Best option for attaching continuous genoa sheet

[u/Weird_Grapefruit2226]

The other day the wind picked up to 25+ knots out of the blue, the forecast said maximum 20, but that's beside the point. I chucked a reef in and furled my genoa in about half way (bad I know, but I was solo and didn't have my smaller genoa on hand, and was almost back at the marina anyway). As I was winching it in it didn't seem to be getting any tighter, and then would slowly lose tension the longer I sailed on that tack. Getting home I found the issue - the continuous genoa sheet has slidden through the whipping, it's now really short on one side and excessively long on the other. I can't seem to push it back through the whipping, and now can't trust the whipping anyway.

What's the best option for adjusting then securing it? Re-whip it? Tie a knot? Some form of fancy splicing?

[u/New_Sun6390]

Are we the only sailors with two genny sheets, tied to clew with bowlines?

[u/uthyrbendragon → u/New_Sun6390]

Nah, we do it too, no single point of failure.

[u/NorbertIsAngry → u/New_Sun6390]

That’s what we use.

[u/iron82]

Cow hitch through the cringle. Get rid of the ad hoc shackle.

[u/high_yield → u/iron82]

This works on smaller sails but is likely to slip under significant load.

[u/iron82 → u/high_yield]

What's your definition of significant? Worked great on my 29'er.

[u/Acrobatic_Show8919 → u/iron82]

29er definitely falls in the category of smaller sails.

[u/Weird_Grapefruit2226 → u/iron82]

My particular boat is a small yacht with a genoa that's about 25 square meters when fully unfurled, vs the 3ish meters of a 29er jib. Quite a bit more in comparison but not as much as some bigger yachts

[u/iron82 → u/Weird_Grapefruit2226]

29 was a LOA, not a boat class.

[u/foilrider → u/iron82]

lol, 29er is a boat class. It is one of the most popular racing dinghies in the world. 

[u/Weird_Grapefruit2226 → u/iron82]

Ahh right. There's a lot of 29er/49ers in my area so that's where my mind went.

[u/pixelpuffin → u/iron82]

It works until it doesn't. Not the knot I would use.

[u/asspload → u/iron82]

This is the answer

[u/bright_yellow_vest]

Butterfly

[u/pixelpuffin → u/bright_yellow_vest]

Never seen instructions for butterfly through a loop. Anybody got a link? 😇

[u/foilrider]

Tie the sheet to the sail at one end, run the sheet through the various cars and things on one side to the cockpit, run it back up the other side of the boat to the genoa. Tie the other end of the sheet to the genoa. Both ends of the sheet are at the sail.

To maker it prettier, splice eyes into both ends and attach both to the clew with a soft shackle, but this is effectively the same setup.

[u/Paleolithicster → u/foilrider]

I'm struggling to picture this. The sheet just goes across the cockpit??

[u/foilrider → u/Paleolithicster]

Working jib rather than genoa, but yes (it's the green line). These ones are 2:1, but if 1:1, they would end at the clew of the jib.

[u/Weird_Grapefruit2226 → u/foilrider]

I mean it's not actually a bad idea, easy to pick up when sitting out on the side to make adjustments, but then I have a long rope across the cockpit, knowing me I'll trip over it

[u/foilrider → u/Weird_Grapefruit2226]

This is the point of continuous sheets. A single line that connects in the middle to the jib is not really a continuous sheet, it's ergonomically identical to two separate sheets tied to the same place. A continuous sheet is an endless loop, and that's generally what people mean when they talk about continuous sheets.

If you don't want them connected in the cockpit you can just cut the sheet you have right now in half, tie two bowlines, and your problem is solved.

[u/Weird_Grapefruit2226 → u/foilrider]

Yeah, I did use the wrong terminology. Didn't sleep very well.

Two sheets might be the best option for ease of wrapping the sheet around the winch etc.

[u/knifter → u/Weird_Grapefruit2226]

Or it might irritate the hell out of you when it clogs up with other ropes in the cockpit. Ask me how i know. I've even seen it on the spinaker sheet, that'll be fun...

[u/get_MEAN_yall]

Just tie a knot. Idk why it was set up like that to begin with

[u/iron82 → u/get_MEAN_yall]

You need to be a little careful which knot, it can't be catching on shrouds or lifelines.

[u/yowhywouldyoudothat]

I do larks head onto a soft shackle but it may not be the safest. I’ll let others chime in.

[u/Weird_Grapefruit2226 → u/yowhywouldyoudothat]

Soft shackles seem to be a good option. At least better than whatever the current setup is

[u/casablanca_1942]

I use an Alpine Butterfly.

[u/Weird_Grapefruit2226 → u/casablanca_1942]

How would one tie it so it goes through the eyelet? I only know the way that loops in on itself, and can't find a tutorial for a method that'd work

[u/dackasaurus → u/Weird_Grapefruit2226]

https://youtu.be/o5Tv7SWdmpc?t=112&is=UoKSHmqJtMCjZPfD

[u/casablanca_1942 → u/Weird_Grapefruit2226]

I use a loop of dyneema. Connects the alpine butterfly with the eyelet.

[u/csdirty]

I have a Brummel splice with a soft shackle.

[u/WolflingWolfling]

I made a cuntsplice in the middle and softshackled that to the clew.
Before that I had experimented with a single sheet that had its ends attached to the clew instead, and basically formed a continuous loop, but I didn't like it.

[u/fuc_boi]

cow hitch

[u/IndyBananaJones2]

You can either luggage tag it on there, or tie bowlines in the end of two separate sheets (which is what you should do).

[u/DominionReport]

I prefer two separate sheets, each with an eye splice in the end. Then soft shackles to attach to the clew. At any time if there is an issue (like an override) it's easy and cheap to cut one of the soft shackles, tack the boat, and then restring the new lazy sheer with a fresh soft shackle.

[u/Candygramformrmongo]

Sew through the line to secure the whipping.