What are the advantages and disadvantages to the zipper-luff jib versus the wire luff jib? What rationale did Prindle have when they went to the zipper-luff jib?
-Matt
I can't speak for Prindle, but the zippered luff allows a more tensioned rig with the forestay and conceals the jib halyard for a little less drag and easier furling if desired.
For non-racing, the zippered luff where the halyard and the forestay are zipped over while you're raising the jib and then untied from a short piece of line and that short piece is cleated off and also used to get halyard tension is a huge pain. It's difficult to do alone and keep your jib off the ground or out of the salt water. It's flogging the whole time and you just can't raise it or lower it quickly. It's a nice clean system to have that halyard hidden inside the luff but to me not worth the trouble. Furlers are great but expensive, but I also believe that there's nothing wrong with a hanked on jib for recreational sailing. Beach cat jibs are so small that with adequate halyard tension there's no scalloping and the hanks are tiny and can't create much wind resistance. When you stop at a sandbar to rest and stretch your legs you just untie the halyard from a cleat on the mast and down she goes in seconds. No flogging.
It is very simple to use sister clips for disconnecting your jib raising line. The jib halyard is usually set on a 2:1 so tension shouldn't be an issue. Furlers expensive .. maybe to a certain reference but can be worth every penny depending how/where you sail. When you stop at that sandbar, you roll up it up in less than 30 seconds, done.
Maybe I'm unusual in that I don't mind hoisting my jib (seems easy to me) in a zippered luff and find it really easy to tension properly now that I have it simplified. And wouldn't ever go without furling jib now that I have one; no flogging and makes stuff really easy to manage and can de-power easily, etc.
If I had either would I go through the expense of changing the rigging?
No.
To have my preference, I'd take the zipper luff.
I don't have to worry about salt water rusting the hidden parts of the internal cable.
The system is simple and strong.
When I race I like adjusting the downhaul.
To store my sails I roll the jib up inside the main and I don't have to worry about sharp edges chewing up the sailcloth.
My $0.02. YMMV.
My $0.02. YMMV.
Sorry Bob but your 2cents is now only worth 1.5 cents
Damn you inflation!!!!
MN3 wrote: [quote=klozhald]
My $0.02. YMMV.
Sorry Bob but your 2 cents is now only worth 1.5 cents
Damn you inflation!!!!
Wow.
That was fast.
How expensive did pizzas get in the last five minutes? 🙂