Zippered jib cover instead of Sunbrella UV overlay.

[Blue Stocking]

Your thoughts please.

Bluestocking is 12 ton, 41 ft Rhodes Reliant yawl I sail solo most times.
Recently fitted a 90 % working jib, because at age 72, getting that 135 around got to be too much work and not enough pleasure.
Got it without a sewn-on UV edging because the weight impairs the sail's usability, IMO.
Also, living in Bermuda, means taking sails off for insurance whenever named storms are within 48 hours. The 135, 8 oz, was a lot of work by myself in 85F, 85 humidity. 3 or 4 times a year.
Thinking of sewing a Zip-closed Sunbrella cover for between use, hoisted on the Spin halyard. Multiple in line zippers and Velcro or turn fasteners for security of closure, and around the jib sheets.
Don't like the look of snuffers with their rings and paraphenalia at masthead, so the're a no-go.
Thanks for your thoughts.

[snokid]

I have a jib sock zippered the whole way. Funny I'm looking at sewing on sunbrella so I don't have to use it!!

but
it's pretty easy to use and can do it yourself but it is easier with 2.

hook the halyard up tie a string on the zipper start pulling it up, if you do it by yourself couple of times up to the bow to get the cover straighten out if you have help it's a 2 minute job.

only thing I don't like it has lines that crisscross that you snug up to tighten the sock, but you never really get it tight. Good breeze and it makes noise flogging.

Bob

[GordMay]

Good idea.

➥ Genoa Sleeve | ATN Sailing Equipment

➥ Jib Sock — UK Sailmakers

➥ Sailrite - Fabric, Canvas, and Sewing Machines Since 1969

➥ Jib Sock

[jstevens]

I would be a little concerned that the sock would provide a perfect home for the Bermuda National Flower - mildew.

John

[wrwakefield]

When we were landlocked and between cruising boats for a time, we bought a Macgregor 26M which came with the arrangement you are considering.

The roller furling jib cover had two zippers that ran top down as I recall. To install, you connected the top zipper and held the tang while raising the cover- zipping it closed as it raised. You stopped about halfway up at the second zipper to engage it and continue. Very quick and easy.

It worked well, and I would consider doing something similar on our current vessel [43'] as it also adds total security protecting the jib from unfurling as well.

This blog post has a photo showing the cover in place.

Cheers! Bill

[N4585K]

I have a zippered jib cover on my Oceanis 46. It has one zip, I raise it with the spi halyard. Really easy to do. It also has the crossed lines to snug it up once it's up, and loosening it isn't that easy, so sometimes i have a hard time getting the cover down. I keep the boat in Malta for the winter and mildew is not a problem. All in all I think it would be a good solution for Blue Stocking.

Lawrence

[DMCantor]

These are in widespread use in Europe, used even by people who have UV panels on the trailing edge. It does mean an extra few minutes every time you put the boat away, but its really minimal work.

[barnakiel]

I think when the sail cloth is this heavy, there is no penalty from Sunbrela strips.

I would add Sunbrella strips to this sail.

If you go the sock way, make sure it has a well designed strap down system. I have seen sails much damaged by their socks being set without enough tension. The sleeve will flog in the wind and eat on the sewing of the sail. NO-GO.

Cheers,
b.

[hellosailor]

My friend tried the same thing. Unfortunately, it wasn't a real job of bespoke tailoring, so the sleeve shook in the wind and added chafe and fray to the genoa as well. This is not to say it can't work, but "measure twice and cut once" and if at all possible, I'd suggest a lycra or other elastic section all the way down, so that it ensured a skin-tight fitting. You'd probably have to drop the furled sail and make some paper or thin cloth templates to really size it right.

[blueazimuth]

IMHO it's a no brainier: there's a very good reason why almost all cruising boats have sewn on covers. With or without a cover, the headsail on your Rhodes 41 needs two to drop, flake, bag and stow it. Bribe a friend or pay a yard man to help.
IMHO, you'll hate a zippered jib cover - before every sail, you have to drop and stow it. After every sail, you have to put it back up. That takes time and they are a real pain ITA if they jam.

