[Public-List] Do we need halyard winches?

[Glenn Brooks via Public-List]

Hi Brent,

Second what Gordo said. I would hoist away as is and not worry about running anything aft until latter.  The boat can be sailed very nicely with an absolute minimum of gear. It just takes a bit of getting used to the way your winches and cleats are arranged on board.  Winches  are really useful to wrap halyards around and control hoisting and dropping sails by the amount  of tension on the line around the winch drum.  But not altogether necessary.  For example, Dolce hull no 318 has the same winch arrangement on the mast as yours, but I have several extra halyards that I tie off directly to cleats- no winches involved... except one winch is also mounted aft end of the cabin top, starboard side.  I use the mast winch to control the Genoa/jyb halyard and the cabin top winch to control the main halyard, which I did lead aft for singlehanded sailing.

An alternate method for controlling halyards without a winch is to install a deck eye and block to turn a halyard back up to a cleat on the mast, and control tension with one bend around the mast cleat whilst hoisting. 

Overall, My guess is the majority of cruising boats traditionally  control their jyb and spin halyards at the mast, while a few -mostly singlehanders- run the main halyard aft along with the reefing lines.  Probably the main halyard and reefing lines are what you see running aft on the web site.  

But most likely you will want to leave the foredeck halyards at the mast- they aren't used much while underway and just clutter up an already busy cockpit if led aft.


Enjoy your boat!

Glenn B
Ex-Dolce 318


Sent from my iPad

> On Jun 26, 2015, at 1:08 PM, Gordon Laco via Public-List <public-list at lists.alberg30.org> wrote:
> 
> Halyard winches are more an issue of performance than safety.   It's very much better (and easier) to have them.   But not at all unsafe not to. 
> 
> Gord #426 Surprise. 
> 
> At the WoodenBoat Show in Mystic CT
> 
>> On 2015-06-26, at 3:57 PM, Brent Higgins via Public-List <public-list at lists.alberg30.org> wrote:
>> 
>> Hi Guys, 
>> I took my A30 out sailing for the first time last weekend. We got the mainsail up but didn't raise the jib, because I only have the one port-side mast winch. I was planning to run my jib & spin halyards aft by mounting cheek blocks on the mast, similarly to what's on the website. Then I'd have to install a deck organizer, jammer, and winch on my cabin. I have all the parts, but I do not want to do undertake this unless I have to.
>> I looked through the old emails about mast winches & running line aft, & several of you said that our boats do not really need halyard winches, that you can hoist the main & jib without them. What're your thoughts? Is this unrealistic and/or dangerous? I am cruising only (and not very well...) in the Chesapeake. Should I run some lines aft or manually hoist the halyards?
>> Thanks,
>> Brent
>> _______________________________________________
>> These businesses support your Association:
>> http://www.alberg30.org/store/A30supporters.html
>> Please support them.
>> _______________________________________________
>> Public-List mailing list
>> Public-List at lists.alberg30.org
>> http://lists.alberg30.org/listinfo.cgi/public-list-alberg30.org
> _______________________________________________
> These businesses support your Association:
> http://www.alberg30.org/store/A30supporters.html
> Please support them.
> _______________________________________________
> Public-List mailing list
> Public-List at lists.alberg30.org
> http://lists.alberg30.org/listinfo.cgi/public-list-alberg30.org