The Merits of a J9

[Crash]

Never saw anywhere where J Boats was trying to make the J9 a singlehanded? But if you want to single hand it, why not sail main only? Problem solved. Bull, I absolutely love Tonic, but I’d guess a J9 main only would easily sail away from Tonic….

There are some folks who seemed determined to point out shortfalls in JBoat products…whether real or imagined…

Never could figure out why. One of the few American designers making boats for folks that actually want to SAIL their boats…

Just my humble opinion 😎

 

[slap]

Why reduce your pool of potential owners by making the boat poorly set up for singlehanding? Sure, you could just use the main but at that point I'd buy something else - it's a lost sale.

And I see a fair number of boats out sailing who are being singlehanded - so it's not like singlehanding is rare. And even if you have passengers on board they might not be always able or care to help - like when our kids were little and my wife handled the kids and I handled the boat operations.

I've considered the J/9 to be sort of their answer to the Alerion Express 28, just done in a J boat way. But the Alerion is set up better for singlehanding and if I was in the market for that type of boat I'd probably get the Alerion instead. Actually I'd just buy a J/100.

Singlehanding is one of the best features of my J/32 - I can crank in the jib, haul in the main, adjust the traveler, use the hydraulic backstay all while I keep the other hand on the wheel.

 

[Crash]

Again, it is set up to single hand, you sail it main only. The J/9 rates about 120, and the Alerion about 174. So just don't use the jib. You still be sailing way faster than the Alerion or H boat (at 195). Sure it would be faster with a jib, but the rig is more than forward enough that you can sail it like a Laser.

Go the the J/9 page at J/Boats, and the boat sailing main only is the first pic you see...

J/9 - The Most Comfortable Cockpit Ever?

J/9 Offshore Daysailer sailboat- A next-generation 28-footer easily handled by a friends & family crew.

jboats.com

 

[BobJ]

I sail singlehanded a lot, both racing and cruising, and I'm not spending $165,000+ for a little sloop that has to be sailed with main only. It would be easy to fix - do a Hoyt boom or rework the sheeting - but not after paying that much for the boat.

(Price from the used J9 currently on Yachtworld.)

 

[slap]

Again, it is set up to single hand, you sail it main only. The J/9 rates about 120, and the Alerion about 174. So just don't use the jib. You still be sailing way faster than the Alerion or H boat (at 195). Sure it would be faster with a jib, but the rig is more than forward enough that you can sail it like a Laser.

View attachment 545099

Go the the J/9 page at J/Boats, and the boat sailing main only is the first pic you see...

J/9 - The Most Comfortable Cockpit Ever?

J/9 Offshore Daysailer sailboat- A next-generation 28-footer easily handled by a friends & family crew.

jboats.com

Or just buy a J/100 which rates in the low 90's.

 

[Crash]

Yep, or do that!

 

[ralopata]

Any updates from the new J/9 owners that they can share with those of us still on the waiting list? Any more insights into how the boat handles and performs? Any build quality issues? Anxious to hear how the boat is doing since everything seems to have gone silent.

Also wondering about new owners' thoughts, experiences, etc., AND any updates info from buyers on the waiting list like Suark and myself (hull #30...not yet molded but was supposed to be delivered last spring!).

 

[CRFowler]

Also wondering about new owners' thoughts, experiences, etc., AND any updates info from buyers on the waiting list like Suark and myself (hull #30...not yet molded but was supposed to be delivered last spring!).

We have hull #27, and are planning on picking her up in about 3 weeks. I did get to go to Bristol earlier this year and check out a few completed boats. I've owned several different J's over the last 30 years or so, and the fit and finish of the "9" seems somewhat better. Still a J-Boat interior however. Why did we go with the J9? I'm 65, retired as of this December, and the guys I sail and race with are older than me. We think this will be a good boat to race here at home on Wednesday nights, and maybe overnight on the weekends.

 

[Bull City]

Never saw anywhere where J Boats was trying to make the J9 a singlehanded? But if you want to single hand it, why not sail main only? Problem solved. Bull, I absolutely love Tonic, but I’d guess a J9 main only would easily sail away from Tonic….

There are some folks who seemed determined to point out shortfalls in JBoat products…whether real or imagined…

Never could figure out why. One of the few American designers making boats for folks that actually want to SAIL their boats…

Just my humble opinion 😎

Crash, I'm a little behind on this thread. I think you're right above.

If the J9 had come out before I got TONIC, I would have figured out a way to make it work - it checks all the boxes.

I have owned two J22's and I think very highly of J-Boats, but I still think the jib sheet winch situation on the J9 is a design flaw, especially since a boat that size should be easy to single hand.

 

[Crash]

Hey Bull, no worries.

