Doug, Good answer! 1 point to you!

This actually happened to me yesterday. After tacking the
jib sheet was snagged. I was at the helm and one crew started
to go forward and I stopped him. Instead I bore away and
headed nearly directly down wind while warning the others to
watch the possible gybe while focusing most of my attention on
the main.

I was told the jib sheet had cleared on the first attempt so I
headed up. Focusing my attention back on the snag, I saw it
wasn't clear so I repeated the operation. The second time
was the charm, and it came clear with the force of the jib
pulling the sheet forward.

Careful attention to the jib sheets will usually prevent this
sort of a snag. However, I've seen it happen several times
in the last year on these boats often enough. I've practiced
using the wind to clear the snag in warm weather, so I knew
it would work.

Sailing downwind leveled the boat out and made it a much
more stable platform, such that if someone had to go forward,
and only with a lifejacket, it would have been safer.

The bottom line is, why go forward? I was worried we might have
to add another tack to clear the island, but decided I'd rather do
that than take foolish chances. It turned out we easily cleared the
island despite heading down wind twice and reached down the
channel nicely. It was a great sail, and we had fun navigating
through the islands using both our depth finder and chart reading
skills.

Everyone had fun, without the risk of someone falling in. Even a
slight risk can have tragic consequences.

Long Island Sound temperatures peaked at 40 degrees yesterday.
It might have been even colder, as the low in Norwalk harbor was
about 36 degrees. We all know cold temperatures raise blood
pressure which increase the risk of heart attack. 40 degrees is
cold enough to induce a heart attack from the shock of hitting the
water. Cold water also speeds heat loss due to conduction by a
factor of 25 compared with heat loss through the air. So 30 minutes
immersion is about the maximum a healthy person could handle, and
just a few minutes is enough to inhibit muscle function cause a
fatality.

Going forward would not have been wise, and in any case, I would
not have allowed it without a lifejacket. With a lifejacket a person
overboard, could try to retain heat, without one, in such conditions,
a person could die in minutes, even if recovered.

"DSK" wrote
Bart Senior wrote:
You are sailing in gusty winter conditions, in an
area with only one other boat in the area. None
of your crew is wearing lifejackets. The boat is
heeling and waves are regularly breaking over
the bow.

After tacking you see the leeward jibsheet fouled
on the cleat located in a centeral position on the
foredeck.

What is the best way to clear it?

I guess what you're trying to say is that none of the crew should go
forward. If only one sheet is fouled, you can go back on the other tack...
some boats will not tack with a fouled sheet, so you'd have to gybe....
except that the sheet might free itself if you aim the boat down wind, so
be watching for that as you bear away.

Fresh Breezes- Doug King