[Public-List] configuring sailing controls

Fri Jul 4 06:52:25 PDT 2014

Hello Brent - 

Everyone finds their own set up that they're comfortable with.... Here's
what we did in SURPRISE.

We have a factory-installed wheel, and as with all Whitby-built boats it's
further forward that is ideal (I remember my uncle telling me they wanted to
put the helmsman in the same position as if he was at the end of the
tiller...)  

In order to ease traffic in the cockpit I've left my halyards and other sail
controls up at the mast.  That spreads crew out when racing, and keeps their
weight out of the cockpit.  For cruising, we like having the halyards up
there because ergonomically one can pull more efficiently standing than
sitting.   When I sail alone, our boat is well behaved enough that she'll
hold a course long enough for me to walk forward to the mast, do something
then come back.

I added a triangulated vang partly for performance and partly for safety.
Performance wise, once set, a triangulated vang doesn't have to be adjusted
every time the sheet is adjusted.  The safety angle works like this.... Have
a look at the last foot or so of any A30's boom and I'll bet a beer you'll
find scrape marks on it from the backstay.  Because our boats have long
booms, it only requires a few degrees of upward cock to have the end of the
boom catch the backstay.  That's a bad thing when gybing in heavy air.  I
was in a boat that gybed that way once in a blow and we found ourselves
pinned on our side with the boom locked amidships.  With a triangulated vang
the boom can't cock itself up during a gybe.

I altered the mainsheet - we had the 4:1 option which I changed to 3:1 with
massively strong wood shelled blocks.  I like 3:1 because there's a lot less
line to haul in and even in winds up to 30knts, there's plenty of power
there.  

We put an adjustable outhaul on the boom with 3:1 in bullet blocks at the
clew then leading forward to another block which effectively doubles the
purchase to 6:1.  We put a clam cleat on the boom near the gooseneck so that
we can adjust the outhaul no matter what point of sail we are on.

I set up a topping lift of 1/4" line such that it's effectively a spare main
halyard...and we've used it as such once.  Yes 1/4 is way too small for a
halyard, but I didn't want a heavier line banging around all the time.

I set up a second headsail halyard by hanging a second block under the
primary one - haven't ever needed that but I reckoned a back up is a good
thing.

We hung a block about 4' above the spreaders and rove a halyard through it
that doubles as both spinnaker topping lift and staysail halyard.

We added large radius foot blocks shackled to the life line stanchion bases
just aft of the primary winches... That ensures that no matter what position
the genny sheet block is in, the angle to the winch is always perfect.

We moved the old Barient primary winches aft to the spinnaker winch
pads...and put Harken #42 (I think) self tailing winches in their place as
primaries.  I wouldn't have chosen Harkens but for the fact that I was able
to obtain them as my payment for lecturing at the local Marine College on
rigging.  If I were buying winches, I'd choose Andersens.

There's more I guess but this is getting long....

Gord #426 Surprise

On 03/07/14 9:42 PM, "Brent Higgins via Public-List"
<public-list at lists.alberg30.org> wrote:

> Hi Everyone, 
> 
> 
> Thanks to those that provided guidance on the fasteners & removing varnished
> over plugs. I need to do a lot of work to #317 before she's ready for her
> first sail. The first step is reinstalling all the hardware & brightwork that
> I want to keep. The second will be installing the hardware I want to add and
> buying all new running rigging (most the lines are falling apart).
> 
> 
> At some point, I need to unstep the mast and inspect everything, too. Before I
> do, I want to decide on the configuration of my running rigging. I've seen
> some great set ups, but being a complete rookie, I want to be thorough in my
> research and get it right. Does anyone have video, photos, or diagrams of
> their configurations they would like to share, opinions on running controls
> aft vs. keeping some forward, suggested websites or reading?
> 
> 
> I have a traveler installed in the stern, a winch on the mast, and a winch on
> the boom, a boom vang, I'll reinstall the winches on the outboard sides of the
> coamings, once re-installed, and that's really it right now. So, I feel like I
> have a lot of flexibility to choose a configuration that works for me.
> 
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Brenton
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