[Public-list] mainsheet questions

[J Bergquist]

Folks,

I don't like the way my mainsheet cleat works. I think it's backwards
having to pull down to uncleat the main. I much prefer pulling up to
uncleat and pulling down to cleat it. This makes it easier to ease the
main in a puff and is the way every dinghy I ever sailed is rigged
(although many dinghies actually have no cleat at all...). My boat has
a cleat that is mounted on a fiddle block and the cleat faces down. So
when you pull up, the sheet cleats. This seems to be a pretty standard
setup for keelboats, at least, for traditional ones.

I would like to reverse this. I have considered 2 options. The ideal
situation would be to use my existing blocks with a harken 402 swivel
pedestal cleat base, like:

http://www.harkenstore.com/uniface.urd/sccyspw1.eShowPage?409Z56LC7FV66&409Z56LC5IU7U

The only problem is that I am not sure anybody makes a traveler car
which would accept a base like this. I am looking for one. If anybody
knows of a traveler car that would work with a swivel pedestal base, I
am all ears.

The secondary option, less ideal, but still superior to the existing
solution would be to unscrew the existing cam cleat and turn it upside
down, using some kind of spacer between the plate and the cleat to
allow clearance for uncleating the sheet. I have seen cleats where
people have done this with plastic or delrin balls. The problem with
this is that there is a lot of bending load on the fasteners because
the load is transferred through them all the way up to the top-mounted
base. You really have to have big ones and have them screwed down
tight or you'll bend them.

I was just wondering if anybody on the list has pursued either of
these options? Alternately, is there some reason that I am missing why
it is better to have your mainsheet auto-cleat when you pull up on it?

Also, I have 5:1 on the mainsheet with no ratchet block. Is there
anybody out there who is using a ratchet with less purchase (say 3:1)?
Less purchase would allow you to use a much shorter mainsheet.
Alternately, is there anybody with a gross/fine trim system?

Thanks as always for your thoughts and input.

J Bergquist

 1178029400.0