Notice:
The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.
I've just got back from sailing Forgiveness a 2003 wing keel and have noticed several things I am not familiar with. The Jib seems to be very "low" and wraps up over the front bow railing and life lines and back down as it flows back. Doesn't seem right, looks like the entire jib should be higher off the deck. I have the snap furler from schaeffer. Can I add a pigtail to the bottom front of the jib and raise the sail higher? I also have a halyard clip at the top on the mast to stop it from twisting around the jib. It takes up about 6 inches of hoisting room.
Also (here comes the greenhorn sailor in me!) I've never used self tailing winches. Can someone explains the exact use of this winch? I'm finding that three wraps and the up on the tail and around the groove at the top, causes the line to come back on itself and wrap itself into a knot. Not the best form as my first mate is locking up the line as we tack and I can't help her with an alternative answer to the problem. Maybe were winding it too many times? Works most of the time, just not all the time. Details please!
I have a 2003 Wk also (#690) and the jib also drapes up and over the bow rail but then it stays up and out of the way. Except you sometimes need to run the jib sheets inside or outside of the shrouds/stanctions. Mine has no extra room at the head of the jib to hoist it up any further if a spacer was added at the bottom. The head of the jib is right up next to the mast where the halyard exits at the top. The winches tend to override if no tension is on the side going to the jib - try just one wrap until all the slack is taken up then add two more. It's caused by the angle the sheets hit the winch - not low enough to prevent the slack line from riding upward.
My jib also drapes over the life line. As for the winches I wrap enough turns around them to prevent slippage, depends on the wind. Either 3 or 4 times, in light air just 2.
The foot of my jib rides fairly close to the deck. If by adding a "pigtail" you mean a short piece of line going from the TACK to the roller furler drum, I would advise against it. If your sails are anything like mine there is not much free space between the HEAD of the sail and the pulley for the halyard with the sail hoisted all the way up the foil. This will also alter the ability to control the sail in higher winds.
I have a similar problem when sheeting in the jib for a close-hauled coures if I do it too quickly. Easing the sail slightly then bringing it back in slowly until it slides over the lifeline post does the job. Running the sheet lines BETWEEN the lifeline posts & the shrouds is my preferred method. I have no experience with running them inside the shrouds. IMHO that really won't do much for the sail trimming problem.
Frank: Looks like Thomas Point Light dead ahead & the Chesapeake Bay Bridge in the background. I'd guess you were at the mouth of the South River. I ran into the winch override problem because the standard spring-loaded sheet blocks lead the line in at too high an angle. I switched to a low-profile lead car from Garhauer & the problem is gone.
Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ. The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.