weekender jibs

[shellback]

Could somebody help with the following?

I read the posts regularly but become confused at times.

1. If it is not a good idea to cleat sheets then how do I handle the main,
jib and tiller at once? - together with any other duties assigned by the mate.

2. I have gathered from the W.E. plans what a "clubfoot" is - but what is its
purpose ? some people seem to get on better without it ??

my thanks
Bill

[Dave R1]

You are correct, one should not cleat the mainsheet. Cleating the jib sheet(s) is alright, though if you are singlehanding.

The clubfoot allows the jib to be control with a single sheet as opposed to the convetional two. It acts something like the boom on the main. Assuming your tacks have the same angle to the wind, a single seting of the jib sheet would work. In reality it isn't the most efficient but then a single position of the jib isn't either since the wind is rarely absolutely steady.

Still, the clubfoot does reduce the work load which can make your sailing more relaxing. I opted for port and starboard jib sheets instead but that's because I'm used to them and if I make a Genoa or a lapper, I can use the same lines and blocks.

[T. Nelson Surbrook]

Ray you probably already know this but for the sake of those who may not, the weight of the tongue should be not less than 5% of the total trailer(loaded).  If you have less than 5% it can cause the trailer to fishtail.  We recommend balancing the tongue out to between 5-7%.  Some say 10% is ok but for me it's a little heavy to lift.

[Barry Pyeatt]

Bill,
It allows your Jib to have a nice shape that works for most conditions without you needing to tend to it.
As you get more experience, you may decide you want to eliminate the clubfoot and put in two seperate sheets for more activity and to allow you to shape the sail more efficiently under some conditions.  
You can place the single sheet with a cam loc close to you when at the helm so you can adjust it when you need to.  But until you are quite experienced under a lot of varying conditions, you may well want to just leave the clubfoot there.  
Incidentally, it doesn't denote a novice sailer.  Lots of boats use clubfooted jibs.