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on my 26x there is the track on the cabin roof for the jib sheet. the hardware that is there is a hinged pulley on car. not a pulley on a spring on car that can pivot in any direction, but one the is a hinge like a door. It only pivots side to side.
my question is what do you use for that track to guide your jib sheet, and what do you think is best? i wondered why a simple fair lead on a car wouldn't be best. it seems like the sides of the pulley would drag if the sheet does line up, and as you know the angle for the jib sheet is always varying.

Photoman369 wrote:on my 26x there is the track on the cabin roof for the jib sheet. the hardware that is there is a hinged pulley on car. not a pulley on a spring on car that can pivot in any direction, but one the is a hinge like a door. It only pivots side to side.
my question is what do you use for that track to guide your jib sheet, and what do you think is best? i wondered why a simple fair lead on a car wouldn't be best. it seems like the sides of the pulley would drag if the sheet does line up, and as you know the angle for the jib sheet is always varying.

This is what I use. As far as I know it's stock equipment, and I've never had any problem with it. It can move around pretty freely in any direction.

Is it binding?
Is the sheet difficult to trim?

Don't over think it there are spring blocks, swiveling blocks, fairleads and simple saddles which are all used on jib cars.

You are correct that with the typical loads we see on our lightly rigged Macs a simple fairlead would suffice. But unless your hinged car is causing problems why worry about it?

If you want a stand-up block with the spring, Blue Water Yachts sell them for $44. I lost one over the side and tried to find one local. Couldn't even come close on price. Here's a link: https://shop.bwyachts.com/product-p/4302-1v0.htm

Jeff

According to BWY, the low-lead jib cars were used on all , plus early boats. Presumably the later 's used the stand-up blocks.

The jib car will pivot to follow the jib sheet, regardless of the angle, assuming there's good load on it. But the biggest problem I have with them is that they tend to flop inboard, and block the sliding hatch from opening all the way, which also results in damage to the hatch. Sometimes they flop inboard and don't want to flop outboard when I tack, too.

I may give my genoa blocks a try this season, as they'll stand up and won't get hit by the hatch. And they'll never flop to where they can't be pulled by the sheets to orient themselves correctly.

Tomfoolery wrote: But the biggest problem I have with them is that they tend to flop inboard, and block the sliding hatch from opening all the way, which also results in damage to the hatch. Sometimes they flop inboard and don't want to flop outboard when I tack, too.

Hmm, I don't have that problem with mine. From memory, they don't flop when unloaded, they just sag a bit but still stay more or less upright. In fact, I tie the companionway bug screen off to them, and they stand up pretty well even with those couple of pounds on them. I've never hit them with the hatch, not because I am careful, but because they just don't get in the way. Never had any problems tacking either, but that might be because I just never noticed the problem. Maybe I have a stiffer spring.

Here's another photo of it, standing to attention with no load on it.



The laker in the background is the tug Victorious and the barge John J Carrick, a very interesting way of putting a freighter together from two pieces.

Starscream wrote:Here's another photo of it, standing to attention with no load on it.

.

That looks like the standup block MacGregor supplied for the genoa on the and the , and for the jib on the later 's.



These are the low-lead blocks I have for the jib. There are no springs or elastomers to hold it upright, or from flopping inward.

Well that explains it!

Now that I see the pictures, I remember that I have an extra set of cars that look like the ones in your photo. So the PO must have reversed them and I never realized. I have the "right" ones in a cupboard along with a Genoa in a sailbag that I don't think was ever used.

I'm quite happy with the way they work. I wonder if the original owner did that because of the flopping issues.

Any reason to switch them back?

Starscream wrote:I'm quite happy with the way they work.

Well, that kind of says it all.

Starscream wrote:I wonder if the original owner did that because of the flopping issues.

Or he just didn't know. And as to the flopping, they make a real racket when coming around in a stiff wind, as the jib sheet is whipping around, causing them to bang against their stops. It's just noise, which means nothing, but it came to mind just now. The stand-up style shouldn't make a sound.

Starscream wrote:Any reason to switch them back?

None that I can see, especially if you're happy with the way they work, but I'll let you know this summer when I try them. They'll sit a little taller, but I don't see that making any real difference to the tuning of the jib.

But I can say with certainty that the low-lead blocks are a real PITA when it comes to the starboard one always laying inward, blocking the sliding hatch, and me banging the hatch into it, then having to do a Stretch Armstrong to get it flipped up to open the hatch the rest of the way. I'm talking myself into using my mostly unused (since I rarely use the genoa) stand-up blocks for the jib instead. Like late model 's were originally equipped. I just don't know what the sheet angle will look like to the winch, as my dodger has cutouts specifically located for those low-lead blocks, which brings the line directly along the track.

Tomfoolery wrote: I just don't know what the sheet angle will look like to the winch, as my dodger has cutouts specifically located for those low-lead blocks, which brings the line directly along the track.

Mine too.

Should look something like this. Now that I look at the photo it looks like the jib sheet is pulling up on the dodger, but there's also an element of parallax in there because the sheet looks like its rising up to the winch but it's actually pretty flat. More like a left-to-right pull.



I've been sailing like that for 7 years, and never noticed any abnormal wear on the dodger. If I was worried about it I guess I could undo one of the dodger attachment points while sailing.

And yes, I can see that the centerboard is down and the jib car is forward with the jib ballooned out, suggesting a downwind romp, where the board should have been up or almost up. In my defense, I think I was taking this picture just to illustrate that my dodger doesn't allow the proper use of the starboard winch: it's half-turns only. At least I had my fenders up!

Tomfoolery wrote:
These are the low-lead blocks I have for the jib. There are no springs or elastomers to hold it upright, or from flopping inward.

Yup these are what I have. I think the stand up blocks are in my future.

Photoman369 wrote:

Tomfoolery wrote:
These are the low-lead blocks I have for the jib. There are no springs or elastomers to hold it upright, or from flopping inward.

Yup these are what I have. I think the stand up blocks are in my future.

If I could modify them easily to limit their inward range of motion, I'd use them. But I'll give the stand-ups for the genoa a try on the jib this season and see how they work.

It's weird that I never even thought about using the other ones. Like a nail in my shoe poking my foot, I just live with them. And yes, I had work boots many decades ago that had sole nails poking through the inside, and I just kept wearing them. For something like a year, so I'd walk funny in them since they hurt so much. I have no idea why at this point. A psychiatrist or psychologist would have a field day, and maybe get a paper published on me.

Don't be to hard on yourself Tom. Life sometimes gets where you can only put out the hottest fires. Only seems crazy in hindsight...

Tomfoolery wrote:

Photoman369 wrote:

Tomfoolery wrote:
These are the low-lead blocks I have for the jib. There are no springs or elastomers to hold it upright, or from flopping inward.

Yup these are what I have. I think the stand up blocks are in my future.

If I could modify them easily to limit their inward range of motion, I'd use them. But I'll give the stand-ups for the genoa a try on the jib this season and see how they work.

It's weird that I never even thought about using the other ones. Like a nail in my shoe poking my foot, I just live with them. And yes, I had work boots many decades ago that had sole nails poking through the inside, and I just kept wearing them. For something like a year, so I'd walk funny in them since they hurt so much. I have no idea why at this point. A psychiatrist or psychologist would have a field day, and maybe get a paper published on me.

My 2008 came with 4 of the spring mount stand-up cheap blocks I replaced them all with 4 of these garhauer
https://www.garhauerstore.com/media/cat ... lc-1_2.jpg

J