Technique: Deck sweeper Jib

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Deck sweeper Jib

Printed From: Yachts and Yachting Online
Category: Dinghy classes
Forum Name: Technique
Forum Discription: 'How to' section for dinghy questions and answers
URL: http://www.yachtsandyachting.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=13477
Printed Date: 26 Jun 25 at 7:53pm
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Topic: Deck sweeper Jib

Posted By: Sapspec8650
Subject: Deck sweeper Jib
Date Posted: 08 Dec 19 at 10:12pm

Help!

My sailmaker has cut me a (class legal) Jib that lays on the foredeck by about 10cm & seems pleased that I now own a 'deck sweeper'

Right now I am unsure that it will set properly after tacking -- not back on the water 'till spring - so I'm stuck with testing in the drive.

So my question - are there any positive advantages sailing with this rig, & is there anything I need to do differently? I habitually sail single-handed ..so I would find it difficult to reach the foredeck while close-hauled.

Thanks for your thoughts.

Replies:

Posted By: davidyacht
Date Posted: 08 Dec 19 at 10:32pm

The deck should act as an endplate and therefore increase the effective aspect ratio, increasing efficiency. In reality the benefits are pretty far along the diminishing returns curve.

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Happily living in the past

Posted By: ian.r.mcdonald
Date Posted: 09 Dec 19 at 8:53am

Would I be wrong in suggesting that 10cm is too much and fixing the tack higher would be good?

Posted By: Sam.Spoons
Date Posted: 09 Dec 19 at 8:56am

That is what I would suggest but what class of boat is this?

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Spice 346 "Flat Broke"
Blaze 671 "supersonic soap dish"

Posted By: JimC
Date Posted: 09 Dec 19 at 9:16am

Back in the 50s jibs were usually on short strops. After the first people moved jibs down in the early 60s virtually everyone followed within a very few years. The benefits were obviously seen as very clear cut.

The biggest pressure differential is at the luff, it would be unwise to create a gap there.

I've never known of tacking to be an issue.

Posted By: Noah
Date Posted: 09 Dec 19 at 12:00pm

Originally posted by JimC

I've never known of tacking to be an issue.

Unless there's a horned mooring cleat in the middle of the foredeck!

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Nick
D-Zero 316

Posted By: Sapspec8650
Date Posted: 09 Dec 19 at 1:03pm

Hi Ian Mc:

my thoughts exactly ---- BUT---- As I raise the tack I will change the sheeting angle, & in my case the fairlead is fixed.

So - a little more. The boat is a new(ish) Heron - for this I make no excuses - she is a great little boat to wind down on! (& and I am in my late 70's)

However I still race her seriously & would to remain competitive.

From the tone of your replies I think there seems to be generally approval of the maximum median?

Thanks for your interest.

Posted By: 423zero
Date Posted: 09 Dec 19 at 1:15pm

Nothing wrong with Heron, very nice boat.

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Robert

Posted By: JimC
Date Posted: 09 Dec 19 at 2:04pm

I don't know what you mean by maximum median, but I'd leave it as it is.

Posted By: Sam.Spoons
Date Posted: 09 Dec 19 at 2:33pm

I learned to race in a Heron and had another when my kids were young, lovely boat.

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Spice 346 "Flat Broke"
Blaze 671 "supersonic soap dish"

Posted By: Rupert
Date Posted: 09 Dec 19 at 5:42pm

As Jim says. As close as possible to the deck as possible at the bow.

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Firefly 2324, Puffin 229, Minisail 3446 Mirror 70686

Posted By: Oatsandbeans
Date Posted: 09 Dec 19 at 7:38pm

The “end plate effect” may not be the big gain that the aerodynamics theory may suggest. Possibly not a lot of air flowing across the deck if a Heron in non survival conditions. Maybe getting sail area up a bit and what is happening to the slot as the leach gets closer to the main As the job gets jogger could be more important-just a thought!

Posted By: Oatsandbeans
Date Posted: 09 Dec 19 at 7:49pm

Sorry the autocorrect messed it up - it was meant to be the “jib gets higher” - not “the job gets jogger”! Makes a bit more sense

Posted By: NickA
Date Posted: 09 Dec 19 at 8:08pm

The genoa on my Javelin brushes the deck by at least 10mm. Sounds good to me. The Jav has jib racks so jib height and sheeting angle are independent.

My 3000 hasn't got a deck so it's a non issue, but I can put the whole jib higher or lower exactly so as to control the sheeting angle; in light winds it needs to be low to allow a bit more twist.

I've never sailed a heron but reckon your sail maker knows what he's doing!

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Javelin 558
Contender 2574

Posted By: ian.r.mcdonald
Date Posted: 10 Dec 19 at 11:23am

Originally posted by Sapspec8650

Hi Ian Mc:

my thoughts exactly ---- BUT---- As I raise the tack I will change the sheeting angle, & in my case the fairlead is fixed.

So - a little more. The boat is a new(ish) Heron - for this I make no excuses - she is a great little boat to wind down on! (& and I am in my late 70's)

However I still race her seriously & would to remain competitive.

From the tone of your replies I think there seems to be generally approval of the maximum median?

Thanks for your interest.

I would listen to Jim and not raise the tack. All sounds good and as others have said top marks to the Heron and the helm

Posted By: SoggyBadger
Date Posted: 10 Dec 19 at 10:42pm

Originally posted by Sapspec8650

Hi Ian Mc:

my thoughts exactly ---- BUT---- As I raise the tack I will change the sheeting angle, & in my case the fairlead is fixed.

So - a little more. The boat is a new(ish) Heron - for this I make no excuses - she is a great little boat to wind down on! (& and I am in my late 70's)

However I still race her seriously & would to remain competitive.

From the tone of your replies I think there seems to be generally approval of the maximum median?

Thanks for your interest.

I expect you've got a 79% genoa then as it's a newish boat. It'll still tack fine even with that amount of foot round which won't be of much use lying on the deck when close hauled but as you ease off onto a fetch it should still sweep the deck. You'll obviously need to experiment with tack height to get the right sheeting angle as you can't move the fairleads. A cheap and easy way to do that is to daisy-chain shackles together.

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Best wishes from deep in the woods

SB