Irrational 14
Super Anarchist
I'm thinking the J9 w/no traveler is going to be quite a workout in the SF Bay Summer. Might as well not have a mainsheet cleat.
The Merits of a J9
- Thread starter Black Jack
- Start date
With vang on hard, and an adjustable backstay, and a cunningham and outhaul to board out the main and what looks like a 5:1 mainsheet system, it doesn't look like too much of a workout to me? Would I prefer a traveller? Sure, but adjusting the trav can be as much work as adjusting mainsheet. Especially if its a cabintop (mid boom) trav.
Monster Mash
New member
dolphinmaster
Super Anarchist
Monster Mash
New member
Did they drive it over to Bay Ship, crane it aboard a barge and tow it to Richmond?
If you order a new one, it gets delivered in pieces on a serious of flatbed trucks and assembled on site. So I'd assume the just disassembled it, trucked it around and reassembled?
MiddleAgedGuy
New member
Some more pics of praxis. Had a brief motor and sail to check out systems and so far so good. Pleasantly surprised by how well the simrad autotiller steers (to compass or wind) and talks with the B&G instruments on the boat.
@last
Anarchist
- 941
- 71
SF Dede
New member
Thank you for sharing about Praxis. How has she been to sail? Have you single handed her? Anything you’d change?
barefoot children
Anarchist
June 2022 has J9 on he cover & test sail with Al Johnstone aboard.
That boat was quoted at $160,000 "as equipped" It had the electric IB but no sprit for assy. Kinda pricey !
MiddleAgedGuy
New member
Posted a video - sailing praxis on the bay with my teenaged crew (er... sons) last week. Only their second time on a keelboat but their dinghy sailing skills transferred pretty easily to sailing a J/9. Overall quite happy with the boat and its performance.
Marty Gingras
Mid-range Anarchist
Looks like it moves well.
Kids chilling w/o iPhones. Nice.
Kids chilling w/o iPhones. Nice.
Black Jack
Super Anarchist
- Thread starter
- #213
Think you will come out for any of the second half of OYC Sweet 16? Would be nice to see her.
MiddleAgedGuy
New member
Yes, hope to join a couple races this year, more next year. Waiting on PHRF and getting to know the estuary.
SF Dede
New member
Thank you for sharing the video. Looks like you’re having fun! Have you tried single handing her yet?
MiddleAgedGuy
New member
Happy to give some impressions after a few months of sailing praxis.
On the two-winch (only) design decision - as I read somewhere (I think from J boats), the preferred sheeting angle of the jib is best accommodated by cabin top winches, and this certainly seems to be the case from my experience with the boat. I don't think the jib would be happy sheeted to cockpit winches, at least not while sailing upwind. With the cabin top winches and a very long cockpit however, single handing with a non-self tacking jib is not so feasible. You need a tiller pilot to tack with the jib out (at least I do). Some more experienced single handers might be able to manage the jib sheets while tacking with the tiller extension all the way out but it would be a challenge. Fortunately the boat sails very well with main alone, so if I am quick tacking up the shipping channel single handed I don't bother with the jib. Also, the simrad tiller pilot connects to my B&G instruments and thus can sail very precisely to a wind angle on either side of the tack. It does tack too slowly however so I need to figure out if there is an 'agressiveness' setting to fix that. But it does work. All that said, if you were going to mostly single hand this boat, you likely want the self tacking jib.
So far I've sailed in everything from 3-5 kts in the estuary to 17+ kts in the bay. The boat really likes to sail and powers up quickly. It is great in light winds and manageable in stronger stuff. Coming around treasure island one day when it was really blowing, things were getting a bit uncomfortable so we rolled up the jib and sailed on main alone. Completely depowered the boat and we were sailing comfortably again, with a balanced helm. With the jib out I will get weather helm in the puffs when it is blowing. Still figuring out how best to balance the helm in those situations but letting the main out seems to work well enough. There is no traveller so you can't twist the sail so easily.
A highlight: one afternoon I was lucky to sail in the estuary with a borrowed code zero and with a certified pro sailor on board. That was great fun and we were seeing 7-8 kts, even though winds were moderate that day. Glad I went with the bowsprit option as there is definitely a code zero in my future.
