(N1EE)asked:
What are the advantages and disadvantages
of a self-tending jib?
What rig design makes these most effective?
Do you know of any production sloops
designed with a self tending jib?

Assuming we're talking about Hoyt-style self-tending and self-vanging
designs...

Advantage: Lower workload when single-handing or short-handing.

Disadvantage: Limited performance because they're limited in size to J
at most.

I'm a fan of Garry Hoyt's Cat-sloop Freedom rig. The big, large-roach
main helps offset the limitations of the limited-size jib.

Freedom, although it doesn't seem that they're really "in production"
anymore. Don't some Island Packets use a Hoyt self-tending,
self-vanging jib?

"Frank Maier" wrote in message
I'm a fan of Garry Hoyt's Cat-sloop Freedom rig. The big, large-roach
main helps offset the limitations of the limited-size jib.

Freedom, although it doesn't seem that they're really "in production"
anymore. Don't some Island Packets use a Hoyt self-tending,
self-vanging jib?

They're certainly still in business, but all of their new designs are
powerboats. This seems to be the current trend.
http://www.freedomyachts.com/freedom1.htm

"Jeff Morris" wrote:
"Frank Maier" wrote:
I'm a fan of Garry Hoyt's Cat-sloop Freedom rig. The big, large-roach
main helps offset the limitations of the limited-size jib.

Freedom, although it doesn't seem that they're really "in production"
anymore. Don't some Island Packets use a Hoyt self-tending,
self-vanging jib?

They're certainly still in business, but all of their new designs are
powerboats. This seems to be the current trend.

Well, there's just so much more possibility for profit to be made from
powerboat sales. Plus, in the specific instance of Freedom, I'd hafta
guess that the concept just never caught on well enought to create a
solid market demand or niche. (I'm completely ignorant about business
and marketing; so forgive my naive conceptualizations.)

You can still order a boat from them. Their newest ("current")
designs, the Pedrick 35 and 40, are still nominally unstayed cat rigs;
but they're offered with running backs so you can skip the (small)
self-tending jib in favor of overlapping headsails. Harrumphf! Might
as well buy a Catalina.

Frank

You"ve sailed a self tender, how did you like it?

On your freedom, it worked very well. That particular day we were treated to
very constant strong breeze. I'd be interested to see how well it works in
other conditions...light stuff.


RB

"Frank Maier" wrote in message
om...
Plus, in the specific instance of Freedom, I'd hafta
guess that the concept just never caught on well enought to create a
solid market demand or niche. (I'm completely ignorant about business
and marketing; so forgive my naive conceptualizations.)

They've sold 1300 of them so far, that at least qualifies as a "niche." Nonsuch
is another builder that went the "easy tacking" route and sold 1000 high quality
boats. Toward the end the new management was trying to "upgrade" the boats by
putting in more modern, but cheaper liners; when I suggested that it seemed like
a rather arbitrary change, they told me that they had to do something to make
them look different because everyone that wanted one of the older designs
already had one. An interesting marketing point, but they only got the chance
to build a few before going under. The molds were saved and several are built
each year on a custom basis.

The builder of my boat (PDQ) has been making three power-cats for every sailboat
for the last year. They stopped building the smaller 32 unless they have orders
for 2 at a time because the profit margin is too low to do a quality job on a
one'sy. However, at Annapolis they took orders for 5 of the new 44 foot
sailboats - an awesome boat because its designed as a family cruiser, not a
charter condomaran.