Sewing ‘Sandpiper’s’ Jib

Tack cringle

Yesterday I tried ‘Sandpiper’s’ furling jib, and it worked a treat – no snagging of the line, and the action was very smooth. One of the advantages of a furling foresail is that it does not need a lot of tension on the halyard because the luff of the sail is kept straight by virtue of being snug within the groove. In fact, ‘Sandpiper’s’ jib set perfectly, without the tack being under any tension whatsoever, because the tack cringle had not yet been fitted. I was able to ascertain the exact position for a cringle, and today I set it in place. The only improvement I could make to the sail would be to strengthen the leech to ensure it will withstand a strong blow and to give the sail longevity.


The forestay around which the furling rod rotates must be taught to prevent the furling rod from bowing. A taught forestay also facilitates the furling action. The required tension is achieved by adjusting the shrouds, rather than the forestay which does not have a bottle screw. ‘Sandpiper’ does not have a backstay, nor does she need one, and at the moment, she does not have a topping lift. I shall most likely add a topping lift, because it will help when it comes to reefing the mainsail. The weight of the sail and boom is primarily taken by the topping lift while the sail is rolled around the boom.


If I can find time tomorrow I’ll do some maintenance on the mainsail which I’ll be able to do indoors. This typical showery April weather is hindering out-of-door boat maintenance, but the rain is most welcome, on account to the drought.