Genoa Sheets Catching on Shrouds

[Billy Buck]

Our headsail sheets are large diameter and where they come together at a knot attached to the flew by a single shackle things get quite gangly. It also snags on the shrouds every light to moderate wind tack.

Don't want to purchase new sheet rope at the moment. Any DIY genius out there to smooth our tacking future?

[RGN]

A Cow hitch perhaps? Works for me.

[StuM]

There are several options.


Please provide more details of your current knot and shackle setup.


Spliced loops or bowlines connected together and attached to the clew by a soft shackle would be one option

[Jammer]

A photo may help.


You can get rid of the shackle and tie the sheets to the clew with a bowline or other suitable knot. If your sheets are made from a single piece of rope, you can still tie two bowlines, you just have to tie one of them backwards. This is what I do.



You can put an eye splice in the end of each sheet and fasten it to the clew with a soft shackle. This is widely regarded as the most snag-resistant means of attachment.

[martinz]

How about a "Dixon Clew"
http://dixonclew.com/

[scotty c-m]

I use bowline knots. they sometimes catch on the shrouds if the loop is too small, so I adjust them to be a little longer and the problem goes away. Perhaps that might work for you.

[Uncle Bob]

Originally Posted by RGN

A Cow hitch perhaps? Works for me.

Ditto

[wingssail]

I use J-lock shackles with eye splices in the line, but any low profile shackle will do. Big knots are not the best.

However, look at your tacking technique. Make sure that the sheet is thrown off well early, as soon as the headsail starts to luff. All they way off! Let it fly! Turn the boat fast. The sail will flap and then come right across and the sheet, including the knots or shackles, are not inclined to catch on the shrouds.

Don't let the sail press against and slide across the shrouds. It will often catch that way.

[smith8273]

I'm now using a cow hitch, but it doesn't seem to be any better than two bowline knots. And, I had to untie it the other day, man THAT was quite the struggle.

I think that bowlines with longer loops might be best, thinking longer loops with stagger the bulk over a longer distance, allowing the knots to slip past easier. I wanted to switch over — but didn't have the energy to cut, whip and knot...

[GILow]

Originally Posted by Billy Buck

Our headsail sheets are large diameter and where they come together at a knot attached to the flew by a single shackle things get quite gangly. It also snags on the shrouds every light to moderate wind tack.

Don't want to purchase new sheet rope at the moment. Any DIY genius out there to smooth our tacking future?

I'm in favour of splicing eyes on the ends of the jib sheets then attaching with a soft shackle.

But that Dixon clew looked pretty interesting.

[RaymondR]

Get rid of the shackle and tie bowlines onto the tack. Now, what you will notice about the bowlines is that whether or not they snag depends on which side the double-back of the bitter end lies.

[jrau18]

Originally Posted by RaymondR

Get rid of the shackle and tie bowlines onto the tack. Now, what you will notice about the bowlines is that whether or not they snag depends on which side the double-back of the bitter end lies.

On my boats, I've found the solution is a combination of larger bowline loops, making sure the two bow lines are difference sizes (so the knots are staggered), and casting off the now-lazy-sheet at the right time.

In the future when it is time to upgrade sheets, buy one single sheet, then you won't need any bulky knot at the clew and you can still have the larger diameter sheets, which are way nicer on your hands.

I've never tried soft shackles, I'll have to look those up, multiple people suggested that.

[Pete7]

Loops in the ends of the sheets and an over sized soft shackle solved the problem of the bowlines catching on the baby stay. The shackle is over sized to make it easier to undo with cold hands.

Pete

[bailsout]

In light winds, I jibe.

[conachair]

A few metres of dyneema spliced into the double braid sheet worked really well on my cutter rig, hardly and weight and nothing much to get snagged. Soft eye into a soft shackle at the clew.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aohGiTNCMQE