foresail sheets

[John 26x (Gone Postal)]

Just wondering which is the best a sigle line tied in the middle to form two sheets or to use bowlin's and two individuale sheets. I have a jib and a genoa each with the single line set up. I wonder if the other would be faster when changing sails.

[Chip Hindes]

I don't understand the question, unless you're saying that you are proposing to untie the sheets each time you change over sails.

Even if so, how would this affect the change over time? You still must unreeve the sheets from the jib blocks and reeve them onto the genny blocks, and vice versa. Plus, the genny sheets are considerably longer, and if used on the jib there would be a lot of extra sheet flopping around in the cockpit.

Changing the sheets over is also not something you'd want to try with the sail raised except in a dead calm.

[Duane Dunn, Allegro]

I think most would have a set of sheets on each sail. To save the change time you could use a snap shackle at the clew. If I was going to be untieing each time I would go with two separate sheets so I could just tie at the clew without having to re-feed the lines through the blocks.

[Frank C]

My dealer delivered a different 'single' sheet for each sail, jib and Genny. The Genny sheet is longer. Each sheet is halved and looped at the clew with a hitch (the name of which escapes me).

You could cut each long single sheet in half, and tie them individually at the clew with a bowline, but I see no advantage. I definitely would not want a shackle at the clew, which would punish the gelcoat during tacks, and bruise shins during the occasional flogging emergency.

[Chip Hindes]

Frank: It's a girth hitch. There's a picture of it in the owners' manual though it's not named or described.

I agree having a snap shackle or any other piece of metal on the clew flogging the boat, spars and perhaps a crew member is a bad idea. Plus I've had just the knot catch on the shrouds during a tack on more than one occasion; I can see a snap shackle doing this regularly, or worse yet, catching the pin and releasing it.

Even if you untie or unsnap at the clew you still have to re-reeve the sheets through the blocks because it's a different set of blocks, and the genny sheets go outside the shrouds, the jib sheets inside. I suppose you could dispense with the stock jib blocks and just move the genny blocks back and forth on the tracks, but you still have to run the sheets inside or outside the shrouds. Really, how much time are you saving?

[Tom Spohn]

I have the roller furler so can't comment on the changing sails aspect of your question. I have, however, had individual sheets tied with bowlines and a single long line looped at the clew to form the two sheets. I found the individual sheets with bowlines had a tendency for the knots to catch on the shrouds when coming about more than the single line. Perhaps this is due to me using a larger diameter line for sheets as I find it considerably easier on the hands.

[Frank C]

Frank: It's a girth hitch. There's a picture of it in the owners' manual though it's not named or described.

Thanks, my senior graymatter recalled only "horse hitch" which was obviously oblique to the official name.
Betting a beer that a girth hitch in appropriate line could help contain my brew belly ...

[John 26x (Gone Postal)]

Thanks for the reply. The first mate and I had taken a keel boat class last summer. The J24 we sailed had the sheets tied with a hank on foresail. I was under the impression that the bowlines were for ease in stowing and handeling the sail. My Mac has the single lines and will probably remain that way. Just wondering if there was something I had missed.

[Chip Hindes]

Ha! Missing something indeed. Here's my guess:

Somebody miscalculated, and bought their single sheet (meant to be doubled in half and tied to the clew with a girth hitch to form both sheets) too short...

or

Somebody had an extra piece of line laying around which was too short to be doubled into both sheets, but long enough to form a single sheet....

so

they bought another piece of line long enough to make a second, single sheet

and

tied them both on with bowlines, thereby saving the cost of a new piece of line the correct, double length

also

causing less cynical persons such as yourself to think they were doing something special.

Very clever

[jsserene]

Does anyone know what the length of the 150 genoa sheets should be?

Jeff

[ALX357]

I have a roller furler 150 genoa, use both sets of sheets, a single long genoa sheet with that "girth hitch" and also a shorter standard jib sheet "girth hitched" to the clew eye as well. BOTH stay attached all the time, with the jib sheets run inside of the stays and thru the regular low profile jib cars/blocks on their tracks beside the sliding hatch, and the longer genoa sheets outside of the stays, under the side-pulpit rails, and thru regular spring-stand-up genoa blocks.
Of course leaving both sets of blocks attached all the time, but only using one at any given moment.... AND only able to use the jib sheets if the genoa is rolled up to jib size, where it can be sheeted tightly to its jib-block. Quick to change from reaching point-of-sail to close(er)-hauled.
The sheets are kept from flying "to the wind" with the usual stopper knots, but don't really cause any problems if the jib is handled with control.

[jim nolan]

I do the same thing alx, but could'nt explain it. Helps alot, going closer to the wind.

[Dan B]

I have had both - a single line ("cow hitched" to the clew and run down both sides) and two lines (each "bowline'd" to the clew and run down their respective sides.) I find using a single line causes the knot to catch more on the shrouds when tacking in light winds, so I switched over to using two lines and bowlines.

When tying a bowline - one side will have a lump on it, the other will be fairly smooth if it were to run over a shroud. So you need to tie them so the "smooth" side is positioned to pass over the shrouds.

[ALX357]

Dan, i do notice a catch against the shrouds with the cow-hitch method of clew attachment for the sheets, but didn't imagine it would be lessened by bowlines.... i should try it, but that is a one-way conversion - to cut the sheet line in half. 'Would be worth it if it made the sheet 'round the shroud easier.... good point about the smooth side of the bowline vs. the outer lumpy side. Now, can you tell me your preference, as to the exit side of the short end out of the bowline knot. ? inside the loop or to the side of it ? (if you know what i am asking....) i think the knot works for strength and feature either way, but not sure which is the better way. ALSO, i wonder if the presence of 4 bowlines trying to round a shroud wire (i have those white plastic covers on, at least, and a roller-wheel up by the spreaders) would be still easier than the two cow-hitches i now use for the double sheet arrangement as i described previous.