Jib flutter

I'm home with covid for a few days. Too bad because the afternoon sailing weather is perfect. I'm 73 and have heart issues but I'm optimistic that I'll make a full recovery. I want to take this opportunity to address an issue that's been bugging me for a while.

I bought a new jib in 2018 and I noticed the foot flutters when close hauled. It really bothered me. So, I took two 5-inch pieces of small batten material and put them on the foot at a 45-degree angle with 2-inch-wide sail repair tape. It fixed the problem but now after 5 years the battens are poking through the sail tape, and it has to be redone. It's a sticky mess. Even though it works, I'm an anal-retentive knit picker and I didn't get them quite parallel, it looked kind of hack and has annoyed me for years that I didn't do a better job. I'm going out probably later next week (if I'm well) and use the bottom hole on the clew plate. I can compensate by elevating the tack little but I have feeling this will put me back where I started. If I go back to the battens, would it be more efficient to have them at 90 degrees to the foot and perhaps get away with one? The other thing is, I could just go to a sailmaker and have the hem tightened up or even have a "foot line" sewn in. I know that might be best but I'm really cheap, but don't mind spending the money if that's a far superior way to do it.

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Bill Townsend
G-Cat 5.0
Sarasota
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Sew a strip of sail cloth along the foot, that worked for me. If you want to change the jib sheet angle to have the foot tighter, you need a more horizontal angle, therefore to lower the tack. (Or use the lower clew hole, or move the jib sheet blocks backwards).
Here's to a quick recovery, shortyfox prost

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Tim Gibson
1982 Hobie 16 Carumba Sails
1980 Hobie 14 Cat Fever Sails (SOLD)
Memphis, TN
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shortyfoxI'm home with covid for a few days. Too bad because the afternoon sailing weather is perfect. I'm 73 and have heart issues but I'm optimistic that I'll make a full recovery. I want to take this opportunity to address an issue that's been bugging me for a while.

I bought a new jib in 2018 and I noticed the foot flutters when close hauled. It really bothered me. So, I took two 5-inch pieces of small batten material and put them on the foot at a 45-degree angle with 2-inch-wide sail repair tape. It fixed the problem but now after 5 years the battens are poking through the sail tape, and it has to be redone. It's a sticky mess. Even though it works, I'm an anal-retentive knit picker and I didn't get them quite parallel, it looked kind of hack and has annoyed me for years that I didn't do a better job. I'm going out probably later next week (if I'm well) and use the bottom hole on the clew plate. I can compensate by elevating the tack little but I have feeling this will put me back where I started. If I go back to the battens, would it be more efficient to have them at 90 degrees to the foot and perhaps get away with one? The other thing is, I could just go to a sailmaker and have the hem tightened up or even have a "foot line" sewn in. I know that might be best but I'm really cheap, but don't mind spending the money if that's a far superior way to do it.


Hope you recover quickly to get back on the water...

I had a jib that did the same. I added a foot line. Get some 2mm line and run it through the bottom seam. You can use a hot knife (or substitute) to make a clean cut. Stitch the front, or tie it to the tack webbing or grommet. For the aft, have the foot line exit a couple of inches before you clew grommet; loop around the grommet and tie back on itself. You will not need much tension, maybe 1/2" or so.

--
Scott

Prindle Fleet 2
TCDYC

Prindle 18-2 Mod "FrankenKitty"
Tornado Classic "Fast Furniture"
Prindle 19 "Mr. Wiggly"
Nacra 5.8 "De ja vu"
Nacra 5.0
Nacra 5.8
Tornadoes (Reg White)
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Hey Bill,
How are you doing?

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Sheet In!
Bob
_/)_____/)_/)____/)____/)_____/)/)__________/)__
Prindle 18-2 #244 "Wakizashi"
Prindle 16 #3690 "Pegasus" Sold (sigh)
AZ Multihull Fleet 42 member
(Way) Past Commodore of Prindle Fleet 14
Arizona, USA
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Thanks for asking. I'm happy to say I'm over the Covid and I've been out a few times since. The problem now is the heat. It's so hot here in Sarasota that I feel like I could get heat stroke setting up the boat. The water temperature where I launch is over ninety, they say it's partially because of the lack of afternoon rains. The afternoon winds are good however, sometimes too good. I like to go out early and have it build up while I'm out. If the forecast sounds like it might get too windy for me, I'll sail close hauled for several miles and when it really picks up, I'll come back with it on my aft quarter haulin' ass!

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Bill Townsend
G-Cat 5.0
Sarasota
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shortyfoxI like to go out early and have it build up while I'm out. If the forecast sounds like it might get too windy for me, I'll sail close hauled for several miles and when it really picks up, I'll come back with it on my aft quarter haulin' ass!

Glad to hear you are back at it.
It has been just under 120 degrees for weeks here, so no one has been sailing.
An hour in that kind of heat wipes me out.
Just trying to survive and have some fun at the lake would be miserable.
There is this 38 mile offshore race around Anacapa Island next month I am Jones'n after.
Santa Barbara Channel.
It's called the Tri-Point Anacapa race.
I'm hoping to crew for a friend of mine, who has won it a number of times on a Dart and a Prindle.
Fingers crossed!

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Sheet In!
Bob
_/)_____/)_/)____/)____/)_____/)/)__________/)__
Prindle 18-2 #244 "Wakizashi"
Prindle 16 #3690 "Pegasus" Sold (sigh)
AZ Multihull Fleet 42 member
(Way) Past Commodore of Prindle Fleet 14
Arizona, USA
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