[Public-List] Main Sheet Setup

[John Riley]

crufone at comcast.net wrote:
> Hello Greg, 
>
> That is the original set-up which I have on #133, a 1966 boat.  It works fine for lazy daysailing. I see two drawbacks to this system. The non-tailing "cooling tower shape" winch requires the horn cleat to fix the mainsheet. This makes it difficult to quickly "blow the main" it you wanted to in a gust of wind.  I suppose one could install a tailing winch to eliminate the horn cleat.  The other issue is that it is impossible to trim the main boom to centerline with this arrangement. For lazy daysailing these are not really issues.........unless you get so lazy that you are not watching for gusts and puffs of wind. 
>
>
>
> Most owners have up-graded to the installation of a track traveler mounted on the aft deck just aft of the cockpit bulkhead. The traveler with it's attendant new main tackle, including either a cam or clutch cleat, nicely solves both of the drawbacks of the original system. 
>
>   
True, you could solve the first problem (I cannot imagine EVER sailing
with main sheet cleated off like that...wow) by installing a cam cleat
on one of the quarter blocks.

My small trailer boat is thus set-up.

As for the trim/twist issue, one could solve that with an off-center
boom vang.  Most folks use a vang from the boom to an attachment point
either at the base of the mast or on the cabin top.  There is another
way, and it allows the vang and the mainsheet to work together just as a
traveler works with the mainsheet.  That is to lead the boom vang to a
windward rail attachment point and adjust vang and main together to
achieve proper trim and twist.  That is, the vang pulls the boom over
where you want it (even to windward a bit in light air) and the
mainsheet controls twist.  Mostly...you do have to 'tweak' them a bit
more than with a traveler.

This is perhaps a bit more labor intensive (resetting the vang after
tacking, for example), but Richard Henderson, in his book "Understanding
Rigs and Rigging" spoke of winning races with such a set-up.  I've
always liked the simplicity of it, but the 'more work' is definitely a
trade-off.

Though I have come to believe that a traveler is the better long term
solution, I mention the vang solution as a means of getting better main
adjustment in the meantime, while sorting out (and possibly saving for)
a proper traveler installation.

-- 
John S. Riley
S/V Gaelic Sea
1972 Alberg 30 #521


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