Install jib downhaul

It arrived and it is in fact a gorgeous piece of hardware. Because I occasionally remove the bowsprit from the boat I did not want to install the cam cleat with wood screws. Overtime, tightening and removing screws can wear down the threads the screw originally cut into the predrilled holes. After a few times the fasteners starts to have a weaker grip on the wood. Thus, I desired to install the cam cleat with machine screws.

Then I epoxied into each hole a G10 plug I previously cut from a sheet of G10 with a hole saw. As part of the installation, I faired over the inserts with thickened epoxy to ensure the surface of the sprit was perfectly flush. When cured, I tapped threads into the G10 plugs for bronze machine screws that secure the cam-cleat to the bowsprit. The G10 plugs keep any water that gets into the threaded hole from making contact with the wood. Also, though the G10 is not as robust as threaded bronze, it should allow many removals of the fasteners without loss of strength.

The bronze cam-cleat with integral fairlead was handmade by JM Reineck and Son. In order to maintain a fair lead for the downhaul, I needed to install a teak riser pad under the cam-cleat so the removable forestay control line would not interfere with the downhaul when I was using it.

I shaped and test fit a teak riser then applied four coats of white Interlux Brightside paint to match the paint on the bowsprit. I installed the cleat with Dolphinite pliable bedding compound to make it easier to remove in the future. You can easily see the downhaul in this photo exiting the low-friction ring secured to the kranze iron and then running aft to the bronze cam-cleat on the aft end of the bowsprit. I have not had a chance to use it under sail but I have practiced with it at the dock.

Still not as convenient as a furler. You are commenting using your WordPress. You are commenting using your Google account. You are commenting using your Twitter account. You are commenting using your Facebook account. Notify me of new comments via email.

Notify me of new posts via email. Share this: Twitter Facebook. Like this: Like Loading Then you have the hand for the coffee. Stan that's an intersting paint job on your C Looks kida like a powerboat in that pic.

It's been years since I sailed a C, and my laast 3 boats have had roller furling jibs, so I tend to leave 'em up there. But if you really lube up your sheaves at the head of the mast, wouldn't it make it a lil easier to drop the jib?

If the halyard moves freely it should work to pull the jib down. Although I understand that the angle of the jib makes it harder to do , if you're not up at the bow. I don't believe we ever rigged a down haul on our C You shouldn't have to lower the mast to correct the problem. A bosun's chair raised by the main halyard will get u there. I don't know what's less of a pain, to lower the mast or go up it?

Good point about it being easier to drop than go up. The jib simply doesn't drop when it's windy, and the downhaul is great to keep the sail on the foredeck. If he wants one, he should install one and do it right, my way or Joe's would work equally well. Pat Royce's Sailing Illustrated gave me the idea, and I post it here on a regular basis when folks ask about it. Chris Patterson.

Oct 17, 2, Ericson 29 Southport.. I will go slightly off topic here and say, because safety concerns are important to me , but there is no way anybody could talk me up a mast on a Especially one with a few years on it.

I say this from a person that has been aloft countless times, even underway. Used to climb mountains and skydive. It's fair to say that heights fear me little.

But not on a 22 foot boat, oh lord.. I built a crutch that fastens in the gudgeons, and the weight is supported across the transom , that is high enough for the mast to come down without touching the sliding cover on the coachroof.

And by myself, I let it down, and up periodically. I built a gin-pole, but that silly thing is a waste of time to me.

Seems like forever I have to adjust something up top, or a damn dodo bird sits on my windex and bends it.. I'll agree with that. Honestly, to me that's one thing that's well worth paying someone else to do. Plus the rigger can evaluate the fittings, etc while he's already up there.

The C 22 is a lil' weak in the rigging dept. I recall. But that's why I mentioned why not just lower it, as its supposed to be done on a regular basis anyway on a trailor - sailor design?