My boat has the electric inboard, which I really like. I can get ~5 knots at full power but much more battery life at 3-4 knots. Range is an issue to consider, as motoring all the way out of the estuary and into the bay will take about a third of the charge. So if you plan to spend long days motoring around the bay, get the diesel. But for the intended mission of this boat (daysailing) the electric inboard is a viable option. I also like knowing that I have instant power if I need it in an emergency as there is no start up procedure whatsoever, its always ready to go.
While I did not get a J/9 to race, I did have some fun in the two sweet 16 races I entered this summer, but a jib wrap on a downwind turn in the first race and a hilariously poor start in the second meant we did not place so well on corrected time, LOL! Remember these were my first two races ever (other than a one-day racing clinic) so don't judge the boat by my results! As a daysailer that can also race occasionally, I am pretty happy. And she is a looker; at least people on other boats seem to do a lot of looking at her! I should be getting my PHRF rating this Friday after racing with a provisional rating of 120 for the sweet 16 races. I'll let you all know what the final verdict is.
On the two-winch (only) design decision - as I read somewhere (I think from J boats), the preferred sheeting angle of the jib is best accommodated by cabin top winches, and this certainly seems to be the case from my experience with the boat. I don't think the jib would be happy sheeted to cockpit winches, at least not while sailing upwind. With the cabin top winches and a very long cockpit however, single handing with a non-self tacking jib is not so feasible. You need a tiller pilot to tack with the jib out (at least I do). Some more experienced single handers might be able to manage the jib sheets while tacking with the tiller extension all the way out but it would be a challenge. Fortunately the boat sails very well with main alone, so if I am quick tacking up the shipping channel single handed I don't bother with the jib. Also, the simrad tiller pilot connects to my B&G instruments and thus can sail very precisely to a wind angle on either side of the tack. It does tack too slowly however so I need to figure out if there is an 'agressiveness' setting to fix that. But it does work. All that said, if you were going to mostly single hand this boat, you likely want the self tacking jib.
So far I've sailed in everything from 3-5 kts in the estuary to 17+ kts in the bay. The boat really likes to sail and powers up quickly. It is great in light winds and manageable in stronger stuff. Coming around treasure island one day when it was really blowing, things were getting a bit uncomfortable so we rolled up the jib and sailed on main alone. Completely depowered the boat and we were sailing comfortably again, with a balanced helm. With the jib out I will get weather helm in the puffs when it is blowing. Still figuring out how best to balance the helm in those situations but letting the main out seems to work well enough. There is no traveller so you can't twist the sail so easily.
A highlight: one afternoon I was lucky to sail in the estuary with a borrowed code zero and with a certified pro sailor on board. That was great fun and we were seeing 7-8 kts, even though winds were moderate that day. Glad I went with the bowsprit option as there is definitely a code zero in my future.
My boat has the electric inboard, which I really like. I can get ~5 knots at full power but much more battery life at 3-4 knots. Range is an issue to consider, as motoring all the way out of the estuary and into the bay will take about a third of the charge. So if you plan to spend long days motoring around the bay, get the diesel. But for the intended mission of this boat (daysailing) the electric inboard is a viable option. I also like knowing that I have instant power if I need it in an emergency as there is no start up procedure whatsoever, its always ready to go.
While I did not get a J/9 to race, I did have some fun in the two sweet 16 races I entered this summer, but a jib wrap on a downwind turn in the first race and a hilariously poor start in the second meant we did not place so well on corrected time, LOL! Remember these were my first two races ever (other than a one-day racing clinic) so don't judge the boat by my results! As a daysailer that can also race occasionally, I am pretty happy. And she is a looker; at least people on other boats seem to do a lot of looking at her! I should be getting my PHRF rating this Friday after racing with a provisional rating of 120 for the sweet 16 races. I'll let you all know what the final verdict is.
SF Dede
New member
Thank you for your report. That is some very helpful insight!
Matagi
Super Antichrist
🤦oh J-boats...
Bull City
A fine fellow
@MiddleAgedGuy seems to confirm the problems with the placement of the jib sheet winches on the cabin top instead of within reach of the helm. Given J Boat's statement, "With the J/9 , we set out to reimagine how to make sailing easier, more relaxing and more inclusive,” you've got to wonder about their decision.
I have an electric pod drive on TONIC, which is comparable to the J9 as far as LOA goes, and my experience is very similar.
I have an electric pod drive on TONIC, which is comparable to the J9 as far as LOA goes, and my experience is very similar.
