Notice:
The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.
main sheet from PO seems to be excessively long - unnecessary line in the cockpit
wondering if there is any reason to have more line than the full downwind travel of the boom will require - boom travel seems to be limited by boom interacting with mast anyway (before it hits the stays) - assuming that both should be prevnted by a knot in the sheet, limiting boom travel just short of stays and mast
Add a foot or two of tail to the boom and attach the main sheet to that to save a few more coils. There is no value in having that 4-5 purchase between the boom and traveller when fully sheeted in. You must also allow for the extra length required if you use the mainsheet to raise the mast
Dave B. aboard Pearl 1982 TR/SK/Trad. #3399 Lake Erie/Florida Panhandle
When I had Passage (a SR), I thought about trying 3:1 purchase on the mainsheet. It seemed 4:1 resulted in an excessive amount of hauling, for example, to jibe the main, excessive rope in the cockpit, and "excessively low" effort to trim. I figured I'd try it, and if I liked it in stronger winds, I'd then cut down the length accordingly. But I "never got a round tuit." (I've also been thinking about attending a procrastinators' support group, but..... )
Dave Bristle Association "Port Captain" for Mystic/Stonington CT PO of 1985 C-25 SR/FK #5032 Passage, USCG "sixpack" (expired), Now on Eastern 27 $+!nkp*+ Sarge
Add a foot or two of tail to the boom and attach the main sheet to that to save a few more coils. There is no value in having that 4-5 purchase between the boom and traveller when fully sheeted in. You must also allow for the extra length required if you use the mainsheet to raise the mast
Dave, is there any advantage to using the mainsheet to raise the mast instead of the foresail halyard? If so, please elaborate. If so, what length of mainsheet is required?
What Dave5041 said above, I did that and liked it very much. Detach your block from the end of the boom and tie a 3 ft tail to the boom. Reattach the boom block to the tail. Adjust the length of the tail so that your boom block and the traveler block are almost touching when you sheet in all the way. For a 3:1 mainsheet ratio, that will eliminate almost 10 feet of line. Your actual mainsheet length will depend on whether you have a 3:1 or 4:1 purchase ratio. I believe that the 75 ft length is recommended for the 4:1 ratio.
DavidP 1975 C-22 SK #5459 "Shadowfax" Fleet 52 PO of 1984 C-25 SK/TR #4142 "Recess" Percy Priest Yacht Club, Hamilton Creek Marina, Nashville, TN
I wouldn't recommend as long of a pendant as dmpilc is recommending. When you are on a beam reach or deeper you are going to have a fairly heavy fiddle block at the right height to smack you hard in the head during a jybe.
Pendants are common on main sheets on racing boats to reduce weight and extra line, but they are typically less than a foot. My Express 37 has one that is about 8" long. It's a minor savings there, but not zero (especially since my mainsheet has 6 parts).
Depending on what line you use for your mainsheet you may require something stronger for the pendant since you have one part of it instead of three. It would be better to use a low stretch dyneema loop if possible.
Alex W Seattle, WA Express 37 "re-Quest" previously owned 1984 Catalina 25 "Lutra"
We also became weary of all the excess mainsheet in the cockpit and used the method Steve Milby describes above.
We later moved the traveler forward just in front of the companionway and simultaneously purchased a new mainsheet line and hardware.
We then used the old (shortened) mainsheet system to raise and lower the mast with a gin pole. The shortened sheet was still plenty long enough for mast raising.
We also became weary of all the excess mainsheet in the cockpit and used the method Steve Milby describes above.
We later moved the traveler forward just in front of the companionway and simultaneously purchased a new mainsheet line and hardware.
We then used the old (shortened) mainsheet system to raise and lower the mast with a gin pole. The shortened sheet was still plenty long enough for mast raising.
How do I raise the mast with the mainsheet instead of a halyard?
We also became weary of all the excess mainsheet in the cockpit and used the method Steve Milby describes above.
We later moved the traveler forward just in front of the companionway and simultaneously purchased a new mainsheet line and hardware.
We then used the old (shortened) mainsheet system to raise and lower the mast with a gin pole. The shortened sheet was still plenty long enough for mast raising.
How do I raise the mast with the mainsheet instead of a halyard?
Abbreviated explanation: Remove mainsheet system from boom, traveler. Cleat off one end of halyard, attach other halyard end to one end of mainsheet system, attach other end mainsheet system to foredeck.
Some people have even used the trailer winch strap.
We also became weary of all the excess mainsheet in the cockpit and used the method Steve Milby describes above.
We later moved the traveler forward just in front of the companionway and simultaneously purchased a new mainsheet line and hardware.
We then used the old (shortened) mainsheet system to raise and lower the mast with a gin pole. The shortened sheet was still plenty long enough for mast raising.
How do I raise the mast with the mainsheet instead of a halyard?
Abbreviated explanation: Remove mainsheet system from boom, traveler. Cleat off one end of halyard, attach other halyard end to one end of mainsheet system, attach other end mainsheet system to foredeck.
Some people have even used the trailer winch strap.
Or, use the boom as the gin pole laying the mast down forward. (I think I also used the boom vang in tandem with the main sheet to give me enough length to lower the mast). Chuck Shaw showed me this and it work pretty well. Was almost effortless raising the mast this way.
Or, use the boom as the gin pole laying the mast down forward. (I think I also used the boom vang in tandem with the main sheet to give me enough length to lower the mast). Chuck Shaw showed me this and it work pretty well. Was almost effortless raising the mast this way.
This is how i do it. boom is the gin pole. ot's braced to stay in the center. i use the mainsheet and even lead it to a winch for more power. the whole system is detailed in the tech tips under huntington rig. http://www.catalina-capri-25s.org/tech/tech25/nymastup.asp works great except you have to be careful when moving the mast forward to the step that you do not break off the steaming light on the bow pulpit. when i lower next time, I'll have to use a longer block and tackle as i have shortenend the mainsheet too far to use it for this purpose.
Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ. The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.