[Seighlor]

I, too, thought the sock idea was a good one. Tried it on my forty-four footer and will second all the negative thoughts previously expressed here. It is a pain to put up, take down and, no matter how tightly you secure it, it will flog loudly and menacingly any time the wind picks up. Any live-aboard neighbors will hate you.

[hellosailor]

My friend's kludge to the flapping was to take a spare halyard, spiral it around the furled/covered headsail, then secure it, snug. A PITA but some people live with kludges.

blue-
Dropping the headsail on a 41 and stowing it neatly is not necessarily impossible. If your halyard is long enough: Tighten the sheet, to keep it taught inside the stanchions. (Having net up on the bow helps greatly.) Then go forward, to the clew of the sail, and start lowering it slowly, while you flake it. One hand for halyard, one hand for flaking. When you're done, release the halyard get and get ties on it. Bag it when or as needed.
Same thing with a main: It can be flaked neatly while still under way, with a little practice.

[Yoty]

I drop my jib into a bag tethered to the stanchions on the port side. Flaking it or drop n stuff it in works perfectly. The bag has lifevest clips to close it securely and a velcroed lengthwise flap over them, running the bag length from forestay to the clew.The flap offers UV protection to the clips. Sheets remain attached. Sail weight is off the forestay and the 'pendulum effect' removed.

[Rhwins]

I have a 33' sloop (with a 39' hoist) . I used a sail with a 135% dacron/sunbrella sewn to the leech, I wound it up on the roller furler, pulled the sheets tight to get them off the deck, and was done with it.

To make sail handling easier, I got a 100%, carbon mylar jib which needs a sleeve or sock to protect it. I still have to wind it up on the roller furling, but now I have to (1) remove and store the sheets, (2) get the 39' sock hooked up to the spare halyard and around the jib, (3) hoist while I zipper the sock. Once up, (4) I keep tugging on the monofilament line to tighten the sock to avoid having it shake the rigging and shred the sleeve and (5) tie it off. This takes several extra minutes. I guess its worth it because the smaller carbon mylar sail is so much better, but I'm not getting any younger and I often have to put the boat away by myself. That larger, dacron/ sunbrella goena was much easier to stow.

Its not just the head sail that needs to be put away, its everything else too. And the five additional tasks add up.
Double it because I have to undo them all to fly the sail. (Still, I haven't gone back to the old dacron and sunbrella one.)

[UNCIVILIZED]

I've always wondered what it's like to work with Kiwi Slides on one's headsails. So that there's a lot less wrestling with a loose sail on deck when hoisting & dropping. In theory they're kind of like an internal hank for the furler's luff groove.
https://reefrite-na.com/kiwi-slides/kiwi-slide-details/
I'd be curious to hear feedback from those who use/have used them. And whether they're worth the coin.

The other tip about lacing one's lifelines in an X-pattern is a good one. It's something that we do on a lot of boats, racing & non, to aid in keeping control of loose sails on the foredeck.

The lacing is simply 4-5mm cord, with a clove hitch in it anywhere it crosses the toerail or a lifeline. Though when you're installing it, make sure to first hang a Heavy weight from each lifeline back aft. So that the lacing doesn't pull the forward lifelines down towards the toereail as you're putting it in place.

Usually running it from the bow pulpit to somewhere back by the mast is enough to keep most recalcitrant sails on deck.

As to your running a smaller jib, you might speak to a sailmaker about boosting it's efficency by various means. Up to & including installing vertical battens, much like you see on furling mains.

Also, if you're truly concerned about a UV cover affecting the sail's shape, there are other options besides Sunbrella, which are lighter & more flexible. Though they tend not to provide protection for as long.
If you do a search here on CF some of them will turn up, & Ann Cate has more than a passing familiarity with them (aka JPA Cate).

There's even super light weight stuff which some folks will put onto their light air sails which they continually have up, on furlers. Think light air sails on OPEN 60's & similar, which most of the time are mounted "permanently" on structural furlers.