Best Way To Construct a Headsail Pendant?

[GorillaToast]

I need to raise my jib off the deck a couple of feet, and I'm wondering what's the best way to make a tack pendant for it. I know it should be the same size wire as my forestay, but what about the terminals.

I don't want to go to the expense of swageless toggles if I can avoid it. The boat is just a day sailer, 20'.

Any suggestions.

[estarzinger]

Originally Posted by GorillaToast

I need to raise my jib off the deck a couple of feet, and I'm wondering what's the best way to make a tack pendant for it. I know it should be the same size wire as my forestay, but what about the terminals.

I don't want to go to the expense of swageless toggles if I can avoid it. The boat is just a day sailer, 20'.

Any suggestions.

A piece of rope same strength as your halyard will do the job.

[David M]

Take it to a sail maker and have them do it. Or go to West Marine and make your own out of cable on their nicro press.

[GorillaToast]

Originally Posted by estarzinger

A piece of rope same strength as your halyard will do the job.

After I posted, that thought came to me. Heck, this boat's not going to be crossing oceans.

Thanks.

[GorillaToast]

Originally Posted by David M

Take it to a sail maker and have them do it. Or go to West Marine and make your own out of cable on their nicro press.

I've got my own nicopress tool, so if Evans' way doesn't work out, I'll try that.

Thanks.

[David M]

You could eye splice together some low stretch three strand polyester (Dacron) with thimbles on each end. That would be real easy.

[dana-tenacity]

Don't make it so long the sail sheets off the back of the boat.

[S/V Alchemy]

Originally Posted by estarzinger

A piece of rope same strength as your halyard will do the job.

Absolutely. This is how I rig things on my 33 footer when I want to raise the 100% No. 3 off the deck to catch a bit more speed in light air, but I don't want to use a bigger sail when I'm going to be sailing by myself. I use half-inch line with two bowlines with an extra turn to secure the tail.

On my steel boat, I have a staysail pendant made of wire seized over thimbles with two shackles. It's 1/4", which is less than the 5/16" of the stay, but it's not a big deal.

If you want to get fancy, you can rig the tack pendant as a longer line back to the cockpit. Do the same with the jib halyard, and you can play with the height off deck and the angles as long as you have line stoppers in convenient places. This is a light-air only convenience...in heavy air I prefer to work at the mast to tension the halyards/downhauls properly.

[Talbot]

raising the sail this way will change the angle at the deck from the sheets. Unless you have a lot of spare slider space you will end up with a sail that looks and is hopeless. It will also require reefing earlier because the centre of effort will be higher.

A clear panel in the sail will probable achieve the same end without affecting performance

[Sailmonkey]

Dacron three strand spliced to the sail with an eye, and a thimble at the bottom end. ours is up 4 inches to allow it to clear the pulpit........no performance difference other than moving the car aft one hole.

[Bash]

Originally Posted by GorillaToast

I need to raise my jib off the deck a couple of feet, and I'm wondering what's the best way to make a tack pendant for it. I know it should be the same size wire as my forestay, but what about the terminals.

I don't want to go to the expense of swageless toggles if I can avoid it. The boat is just a day sailer, 20'.

Any suggestions.

Whoever told you that it needs to be as strong as your forestay was jerking your chain. I've swaged two pennants the way DavidM suggested, and found them to be entirely workable, given that I was experimenting with how high I wanted to raise this sail. Then, when I finally took the sail into my loft for a recut, I had them install a pennant. This worked much better in terms of making it easier to change sails.

[svHyLyte]

Spectra Webbing loop:



11"--$6.95 see Rope, Rigging and Caribiners

[barnakiel]

Soft SS wire plus niro press. Alternatively Spectra webbing (Polyester too if you are willing to take in the stretch).

b.