Stopping the jib sheets getting snagged on the shrouds

Foresail sheets snagging on the shrouds during a tack is a problem I have experienced on Little Grace and other boats. Although Little Grace never missed stays she sometimes lost some way.  As we have to short tack into the inevitable sea breeze between two islands for the first 3 NM when heading seaward from her home birth it can be frustrating.

Various ways of reducing the likelihood of sheets snagging are talked about on the web. All of them serviceable but some seem better suited to a more permanent roller furling setup than hanked on sails, which I prefer.

I hope this idea, using a medium sized soft shackle, will reduce the snag potential without having to do any whipping or splicing. It can be removed quickly for sail changes or it may be possible to keep it in place, time will tell.


Update: it worked! I can report an 80-90% improvement, based on tacking to windward, first without and then with the soft shackle, over 30 minute period.