The Offshore Voyaging Reference Site

Downwind Sailing—Poling Out The Jib

Having looked at ways to improve boat speed, comfort and safety when reaching in the last chapter of this online book, it’s time to look at what can be done once the wind comes right aft—beyond 150° apparent wind angle (measured from the bow).

If we do nothing, the headsail gets blanketed by the main and starts collapsing and filling with a bang every ten or twenty seconds, which is not only hard to live with, but will do the sail no good at all in the long run. Also, boat speed will drop drastically and the boat will start to wallow uncomfortably into the bargain.

As these are the sort of conditions that you can expect on a downwind trade winds passage, it’s time to do something!

I’d argue that, if you work on your skills for poling the headsail out, that it’s the best way to go (particularly when the wind is up).

The method that we use is slightly more complicated than some others in that we use an additional sheet, but it has real benefits over more basic methods and has worked perfectly for us over many thousands of miles.


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More Articles From Online Book: Sail Handling and Rigging Made Easy:

  1. Six Reasons To Leave The Cockpit Often
  2. Don’t Forget About The Sails
  3. Your Mainsail Is Your Friend
  4. Hoisting the Mainsail Made Easy—Simplicity in Action
  5. Reefs: How Many and How Deep
  6. Reefing Made Easy
  7. Reefing From The Cockpit 2.0—Thinking Things Through
  8. Reefing Questions and Answers
  9. A Dangerous Myth about Reefing
  10. In-Mast, In-Boom, or Slab Reefing—Convenience and Reliability
  11. In-Mast, In-Boom, or Slab Reefing —Performance, Cost and Safety
  12. Mainsail Handling Made Easy with Lazyjacks
  13. Safe and Easy Offshore Sailing—When to Reef, Part 1
  14. Safe and Easy Offshore Sailing—When to Reef, Part 2
  15. Topping Lift Tips and a Hack
  16. 12 Reasons The Cutter Is A Great Offshore Voyaging Rig
  17. Cutter Rig—Should You Buy or Convert?
  18. Cutter Rig—Optimizing and/or Converting
  19. Cruising Rigs—Sloop, Cutter, or Solent?
  20. Sailboat Deck Layouts
  21. The Case For Roller-Furling Headsails
  22. The Case For Hank On Headsails
  23. UV Protection For Roller Furling Sails
  24. Making Life Easier—Roller Reefing/Furling
  25. Making Life Easier—Storm Jib
  26. Swept-Back Spreaders—We Just Don’t Get It!
  27. Q&A: Staysail Stay: Roller Furling And Fixed Vs Hanks And Removable
  28. Rigid Vangs
  29. Building A Safer Boom Preventer, Part 1—Forces and Angles
  30. Building A Safer Boom Preventer, Part 2—Line and Gear Strength Calculator
  31. Building A Safer Boom Preventer, Part 3—The Details
  32. Why We Don’t Recommend Boom Brakes
  33. Downwind Sailing, Tips and Tricks
  34. Downwind Sailing—Poling Out The Jib
  35. Setting and Striking a Spinnaker Made Easy and Safe
  36. Ten Tips To Fix Weather Helm
  37. Running Rigging Recommendations—Part 1
  38. Running Rigging Recommendations—Part 2
  39. Two Dangerous Rigging Mistakes
  40. Rig Tuning, Part 1—Preparation
  41. Rig Tuning, Part 2—Understanding Rake and Bend
  42. Rig Tuning, Part 3—6 Steps to a Great Tune
  43. Rig Tuning, Part 4—Mast Blocking, Stay Tension, and Spreaders
  44. Rig Tuning, Part 5—Sailing Tune
  45. Cruising Sailboat Spar Inspection
  46. Cruising Sailboat Standing Rigging Inspection
  47. Cruising Sailboat Running Rigging Inspection
  48. Cruising Sailboat Rig Wiring and Lighting Inspection
  49. Cruising Sailboat Roller Furler and Track Inspection
  50. Download Cruising Sailboat Rig Checklist
  51. 9 Tips To Make Unstepping a Sailboat Mast Easier
  52. Rigging Tips Part 1
  53. Rigging Tips Part 2