Yankee Bag for CP 16

[carry-on]

I am considering a Yankee Bag for my CP 16. Anyone with experience? Would appreciate your thoughts.
While sailing, does the bag interfere with the tack/shape of the jib? When stowing in the bag, do you fold the jib in some way or just stuff the sail in the bag? Are the jib sheets stowed in the bag or left on deck?
Thanks.

[capt_nemo]

carry-on,

I've had bags for my headsails on larger sailboats - for both Yankee Jib and Staysail. Don't quite understand exactly what you mean by a "Yankee Bag" especially with your question "While sailing does the bag interfere with the tack/shape of the jib?" My bags were secured down below along with the mainsail cover while sailing.

Please clarify for an appropriate response.

capt_nemo

[carry-on]

The Yankee bag would contain the head sail and protect it from sun rain etc. while in port. The sail remains hanked on to the stay and the halyard remains attached  to the sail. In my case, the jib downhaul would also remain attached. When preparing to sail, the bag would be opened. Once clear of the dock the head sail would be hoisted. My question is about the open bag which is attached to the tack and open on deck. Does the open bag interfere with the foot of the jib? There is not much room between the foot of the jib and the deck on a 16. If I need to go forward to put a bungee or something to keep the bag close to the deck, not so good.. I only go forward while sailing the 16 in a real emergency. Otherwise, I operate from the cockpit.
The other questions concern how the sail is stowed in the bag and weather the sheets stow in the bag or on deck. At present, I remove the jib after each sail, fold it and stow it in the sail bag. Does one just stuff the jib into the Yankee bag?

[JBC]

When I slipped my 16/I, I used the bag to store the jib on deck, with everything attached and with jib stuffed inside the bag along with sheets.  Before a sail, I removed the bag and stowed it below deck.  Wouldn't think lashing bag on deck while sailing is a good idea.
Jett

[Greene]

Here is a picture of the jib bag that Brenda sewed up for our O'Day 25.  You can see that she put a loop in the top to attach the jib halyard.  Once everything is in the bag, she attaches the halyard and tensions it enough to keep the bag above the deck.  This allows any water inside the bag to drain and keeps the bag from sitting on the deck getting moldy.




Brenda likes to store the sheets in the bag as well.

Mike

[Bob23]

Pardon the thread steal, but Capt Greene- could you tell me more about that great white cover over your cockpit? That is really cool and would work well in the sweltering August heat...that we didn't get this year.
Thanks,
Bob23
And now back to our regularly scheduled thread.

[Greene]

Nothing gets by Bob does it? That contraption came with the 25.  It has an aluminum tube on the fore and aft edges with a nice loop centered in the top surface to snap the main halyard on. We put it up right over the Bimini to get a really big shady area.  A line at each corner holds it in place.  It is not a homemade affair, but I'd have to go look at it to find out the manufacturer.  It worked well the few times we put it up this summer.  Wish there was some summer left to get it out again.

Mike (not the king of thread drift) Greene

[Bob23]

Actually, most things get by me. You've met me so you know that.
  The canopy is pretty cool, pun intended.  Does it stay in place in the wind?
While I'm stealing threads, I might as well go for grand theft: I really did like your Comday 25. I'd been inside one before and was impressed by all the room and especially the headroom. Too bad Compac didn't make their 25 as attractive. It is nice to stand up like a real 21st century homo sapien.
Btw...don't tie your boat off to the bowrail! See that cleat thingy? Try that. Always glad to help out.
Your friend,
Bob23

[relamb]

I have several of what I call jib bags or foresail bags for my CP27 and use them exactly as per the picture by Bob Greene.  With several foresails ( I think there are 4 that came with the boat), I store each in it's own jib bag with the sheets attached, and toss one up on deck through the forward hatch depending on which foresail I wish to use.  Each bag has a length of line inside, with the sail hanked onto it as if it were to the forestay.  I unzip the front of the bag, zip the bottom around the bare forestay, and then transfer the sail hanks in bottom to top order from the short line to the forestay, then hook up the halyard/downhaul .  This is usually done at the dock.   But because the sail is contained in the bag and the hanks are all in order, it can be done at sea, while lying on your stomach on the deck if need be.   When I'm ready to sail, I just hoist the jib up out of the bag.   The bag  and short line stays zipped around the forestay while I sail.
Downside is that the bag usually flops over the side while I'm sailing, but it's not in the way.  Likewise, when I haul down the jib from the cockpit, the sail wants to slide off the foredeck.
This season, the bow gets netting between the stanchions to prevent that, and I may add a loop to tie a line to the rear of the bag to keep it from sliding over the side.
Once the sail is pulled down by the downhaul, I go forward and stuff it in the bag.   Currently I have to do this sooner rather than later, head to the wind because I have no netting.  But it's quick to stuff it in the bag and leave it hanked on.   Done it in some nasty weather - stuff it in, zip it up.   I leave the sheets coming out of the top tail of the bag (where the jib halyard is, in Green's photo) rigged and ready to go.   The bag and sail stay on deck most of the season.
When I want to change sails, I open the front zipper, transfer the hanks off the forestay onto the short line, stuff the sheets into the bag, and swap it for another bag and sail.  Quick release sheets to the sail would let me keep those rigged, but for now the sails came with sheets attached to every sail.  I might try Capt Nemo's idea for the sheets, see the thread "Solent stay on CP27" for pics.
So far it hasn't seemed to hurt my sails being loosely stuffed in the bags, I make sure they're clean and dry when stored and only fold if I'm not going to use them for a long time.
Works well enough I've decided not to get a furler for the boat.  Should work  much better when I get the netting on the foredeck lifelines.
I bought one of these bags new at over $100, but found two more in the sale bin at a boat show booth for $25, and I've seen them on ebay as well.  I should have several for sale in a couple of months, when I get the $$ to change them all out to one color that matches the other boat canvas.

[relamb]

maybe it's not clear from the picture, but my bags have two zippers.  One runs up the front, I only open it to hank the sail on/off the forestay, then its zipped shut and the bag says around the stay.   The second zipper runs fore/aft along the top, that's what gets opened when I want to hoist the sail or closed to store it.

[capt_nemo]

carry-on,

Most of what I would have said has already been said by others, especially relamb.

I have just a few comments.

1. Remove the quick-release sheets before stuffing the sail loosely into the bag. It is much easier and quicker to stuff the sail into the bag with sheets NOT attached. Then, attach the loop in the quick release sheets to the halyard shackle attached to the loop in the top end of the bag. Raise the bag up off the deck with the halyard and the attached sheets go with it keeping them high and dry and readily available. When ready to sail, pull off the bag, attach halyard and quick attach sheets, and you're ready to go.

2. Do not recommend leaving the bag attached to the stemhead/forestay. Subjects the bag to unnecessary wear, stress, and potential fouling or loss.

3. Ditto on what relamb said about hanking onto a short line or wire in the proper order before stowing the bagged sail below. Makes it SOOO MUCH EASIER to hank on again topside for sailing or port storage.

Enjoy your jib bag, it is a very useful tool for protecting and organizing a headsail.

capt_nemo

[carry-on]

Thanks to all for comments. I will go ahead with a jib bag.