INVESTIGATOR 563

Hi Guys
I want to be able to cleat off my jib sheets with a Cam Cleat. Any suggestions for positioning and type/make of cleat. I'm thinking angled to the left of the compass close to the hatch.

Also I have taken off the rusty locks on the pop top thinking that I will just have one lock centered on the hatch. Does the pop top need to be secured to the cabin top while sailing. if so how?

ok, obviously a silly question. so, do you guys cleat jib sheets, if so what works for you?

My jib sheets come off the sheet winches to a clam cleat on the top of the combing, works for me. I have another boat with the jib sheet cleats on the outside face of the combing, although it looks neat, it is uncomfortable to use, especially in strong wind and 20 deg of heel.

Look at your pic and you can see the shadow of where the cam cleat used to be on the back of the cabin. Looks like the sheet goes around the winch and down to the cam cleat. Yes, on an Investigator 563 you can cleat the sheet. This is a boat that looks after you, and you do not need to be on your nerves continually.

Pop top hold down- If it aint bust dont fix it- the pop top hasp and staple is still available, so why not just replace?

Thanks Steve and Ian
I have looked at all the pics of Investigators I could find and… they are mostly all different in how they handle sheets. As to what appears to be an old cam cleat position I don't think so as there is not one on the port side. The previous owner had an additional horn cleat (where the holes are near the hatch) but I understand that's not a great Idea.

The pic below shows a set-up that seems OK to me, unless somebody can convince me different. I'd rather not shift the winch.

As to the pop-top I found the hasps a pain to deal with so I'm going with a single lock over the hatch. My question there is, do you have to be able to secure the pop-top to the cabin while sailing? Perhaps internal straps of some kind?

My set up on pip is over the side and I don;t use winches at all but I can comment on the boat I race in which is set up with winches on the cabin top and 4 jammer cleats against the back of the saloon wall.

There are two either side of the companionway and one of these is angled downward and is only used in particular circumstances whilst the other works if you are sitting on the windward side of the boat. Even though we carry a big genoa I always try to tack the headsail so that no winching is required at all.

When winching the genoa sheets in heavier conditions I will take the sheet up to the windward side winch and winch it there. This is when the downward positioned jammer cleat comes into play.

I'll try and get a picture posted of that set up after this weekend. This picture shows Pip's earlier arrangement with a block attached to the clew (we are wing and wing) whereas now this is a singled up sheet running through barbar haulers.

Hi Neil:
I'm flattered you have used a pic of my boat to illustrate the jib cleat position.
Mine are in the original position, as far as I can tell.
I have also fitted additional cleats on the coamings on either side, which are easier to reach if I'm sailing single handed and there's a fair tension on the lines.
As for the pop top, I still use the original setup of four shock cord loops that hook around four plastic hooks in the cabin. I've replaced these loops with new cord, but the setup is original as far as I can tell. No metalwork.
I've had the boat over and there was no movement of the pop top, but I suspect if the boat went turtle then the cords would stretch. However, my risk management strategy is to never go turtle. So far, so good.

Cheers, Geoff

Hi Geoff

Are you happy with that position, would you alter anything? I'm also interested in Peters set-up with the jammer cleats.

As for the pop top I thought about shock cord but haven't quite figured out how to attach them, but plastic hooks sound good, are they glued on?

I prefer to sail with the pop top secured. Most boats had the screw lock down on the forward edge, and the hasp and staple at the aft ends. If you lock down to the washboards it is not suitable during sailing, plus you have to lock the washboards down as well.
The cam cleat position in your second pic is similar to the shadow on your first pic. Would be a good idea to check the rotation direction of the winches and do a trial before settling on the final spots.

Just to clarify - my Investigator 563 has no winches but uses a jib sheet that runs from the clew to a block on the gunwale and then to cam cleats on the side of the boat. The fairleads are used to control Barber Haulers. The boat I was describing was a Timpenny 770.

With respect to the poptop I have just recently installed six bolts to hold this down. Unlike others, Pip has been out in 'full-on' conditions and I don't trust the integrity of the hasp if we get inverted.