storm jib bolt rope

[Killick69]

Hi Hatters,
I bought a second hand storm jib (hank on type) and have a question for all of you. Does the bolt rope (steel cable in this case) normally attach to the eyelets at the head and tack? The sail I have bought has a fair size cable running along the luff. It is encased in white material, probably PVC. At both the tack and head there are the standard stainless steel grommets, but in addition to these, the bolt rope (cable) that runs along the luff ends in an eye which projects beyond the standard stainless steel grommet. Cord has been used to bind the standard stainless steel eye and the eye on the end of the bolt rope together. The eyes on the end of the bolt rope have fabric sewn over the cable and base of the eye, so it looks like this was done after the initial build.

The cable at the head end has completely corroded away and broke off in my hands. So if I use the sail as it is, the bolt rope will give extra support where the piston hanks are attached, but any strain/pull (tension between head and tack) on the luff will have to be borne by the sail cloth.

If the bolt rope (cable) needs to be attached to the eye where the halyard is attached and to the eye where the bow roller attachment goes, I think it will be best to join a new piece of cable with eye onto the existing cable.

I expect the cable at the tack end will be good. I need to remove the fabric and can then assess it.

Regards, John

[bearmcnally]

Hi John

The wire you are talking about should run top to bottom and the hanks are only there to hold the sail on the forestay. The wire is wrapped in PVC tape to stop the resins in the cloth reacting with stainless wire and causing rust marks .
One of the problems with buying a second hand sail is most of them are crape ! and require some form of work and sometimes it works out cheaper in the long run to have a sail that is made for the yacht .



I'm not plugging Shilland Sails , but Brian is a mate of mine and has made our Family sails for more than 30 years, and knows Top Hat like the back of his hands so you need to have a yarn with him .

Regards Bear

[storm petrel]

I agree with Bear. A storm sail is not an expensive new sail (cheap as chips from Rolly Tasker or esails and probably not much more expensive from a local sailmaker) and one that you really need to work if you ever have to bend it on. That wire has to be put under high tension for the storm sail to work effectively.