But I must be missing the point. If I can sail the J9 singlehanded main only, which would make it very easy to sail single handed, and when sailing main only, still have a boat that sails well, and performs better than most 28 foot day sailors than why would have care about where the winches for the jib are?

I spent a good hour and a half at the boat show sitting on the J9 talking with Alan J, and am convinced it would tick the easily sail single handed box with no mods needed

 

[Bull City]

^^ @Crash The boat must sail better with main & jib. Sailing with main only on an 8 to 10 knot day is like kissing your sister. Yeah, maybe it's as fast or faster than a lot boats, but it's not up to the boat's potential. IMO, a 28 footer should be easily single handed under working sails.

The J22's had a similar set up, no winches along the cockpit coaming, only two on the cabin top for the jib sheets. Single handed tacking with the jib could be done, but it was an unnecessary exercise in scrambling about the cockpit. Ridiculous in a 22 footer. Winches on the coaming within reach of the helm would have been a dream.

The J9 set up looks very similar. Surely one of their clever designers could have led the sheets back to cockpit winches. The cabin top location looks like a lazy man's solution to me.

My wife says I am stubborn.

 

[slap]

Most of my sailing is singlehanded. The poor layout for singlehanding with the jib and spinnaker puts it on the list of boats I'd never care to own. Some people may be satisfied to sail around under main alone but that holds no interest for me.

I'd rather have a J/100.

 

[Bull City]

Most of my sailing is singlehanded. The poor layout for singlehanding with the jib and spinnaker puts it on the list of boats I'd never care to own. Some people may be satisfied to sail around under main alone but that holds no interest for me.

I'd rather have a J/100.

I don't know that I would go that far... then again, I'm not in the market for a boat.

Thank you, ladies and gentlemen.

 

[Crash]

^^ @Crash The boat must sail better with main & jib. Sailing with main only on an 8 to 10 knot day is like kissing your sister. Yeah, maybe it's as fast or faster than a lot boats, but it's not up to the boat's potential. IMO, a 28 footer should be easily single handed under working sails.

The J22's had a similar set up, no winches along the cockpit coaming, only two on the cabin top for the jib sheets. Single handed tacking with the jib could be done, but it was an unnecessary exercise in scrambling about the cockpit. Ridiculous in a 22 footer. Winches on the coaming within reach of the helm would have been a dream.

The J9 set up looks very similar. Surely one of their clever designers could have led the sheets back to cockpit winches. The cabin top location looks like a lazy man's solution to me.

My wife says I am stubborn.

I suspect we have many traits in common. I too like to sail a boat to its potential regardless of whether that’s 4 kts or 7kts. And I suspect I would be left somewhat unsatisfied sailing the J9 main only as well. My response was aimed more at those who were after “easy” singlehanding, or sailing with non sailing guests aboard. Main only might make for a nice wine and cheese evening cruise about the harbor.

Nothing wrong with stubborn…though I prefer to say I’m “persistent”

Crash

 

[captnjoe]

Most of my sailing is singlehanded. The poor layout for singlehanding with the jib and spinnaker puts it on the list of boats I'd never care to own. Some people may be satisfied to sail around under main alone but that holds no interest for me.

I'd rather have a J/100.

I single handed my J/100 75% of the time. Almost always main and jib and occasionally I fly the spinnaker. We have a 140 genoa which I only use for racing, and since COVID most of the time it was just my wife and I with the 140.

Short handed sailing is one of the big reasons I love my J/100.

Oh, and my wife and I are in our seventies.

 

[MiddleAgedGuy]

FWIW, yesterday I singlehanded praxis from the Oakland estuary to the SF waterfront and back, with main and jib in 6-12kts. I had the simrad tiller pilot engaged the entire trip and made course adjustments from the B&H display, sitting safely and comfortably near the companionway on what was a cool day. On the way back into the estuary with SE winds, the tillerpilot did the tacks while I worked the jib sheets. I understand that many will not want to rely on an AP, but then you always have the option to roll up the jib and sail on main if you lose the pilot, or if things get dicey weatherwise.

And I do also sail on main alone, like when I have a non-sailor friend and three young kids aboard. Great way to introduce sailing to non-sailors with a minimum of fuss going on in the cockpit. And the kids love to sit on the swim platform dragging their toes in the water (carefully supervised and holding onto transom lifeline!).

 

[CRFowler]

Update on our new J9. We've raced her three times so far in our frostbite series. Still learning the boat and especially the asym. spinnaker. The boat sails beautifully, nice helm and does well in the lighter winds we have here in TN. We have a provisional PHRF of 135 which is going to change soon, probably 126 or so. Love the boat, especially the electric inboard. Makes daysailing really easy. I've posted a video of the boat here on Youtube.

 

[Crash]

Looks great! What lake?

 

[221J]

Main only singlehanding is lame.

 

[Crash]

Geez, I never realized all those folks who race Lasers are lame