuff laying around. In particular, my jib sheets seem to have no logical home, and when I consider stowing them it occurs to me that they also get needlessly beat up by the sun. Does anyone stow their jib sheets after sailing? Any other interesting measures to either keep things tidy or to make them last longer?

How about laying up for winter…how far do you go? Do you stow your mainsheet? Your halyards?

 

[jzk]

All of our sheets and halyards are stowed in the cockpit coiled and hanging on these clips. The jib sheets remain run through their blocks and to the rolled up jib. Keep the jib sheets lying on the deck vs. pulled tight against the shrouds. Spinnaker sheets & guys are stowed in lockers. For winter, everything stays where it is but the jib sheets because the sail is taken down. But we do cover the boat, so little is exposed. Halyards remain.

 

[capecodda]

OK, I'll admit it. I tend to put everything in it's place even after a day sail, when I'm planning on sailing the next day. I think it's a personality defect. The only thing I can say in my defense, is that it seems to me every time I don't an un-forecasted gale comes out of no where, and makes a mess of things. You're only paranoid if they aren't really are out to get you

So, my sheets are neatly stowed. I take the jib sheets forward, tie them to the rail to get them out of the way, add an extra line around the furled jib so it cannot come undone. Bring a mainsheet forward and hang it from the boom. Everything is coiled and off deck so it can dry. Cockpit cushions are stowed below. Flag stowed. Main covered. On my dock, both float side and offshore lines are on, ready to hold the boat off in any wind direction. Grill is below. Propane is shutoff manually on both tanks. Shore power is on. Bilge is checked before leaving the boat. Bimini is furled. Boat is hosed off with fresh water.

There's more, I'd have to walk around the boat to remember it all. Don't do what I do, just go sailing...it's a sickness

 

[scratchee]

...So, my sheets are neatly stowed. I take the jib sheets forward, tie them to the rail to get them out of the way, add an extra line around the furled jib so it cannot come undone. Bring a mainsheet forward and hang it from the boom. Everything is coiled and off deck so it can dry.

I've been considering hanging the jib sheets off the bow pulpit. That would take almost no effort and would keep them off the deck for the hose-down.

I already hang the mainsheet from the boom.

Your level of effort doesn't seem unreasonable to me. I do many of those things and it takes me about a half hour or so…not a crazy amount of time to put a boat away, in my opinion.

 

[scratchee]

…I should add that another primary consideration for me is lines laying on the deck when I'm washing down with the hose.

 

[rbrasi]

Jib sheets hang on my lifelines, Everything else is coiled and bagged.

 

[pdqaltair]

I leave everything ready to go. Only cushions below and window covers (keeps the bird crap and UV off, but the birds are the important reason). A normal shut-down list (seacocks, electric, propane, open dingy drain, sail cover). Because I have a hard top, line tails are out of the sun, but that wouldn't change anything. Winch handles stay in the holders, hat, sunglasses, and gloves on the dashboard.

I consider the time to remove gear and the time to replace it against the slightly reduced life. Since I sail in the winter too, I see insuficient economy in excessive time spent coiling line or pulling halyards. I can easily replace all of the lines a few years sooner for the time I save.

 

[FarCry]

What is this thing "winter" you speak of?

 

[deltaten]

I re-purposed old sails into box-shaped "bags" to stow the mainsheet when not aboard.. I currently stow removed jib sheets in the wet locker to Stbd whenever I leave the boat. I will soon have bags for them, too. I don't like nthe idea of leaving several hundred dollars worth of line and as much in hardware laying about on deck. Too much incentive forsomeone to help themselves tonew stuff.
I hope to wear them out before the sun gets to them

 

[asdf38]

With no furler I tie the two jib sheets together with a bend (zeppelin) and leave them on the foredeck. In the cockpit I coil the ends and hang them on the winches. The sun doesn't help them but they'll still last many years. The quicker it is to get the boat sailing again the better.

 

[saillife]

Everything from the cockpit goes into a canvas bag (chartplotter, binocs, horn, gloves, chart). Jib sheets are coiled and draped over the winches, cushions go inside. Only things left out are two fenders I carry in front of the dodger and a boat hook hooked onto the handrail. Engine key goes back on the raw water seacock (I'll never forget to open the seacock when going out again!).

