Jib Clubboom improved

[Claus Riepe]

Those of you who already have a jib clubboom installed on your Swallowboat will know the huge benefits: The jib is self-tacking, the sail profile is better (flatter), the sheeting forces are childs play, and no more need for an outboom on downwind courses.
The downsides are setting and furling the jib, the mechanics of the clubboom rig make that the clubboom sags to the deck once the jib is furled.

After some experimenting with 'Craic' we found solutions. First of all, 'Craic' now has a much longer clubboom than the one shown on the photos on this website. The new clubboom protrudes almost 30". This also means that all rig lever forces were magnified.

Formerly, to set the jib to the boom, you had to pull -hard- to hitch the clew rope loop over the end of the boom. Today, we have a clamcleat at the end of the boom and that makes setting the sail to the boom and adjusting the foot tesion very easy.
For roll-furling, you just release from the cleat and pay out with one hand while you pull the furling line with the other.

To prevent the clubboom from falling onto the foredeck when the jib is furled, we have introduced a short rope waterstay between the bow trailer winch eye and the tip of clubboom. Works beautifully, no more fuss.

All in all, with these small mods all the -little- former downsides of the clubboom system have vanished, and just the huge benefits remain.

I could post some photos here if I knew how to.

Claus

[Claus Riepe]

Here I am making an attempt at posting photos showing the jib boom details described verbally above:

[Bill Wickett]

Claus,
I finally looked at your posting re the longer jib clubboom. In your pics posted it also looks like your moved the tack of the jib farther forward, compared to other pics of the Sea Raider on the site.  Did you change the sail at all or keep the same one?

Sorry I didn't get close to the Sea Raider at Morbihan. Only time I saw it was from ashore at Port Navalo and you were already heading out.

Regards,

Bill

[Craic]

Claus,
I finally looked at your posting re the longer jib clubboom. In your pics posted it also looks like your moved the tack of the jib farther forward, compared to other pics of the Sea Raider on the site.  Did you change the sail at all or keep the same one?

Sorry I didn't get close to the Sea Raider at Morbihan. Only time I saw it was from ashore at Port Navalo and you were already heading out.

Regards,

Bill

Hi Bill,
'your' photo from Morbihan ( http://www.pbase.com/debetencourt/image/80082746 ) is now my desktop background.

Yes, I have got us another set of sails for 'Craic', with shorter height but longer tack jib and mizzen, and a somewhat bigger mainsail using a 10" shorter mast overcompensated through a longer Gunter yard. More flexible that way to adjust the sailarea for different crew sizes and all conditions from calm to blow.
Matt has used such practical experiences with 'Craic' for the design of BR which in several respects already is a 'next generation' to the SR.
Greetings to Canada!
Claus

[Craic]

The jib clubboom sags with its rear heel down onto the foredeck once the foothaul is released. One cure is described above.
Here is another, photo taken from a BayRaider.: Screw a rubber bung under the booms rear heel. This helps to hang the boom into a ropesling from the main mast cleat so it does not touch the deck. But even if it does, the rubber bung will make the touch a soft one.

[Bill Wickett]

Claus,

Nice bung bumper on the jib boom.

I looked again at your pictures from last year showing the longer jib boom on your SeaRaider. It shows the jib sheets attached to the sail clew.(furled in your picture) I believe that the BR and other Swallow models have the jib sheets attached to the jib boom.

Any reason for the difference on Craic?

[Craic]

Bill,
hat off to you for spotting the difference! The jib sheet through the clew was the original version, it was to keep at bay the pulling forces on the jib boom clamcleat in severe blows.

But experience has proven since that this was over anxious, the sheet is just as secure when being attached to the boom only, and this is of course much more convenient, because one does not have to release the jib sheet in order to furl the sail.

The BayRaider is kind of next generation to the SeaRaider with more emphasis on comfort and ease of use. I have retrofitted that BR system on SeaRaider Craic since. The good thing is one can at any time change between the two systems in a matter of seconds.

[Craic]

Here a clubboom self-tacking jib in action in a video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YiU1YS1LqQ8&NR=1 .
Its on a Phil Bolger boat, excellent pedigree.
Thanks for digging this up to Tony L. .

[Julian Swindell]

A video by the excellent Dylan Winter. I hope everyone has been following his "Keep turning left" Youtube videos.
There was also an interesting self tacking club boom on the recent BBC series on Rivers by Gryf Rhys Jones in England. It was a Norfolk Broads boat which had a clubbed jib, just like the BayRaider, and a forestay. The stay was tacked down just next to the pivot of the jib. This meant that on one tack the jib pressed against the forestay, which spoiled its shape and risked chafe. The benefit was that the forestay could be used for lowering and raising the counterbalanced mast when going under bridges.

[Craic]

... The stay was tacked down just next to the pivot of the jib. This meant that on one tack the jib pressed against the forestay, which spoiled its shape and risked chafe. The benefit was that the forestay could be used for lowering and raising the counterbalanced mast when going under bridges.

Julian,
thanks for bringing this up, it is an important detail.
I have come to a similar arrangement as on the Norfolk broads boats: I have that spare halyard on the BR main mast. It is for the Gennaker but it is mostly used to tie the harbourfurled mainsail in.
Now, if the wind gets tough, I click that halyard on the bowhead fitting next to the jib pivot, and fasten it with some easy slack. That is as a precaution if ever the boom swivel or the jib luff wire should break, the main mast would not fall.
It is a reassuring detail. That extra halyard is one of the most useful and versatile add-ons for the jib clubboom boats.

[Julian Swindell]

That's a neat idea Claus. I have often thought a spare halyard would have lots of uses (hauling up anchor ball, acting as a spare halyard etc.) I had not though of it as a potential spare forestay. You could, in an emergency, use it as a replacement shroud as well. Builds on the old idea that every bit of kit on a boat should serve at least two functions to justify its presence.