Those of you who already have a jib clubboom installed on your Swallowboat will know the huge benefits: The jib is self-tacking, the sail profile is better (flatter), the sheeting forces are childs play, and no more need for an outboom on downwind courses.
The downsides are setting and furling the jib, the mechanics of the clubboom rig make that the clubboom sags to the deck once the jib is furled.

After some experimenting with \\\'Craic\\\' we found solutions. First of all, \\\'Craic\\\' now has a much longer clubboom than the one shown on the photos on this website. The new clubboom protrudes almost 30\\\". This also means that all rig lever forces were magnified.

Formerly, to set the jib to the boom, you had to pull -hard- to hitch the clew rope loop over the end of the boom. Today, we have a clamcleat at the end of the boom and that makes setting the sail to the boom and adjusting the foot tesion very easy.
For roll-furling, you just release from the cleat and pay out with one hand while you pull the furling line with the other.

To prevent the clubboom from falling onto the foredeck when the jib is furled, we have introduced a short rope waterstay between the bow trailer winch eye and the tip of clubboom. Works beautifully, no more fuss.

All in all, with these small mods all the -little- former downsides of the clubboom system have vanished, and just the huge benefits remain.

I could post some photos here if I knew how to.

Claus

Claus,
I finally looked at your posting re the longer jib clubboom. In your pics posted it also looks like your moved the tack of the jib farther forward, compared to other pics of the Sea Raider on the site.  Did you change the sail at all or keep the same one?

Sorry I didn\\\'t get close to the Sea Raider at Morbihan. Only time I saw it was from ashore at Port Navalo and you were already heading out.

Regards,

Bill