Winter layup it's easier to say what stays - Halyards, winch handles, tools I need for winter projects, anchor & rode. Everything else comes off the boat. Jib sheets and dock lines are washed, sails folded cushions stored in plastic bags meant for furniture storage.

Brian

 

[i_amcdn]

During sailing season as we pull back into marina jib sheets are coiled on winches, mainsheet coiled and hung from boom, furling line coiled and hung on life line. Outboard is lifted out of water. Sail cover goes on and we lock up and get off.

End of Season:
Sails come off. ( this winter I will have re-conditioned)
Halyards are coiled bagged and strapped to mast.
Sheets come off and stored below.
Mustang PFD's, GPS, tools come home
Honda 8HP goes to be winterized and then comes home. (Home = storage locker in condo basement)
Leftover rum goes home but I don't drink it in storage locker.

 

[tempest]

With the roller furling, I leave the sheets on. I may..sometimes move the dockside sheet coiled on the bow..so people don't trip on it. Everything else gets stowed below in their place: chartplotter,( 5 in. screen) winch handles (drawers). Binnacle and Mainsail are covered. All seacocks are closed, fuel shut off. etc.

Battery charger, refer, and bilge pumps are powered.

Everything comes off in the winter. IF, I leave the mast up ( most years) I remove the boom and stow it below, halyards remain. I used to take the batteries off, but lately just charge and disconnect.

 

[Don L]

I have started playing more attention to things like my sail cover and the reefing lines to be sure they are not going to rubbing on my dodger/bimini all week long. Wonder why I started doing that

 

[Chas H]

Does anyone stow their jib sheets after sailing? Any other interesting measures to either keep things tidy or to make them last longer?

How about laying up for winter…how far do you go? Do you stow your mainsheet? Your halyards?

I have a roller furling jib so the sheets help keep the sail wrapped tight on the foil. The sheets are coiled at the mast. Then I pull a loop down through a ring on the front of the mast and loop under the jib winch. I pull the coils tight and tuck them between the loop and the mast along with the jib halyard. The main sheet is coiled and tucked inside the flaked mains'l on the boom. The mainsail cover protects it all.

For winter layup: bracket mounted electronics, sails, cushions, paper charts, flammable liquids, and tools go home.
-CH

 

[Dave_E]

Pretty much like this. When we're on a trip, don't cover the main or the grab handles or winches. No "end of the season for me".

 

[hellosailor]

We always leave the jib sheets neatly coiled and placed on the dock besides our shoes. The boat boys come around at night, polish the shoes, launder the sheets, everything is back neatly in the morning.

Obviously some folks aren't staying at a full-service marina.
Really, who polishes your shoes?!

 

[scratchee]

Lots of food for thought. Thanks.

Another thing that influences my stowage habits is that it's a 20-minute motor from my slip to open water. Unless I'm single handing, I have plenty of time to run a few lines as required.

I'm a little embarrassed to say that I'll need to add closing the seacocks to my end-of-day routine.

 

[hellosailor]

Of course then you need to add the "REMOVE BEFORE FLIGHT" streamers on each seacock, to make sure they get removed before you cast off again.(G)

 

[SHNOOL]

Port/Starboard Jib Halyards are coiled (in figure 8s) and hung on a hook.
Cunningham control, same, all on port side.
spin top lift, spin halyard, pole downhaul, and mainsheet, hung on starboard.
There is a cabin cover on the boat that covers all these.

Genoa sheet is actually secured forward to a ring on the foredeck centered... yes that exposes the sheets... but it puts it where I can get to it quick when I put up the tuff luff genoa (135 or 155).

Mainsheet is figure 8 coiled, and looped around and hung on itself.
Backstay adjuster same.

genoa sheets aft, are rolled around the winches 4 times, and cleated... winches covered.

Tiller covered, and bungeed to the lazarette lockers (to prevent swinging).

This is done every time I leave the boat, even if I am coming the next day.

End of season, all sails come off, and stored in my pole barn in the ceiling... sheets are coiled up and stored below. Cushions come off and are bagged with contractor bags, stored in the ceiling as well. My boat is stored on a trailer indoors in my pole barn, usually with a trickle charger on it, and a drop light with a 60 watt incandescent bulb in it to keep the hull dry.