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looking for Ideas to prevent jib sheets from catching forward hatch

oldfauser

Member III
We have the original Lewmar Superhatch on the 32-3 I sail on - the jib sheets sometimes catch on the lip of the hatch. Ideas to prevent this from happening?
 

Christian Williams

E381 - Los Angeles
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
Keep the slack out of the sheets. All sheets. It prevents fouling on the hatches or anything else. Crew responsibility.
 

oldfauser

Member III
We do - that works 99.8% of the time. we have the issue the most often when we unroll the jib; my owner would like a solution...
 

Loren Beach

O34 - Portland, OR
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
We have never had a jib sheet catch on the closed hatch lid (when fully dogged down) but it does get attracted to the spinnaker eye on the mast sometimes. As said, do keep slack out of them.

Since that gap in the hatch lid-to-deck is so small, I wonder if your sheets are smaller than about 5/16 ? I would kind of expect them to be 1/2 or larger. :confused:

I suppose (putting on my Rube Goldberg hat) you could measure the lid circumference and make up a a piece of 1/2" elastic cord and just stretch it into place to fit/fill the gap before going sailing. Perhaps.

Further: a quick search of this site finds this thread:
http://www.ericsonyachts.org/infoexchange/showthread.php?9453-jib-sheets-caught-on-forward-hatch
 
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toddster

Curator of Broken Parts
Blogs Author
The (old ugly wooden) hatch is the main thing that my jib sheets catch on, but one way or another, it's always due to a slack sheet. The furnace vent (Charlie Noble?) seems specifically and nefariously designed to snag sheets and halyards, but that really only happens when things are really out of control and flogging around. Which, of course, never, ever happens. :rolleyes:
I see a lot of boats have custom-made wire cages around all the deck fittings, to keep the rigging out of them, but that's a bit above my pay grade. I suppose they might seem more of a necessity than a luxury in more serious weather.
 

toddster

Curator of Broken Parts
Blogs Author
Good video!
The cheapskate factor can also come into play. I've tried to squeeze one more season out of my old jib sheets. I switched them end-for-end at the beginning of the season. But they still often pop out of the clam cleats in 30-35 knot gusts. (With non self-tailing, or as I prefer to think of them "artisanal tailing" winches.)
 

Mark F

Contributing Partner
Blogs Author
(With non self-tailing, or as I prefer to think of them "artisanal tailing" winches.)

Ha!
 

llenrow

Member II
A little off topic but close—-I’ve gone from an e 30 to e 38 —-a lot of boat for my experience level but I’m dedicated and eager to learn each time I’m out. No 30kt days anytime soon. I have 2 tracks on each side just forward of the jib wenches, each with a block. I’ve been using the outer one for the jib sheet and then directly to the wench. Is there a better way?

thx

Doug
 

Christian Williams

E381 - Los Angeles
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
Inside track for the jib (allows close sheeting angle to windward). Outside track for spinnakers etc. On an extended reach you can change the genoa sheet to to the rail track, so it goes under the lifelines.
 
L

Leslie Newman

Guest
What Christian Williams said about keeping the slack out of the lines. Only time I've ever had the line catch on a closed front hatch was due to slack. Happened on my Cal 33-2 and so far once with my Ericson. Just have to be vigilant when working the lines.
 

CSMcKillip

Moderator
Moderator
We always try and pre tack, while calling out sequences. Get ready to tack, mid section takes slack out of windward sheet, 3 raps winch and is ready to release jib sheet. Tacking, release upward off of self tailing winch and pull totally free. Turn and sheet as fast as possible while into wind coming about. Bearing off with winch handle adjusting sheet to wind. Make any adjustments to main and trim.

For me it’s very important to have the sheet free, too many times we have fouled that sheet causing the Genoa not to come around or even worse backwind.

My wife does fordeck and it’s totally up to her to get it done. We “used” to race together so I know to keep my mouth shut...
 
L

Leslie Newman

Guest
Before I tack I'm in the habit of pre-setting the main. This helps alot when I am single handing. I'll slide the traveler over, get the line locked down. Then just before tack unlock the head sail sheet from the winch. Then call out to tack. You don't have to deal with the main during the tack. After setting the main, we just do two wraps on the windward sheet and take up the slack. I've experienced too much ride up of the line on the winch drum with more than two wraps. Then call out tacking. Swing around while managing both sheets. Now adjust the head sail trim. Finally trim the main if needed.
 

rpm

Member II
Fouled jib sheet

This happens frequently but usually when gybing, (sp), not tacking. Anyway, I get caught on the horizontal bar forming my hinge on the aft side of my original Lewmar hatch. The whole hatch can be reversed I am told so as to put the hinge-pin on the forward edge which might help. Plan B is to shorten the hinge pin somehow. Yes, this has been a frustrating detail and always in unfriendly conditions. E28+
 

Roger Janeway

Member II
The PO of my boat (which has a Lewmar forward hatch) fashioned a thick rope loop that squeezes over the closed hatch. The rope fills the gap on the underside edge of the hatch cover and creates a smooth surface that the jib sheets slide over.

I'm not sure I need this since I try to keep tension on both sheets, but since the PO provided the rope loop, and it's easy to place over the hatch, I haven't tried sailing without it yet.
 

Geoff W.

Makes Up For It With Enthusiasm
Blogs Author
This only happens to me when I unfurl the jib, but it will happen EVERY TIME I unfurl the jib unless I watch the tension in the lazy sheet as I unfurl. Singlehanding, I've just started unfurling a little slower and using one hand on each sheet as I unfurl, until the lines are out past the point of the hatch.
 

Geoff W.

Makes Up For It With Enthusiasm
Blogs Author
I'm not sure I need this since I try to keep tension on both sheets, but since the PO provided the rope loop, and it's easy to place over the hatch, I haven't tried sailing without it yet.

Does this get annoying if you open the front hatch?
 

Roger Janeway

Member II
Does this get annoying if you open the front hatch?

It never occurred to me to open the hatch while underway! My boat’s small and I don’t want to fall in if I go forward.

I just put the rope on as part of pre-sailing prep. But I should be brave and just forget it and see if this was a problem more for the PO because he and his wife couldn’t coordinate their jib handling during a tack. (He did blame his wife for coming in last when racing.)
 

Second Star

Member III
Catching the fwd hatch

On our E28+ I hoist a genoa rather than the std jib or foresail. The sheets always got messed up in the hatch when I handled the sails in the "usual" way. I have waited until the wind is on the other tack before letting the sheet go; the wind on the off side billows the sail out and lifts the sheets off the deck for a short time whence I pull like hell to get the sail over without fouling the sheets. The down side is that a bight of the billowing sail can get wrapped around the forestay and be a bear to drag back. The process doesn't work sometimes if I'm slow or unlucky. Bad plan in strong winds too. I have tried passing a line at deck level around the mast then fwd to a stanchion on each side, again right down to deck level to create a "wedge shaped" guide that sits over the corners of the hatch but the ball of knots at the clew can sometimes get fouled in the guide line.
The circle of 1/2 in line seems to be a good idea that I will try.
 
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