Aussie jib halyard and the forestay

Reading the "how much rake is too much" thread and the topic of the aussie jib halyard came up. The reference that I noticed was that if the aussie slipped it would increase the rake.

Hmmmm....

I was under the assumption that the forestay was tensioned to keep the mast in place vertically and the jib halyard was just for hoisting the jib on the stay.... so I did some googling.

It would appear that the jib halyard can take the running load while the main is slack and this may be preferrable in order to have a nice tight jib. The next logical assumption is that the aussie jib setup can be used in place of the traditional forestay and could be used to complete the last of the mast raising...which could make solo masting easier by eliminating the need to connect the forestay up front... assuming the halyard cord is long enough. It could also be used to let the mast drop back enough to clear some obstacles (bridge perhaps) as well as dropping the mast that first bit when de-rigging.

Am I way off base here or is that about right?

Jeff.

In theory, yes, you could do without a forestay, but in reality, you cant and wouldnt want to. If you tried to raise the mast with the aussie jib setup, you'd probably shred several pair of gloves, rip your jib on whatever it could find and tear all the muscles in your shoulders! The forestay holds up the mast TIL your jib is set. Its just easier to separate the two systems than to have one that does both. Its like scratching your head and patting your belly, too much going on at once for your own good!

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Blair T

I love these calm moments before the storm, it reminds me of Beethoven...


'02 Hobie Tiger USA 1152

I agree about raising the mast being an issue, I was more thinking along the lines of walking it up to a point then using the aussie jib to haul it that last bit and cleat it off instead of having to go around and fasten the forestay to the bridle. That sounds like less hassle than having to have two to step the mast and saves having that cheater pole (whatever it is called) that let's you use the trailer winch for solo raising.

I'm just thinking out loud anyway...as outloud as you can be online.

Jeff.

You almost have it Jeff. I have added an Aussie halyard to my rig but I left the standard halyard in place. I always rig my boat solo and I use the standard halyard to hold the mast in place til I can get the bridle connected to the forestay. It would be too much trouble to attempt either halyard for support with a jib connected. I have an 8 ft piece of extension (removable) attached to the standard halyard so it will reach the bridle. Remember, the halyard is missing the length of the jib luff and that has to be compensated for.

Even with the additional halyard, note that there is no additional halyard traffic at the base of the mast when fully rigged.





Everything is still nice and neat and you wouldn't notice unless you were there to see me step the mast.

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Happy Sailing,

David

If you can get the mast up manually the first 50% of the way, the rest is easy and doesn't requrire any mechanical assistance.

Use the main halyard, not the jib halyard. After you pin the mast in the mast step and before you raise it, connect the main halyard to your bridle wires (You can also connect to the forward mast support on the trailer. You may also need an extension line.), then raise the mast, pull the slack out of the halyard and tie or cleat off at the base of the mast, then jump down and connect your forestay. That's all there is to it.

sm

Hey David,

What's the thought on the shock cord through your Jib clew?

I realize that is just for on the beach, but I've always just disconnected the jib and let it weather vane. Does that save wear?

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1997 Hobie 16 - 102338

Yeah, Mike. If the wind is blowing a little hard it beats up the jib. The shock cord prevents it from blowing free but if I get a wind shift, it allows the jib to give into the angle of the wind a little. The parking lot is a nice little distance from the beach and I'd hate to come back to the boat with it flipped over. Winds out here in the late afternoon are 15 -30mph, shifting from S to W by NW at any time.

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Happy Sailing,

David

Why does the aussie kit come with 70ft of rope? I replaced mine with a 70 section and I have an extra 30 ft or so. What is the extra length for?

The aussie is 3:1 between sail head and halyard block plus the line back down the mast.

As a check... the old lower forestay (hoist distance) is 17.5 feet x 3 = 52.5 feet... then down the mast + another 17.5 feet = 70 feet.

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Matt Miller
Former - Director of Parts and Accessory Sales
Warranty and Technical Support
Hobie Cat USA
(Retired 11/7/2022)

I solo raise my mast even if I have crew along. I attach the jib to my Aussie halyard, manually lift the mast, then take up the jib halyard and cleat off to hold up the mast while I go forward and attach the forestay. That way I do not need the extension or disconnecting anything. It is all in place as it should be. I can even connect the top jib hank and it stays in place just fine.

I would think that technique could get a little hairy if the wind is strong and/or shifty.

You could achieve the same thing by just attaching the jib halyard block to the bridle adjuster and using the same process. Advantage would be that you wouldn't have to pull in as much halyard or deal with a potentially flogging jib while simultaneously trying to hold the mast up.

sm

All true Srm, but then I would have to disconnect the halyard, rig the jib and raise it anyway and it would still flog. Just maybe not as long. The flogging jib or having trouble raising it has never been an issue yet. I can take about 5 minutes off my time to rig with this method. I know it is a zen thing and you do the process to get the end result and it is all one whole, but I love the efficiency and duelness (if that is a word). What I mean is using the jib and halyard for 2 purposes.
Another reason I use the jib instead of an extension line is that I used a line one time and it twisted around itself and the aussie halyard and I could not get the mast down or up or anything. I almost was to the point of cutting the lines when I got the idea to use the main halyard and pull it down by main force. I thought that I was going to break something, but I got it down to a point where I could reach the jib halyard and un-twist it. So I got the idea to use the jib to avoid the twisting and wrapping and I have used it ever since. Works for me.

Gentlemen,

Ever since I discovered that all my friends were cowards (after I bought my boat), I made up in my mind that I was going to sail, come hell or high water. Having to sail (and rig) solo, I had to come up with a way to rig my boat by myself.

To step the mast, I added a 8 foot piece of line (with clips on both ends for quick connections) to the jib forestay, looped it around the bridle and then to a cleat I added to the mast. After hand raising the mast, I tensioned and cleated that line til the mast was stable. I like a tight forestay so I use a "furniture clamp" to tighten the forestay all the way, then pin it to the bridle. I use a Aussie halyard so bear in mind the jib hasn't even been raised yet. This is all done in the parking lot, so I still have to tow the boat to the beach (sand).

I then connect my jib to the Aussie halyard, adding the required tension. By the time the jib is raised, there's not much slop in the forestay. It tool me awhile to figure all this out but like mgdann said, even with a crew, I always solo raise my mast and it's so much easier and quicker. No need for instructions to an inexperienced crew. If you make sure that any wind is coming directly from the stern, there will be no problem. As a matter of fact, the wind can help a little. Not once have I had a problem stepping my mast solo !!!

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Happy Sailing,

David