I am still learning the boat and managed to properly secure the cambespar as per Geoffs detailed instructions.
My F36 jib I manage to hoist it by hand to about 3-4 feet from the top, but the last three to four feet I have to use the winch. Considering the size I was hoping I will not need the winch at all. How are others doing? Do you use the winch to fully hoist your jib? Any tricks here?
Another question is regarding lowering of the jib. It regularly gets stuck after it drops about three feet and does not lower unless i go forward and shake it a bit, after which it comes down pretty fast??? This iād say then defeats the purpose of Freedomās intended simplicity. Am I doing something wrong? Is there a better way to do it? Any adjustment to anything that would improve the lowering of the sail as this is is the one Iād like to avoid going forward.
This is indeed one of the drawbacks of the camberspar. I always go forward to drop the jib and flake it as it comes down. As you can well imagine, this can get exciting depending upon the conditions. I have Sue (the Admiral) drop the jib by a few feet so that the camberspar is loose, tighten the jib sheet so that the camberspar is arched upwards and then lower the jib at a rate so that I can flake it over the camberspar. I then secure it with 3 sail ties. Depending upon conditions, I may have to re-flake it when we get in, but at least itās secured.
I really canāt comment on raising it as we have an electric winch other than to say that you have to be very careful when raising it as not to over-tighten it (using the electric winch).
Hoisting by hand until the last 3 to 4 ft is not that bad I think, I am spoiled with an electric winch and start using the winch mostly earlier. The power needed to hoist is greatly influenced by resistance like: the sheaves in jibbox and block at the mastfoot, suppleness of halyard etc. Try hoist by hand where the halyard comes out of the mast and see whether and how much it differs from hoisting in the cockpit.
The force needed to hoist is also dependend on the camberspar: how tight the jib is on the camberspar and how much āplayā there is in the forestay? Too tight on the camberspar and/or too little play in the forestay gives more resistance when hoisting ( and lowering) and gives more wear and tear on the camberspar sheave.
After reading the Freedom sailtrim tutorial of Haarstick; posted by Michel:
Playing with the mainsailtrim I followed the advice to loosen the forestay a couple of turns of the turnbuckle, hoisting and lowering the jib became instantly easier. I had sailed unto then with too little play in the forestay. Hoisting and dropping the jib became easier as also the rigging of the camberspar itself inside the jib
What I found so far the best way: when dropping the jib: at first just a little, enough to really tighten the jibsheet (winch), positioning the camberspar amidships and with the camber upwards, then dropping the rest of the jib. Hoisting just the reverse.
When the jib stucks while lowering and then dropping quickly after shaking it a bit suggests a resistance somewhere in the droppingtraject. If the camberspar doesānt want to drop by its own weight, check the forestay play / tightness of jib on camberspar.
Happy Sailing,
Just a few months ago I rigged a downhaul for the Camberspar jib on my 32, just so I could get the sail down from the cockpit. Itās a light (3/16ā?) line that runs from the head of the jib, around a few of the hanks, through a small block at the tack, through some very nice Garhauer roller furling blocks on the lifeline stancions, to the cockpit. Iām still experimenting with the leads and the best way to use it, but a few initial observations:
It doesnāt work as smoothly or as easily as I imagined. Thereās a āsticking pointā about halfway down that requires a pretty strong pull to get past. Iām not sure what is causing that.
Iāve had a few āDuhā¦ā moments: Having that line ready to run when I put the sail up is an important task to remember.
Iād like to find some sort of clothesline reel or something else like that for the cockpit end, to make it all a bit neater and easier, maybe even automatic.
Overall, what I have now works, I can get the jib down from the cockpit, but it is pretty prototype-ish. It needs refinement.
Hi, i have to always head up to the foredeck to pull the jib down that final few feet. This is how i manage my jib, when raising or lowering i sheet it in tight while having the topping lift attached, this assures that the camberspar curve is facing up and assures its wheel tracks true, if not the wheel slips off the stay as it cocks and gets jammed. I can pull the jib almost fully up by hand, once up as far as it can go i release the the sheet and then pull the final bit by hand then tension with winch. Hope this helps. As a matter of interest i picked up my new jib from Rolly Tasker Phuket Thailand today, $550US i thought this was a excellent price.
Cheers Dale
Freeform.
Mark Edwards sent the attached to me which shows how one can rig a self flaking system on the jib. Havenāt tried it yet. Thought I would share it. Camberspar flaking system 2-24-10.pdf (367 KB)