OK, Joe, try this: He should do it going downwind on starboard tack. His main and jib would be to port, and his jib would still fold properly on the foredeck. Of course, he'd have to have overtrimmed his jib to keep it on deck and keeping it from flying forward into the water. StanFM said:. Joe said:. I guess my point is you don't need to heave to, or head upwind to drop the headsail with a downhaul rigged Bilbo said:. Interesting but one issue is that the main is too high to blanket the jib fully at the foot and the jib could likely end up over the water in that scenario.

Quick question about the stanchion mounted clam cleat. Thanks for the pointer. I completed this project on my C25 and it works great! Thanks for the project idea. Yeah, they can be pretty grabby in the upright position. I recently moved my line over to the cabin top to also work as a spinnaker tack line. I lead it through a small bullseye fairlead near the deck organizer and back to a fairlead clam cleat near the aft edge of the cabin top. I went one further and ran the downhaul from a standup block on the foredeck centreline up through half a dozen eyelets in the sail, almost to the head, alternating from side to side like a Dutchman arrangement that single-line alternative to lazyjacks occasionally fitted to mainsails.

For my money this is a very appealing alternative to roller furling on boats smaller than 9 — 10m; combined with slab reefing headsails, the result can be a very weatherly, seamanlike, light, reliable and affordable setup. Unfortunately, you cannot include pictures in comments here but Andrew can post a link here to pictures posted elsewhere. Fit two small standup blocks to the foredeck on centreline, one at the point where the midpoint of the headsail meets the deck when sheeted amidships, the other where the line 3 meets the deck.

Take a line forward from the cockpit, through the aft standup block, thread through the eyelets in turn, starting from the midpoint of the foot, running up one side of the sail to the next eyelet up on that arc, passing through the eyelet, running up the other side of the sail to the next eyelet up on that arc, passing through the eyelet, running down to the forrard standup block, then back up the other side of the sail to the last eyelet on the arc, which is also the first eyelet running up parallel to the luff.

Then the line alternates through each luff eyelet to the top one, which it passes through and is terminated by a stopper knot which cannot pass back through the eyelet. The bag can be secured to lashing points on the foredeck so the bag remains in place whether the sail is up or down. Two bags can be in place at one time, one on port and the other on stbd.

I have several headsails of differing sizes I am modifying, so I have saddles in several positions for the aft blocks, and two side by side for the front one. I would still love to see pictures I am a very visual person! Thanks so much for the idea and description! A slight correction: This only works with hank-on headsails. Which is why I fantasize eventually losing the foil and converting my sails to hank-on.

Actually there is a solution: you can use slugs or slides as often used on mainsails to enable downhauling a headsail with a luff foil, but it would work better if they were relatively low-friction.

Home-made sliders along that pattern are not out of the question for someone handy. Andrew Troup, this sounds like you might also be able to use your downhaul as a reefing line. Will partially lowering the sail and securing the lines leave the remaining hoisted sail to fill and work to sail the boat? If so, it sure seems like a workable alternative to a roller reefing system that can be a hassle for traikered boats!

Too much friction? Yes, running the downhaul through the stanchion braces is too much friction because the angle of the line causes it to get wedged in the braces.

The downhaul I outlined is compatible with slab reefing for a headsail, but does not substitute for it. You need extra tack and clew eyelets, reinforced in the same way as the bottom ones, for each slab reef position. The sailcloth would not handle relying on the dowhaul eyelets for this, and the sail shape would be terrible as well. I really enjoy your tips and tricks. I do a lot of single hand sailing on a Venture 25 in Oregon. Am excited to install the job downhaul. Will do that when the weather breaks and the lake is full….

Thanks for this post. I admire the wooden hook holding the coil of line in one of the photos. I made four of those line hangers out of Honduran mahogany, which looks almost identical to teak. You could make them out of almost any material. The cord exits the hanger through slots cut in both sides of the hanger, which leaves just the continuous loop exposed.

Just a tug on one pops them loose again. It works great and saves her from walking up front in yucky weather to pull the thing down.