Changing the sheets

[Kelpie]

I've just bought a length of rope to use as new genoa sheets. It's in one long length and I'd like to keep it that way for various reasons.

I was just going to cow hitch it on to the clew, but I'm wondering if it's better to make a bowline at the mid point with the tails adjusted accordingly. Probably a bit of a pain but perhaps less likely to jam solid?

 

[Sandy]

I've used a cow hitch for years, never quite understand why people are to keen to put so many knots where you need a sail to run smoothly when you tack/gybe. I added a couple of metres to the length of the sheet so I could move the location of the cow hitch from year to year.

 

[Kelpie]

I've used a cow hitch for years, never quite understand why people are to keen to put so many knots where you need a sail to run smoothly when you tack/gybe. I added a couple of metres to the length of the sheet so I could move the location of the cow hitch from year to year.

No problems with it slipping?

 

[LiftyK]

No problems with it slipping?

it never slips on my boat

 

[Sandy]

No problems with it slipping?

None, but I have heard others say they have. I wonder if they have bought a role with a slippy mantel.

 

[Stemar]

OK, Jissel was only 24ft, but a cow hitch worked fine for me. It has the advantage of being less likely to snag on the shrouds than bulkier knots.

 

[Sandy]

I have a Gib'Sea 96 LOA 10.1 metres (33 feet in old money) with a 140% Genoa on a furler and about 5 tonne sailing weight.

 

[thinwater]

Cow hitch, several boats, no problems.

If you are really concerned that it will slip, seize the lines together with thread right at the knot. You can easily snip the seizing if you want to remove the sheet.

 

[Poignard]

 

[LadyInBed]

When I replaced my genoa sheet I didn't want to cut it, so used a butterfly knot as the tails lay 180° Opposed to eachother, so easy to go around the rigging and attach it to the clew with a soft shackle.
Works well and easy to remove at the end of the season, unlike a cow hitch which tightens up very tight.

 

[alahol2]

Yes to the Alpine butterfly but I then use a double line of smaller stuff cow hitched to the clew and a double sheet bend into the butterfly knot.
If you change headsails, leave the cow hitched tail on each sail.
My current setup uses an even smaller dynema line on the clew.
The doubled line to the clew can be quite long meaning the genoa sheet itself can be rather shorter.
Everything is easy to untie.


Looking at it now, that Butterfly knot may be incorrectly tied but it works OK and nothing jams.

 

[VicS]

Thanks for posting that. Saved me the job ( always meant to photograph it, instead of relying on the cribbed sketch, but have never got round to it.

I'll add that my sheet is 10mm and the added piece with the stopper knot is 6mm ( I think) Seems to work well for a small boat.
I copied the original sheet, except that had a horrible aluminium ferule instead of the whipping.
I dont know why I did not think of a cow hitch . It seems the obvious thing to do now

 

[[2574]]

My rigger is talking to me about splicing a soft shackle in to the clew end of the genoa sheets. Seems like a neat solution though I confess I’ve not yet given it much thought and asked him to proceed. Anyone else done this?

 

[geem]

I've just bought a length of rope to use as new genoa sheets. It's in one long length and I'd like to keep it that way for various reasons.

I was just going to cow hitch it on to the clew, but I'm wondering if it's better to make a bowline at the mid point with the tails adjusted accordingly. Probably a bit of a pain but perhaps less likely to jam solid?

I would tie seperate bowline and run two seperate sheets. I know you are planning to cross the pond soon. If you suffer any chafe from poling out the genoa you can easily shorten one sheet at the genoa to remove the chafe spot onroute. This would not be possible with a cow hitch. We had to carry out this repair on the last crossing and it is easily completed on the hoof

 

[thinwater]

I've used soft shackles, but I like them to be replaceable. I would just seize them on if I was afraid of dropping one.

 

[Daydream believer]

Yes to the Alpine butterfly but I then use a double line of smaller stuff cow hitched to the clew and a double sheet bend into the butterfly knot.
If you change headsails, leave the cow hitched tail on each sail.
My current setup uses an even smaller dynema line on the clew.
The doubled line to the clew can be quite long meaning the genoa sheet itself can be rather shorter.
Everything is easy to untie.

View attachment 148455
Looking at it now, that Butterfly knot may be incorrectly tied but it works OK and nothing jams.

Did you play cats cradle when you were a kid at school? ?

 

[Daydream believer]

Thanks for posting that. Saved me the job ( always meant to photograph it, instead of relying on the cribbed sketch, but have never got round to it.

I'll add that my sheet is 10mm and the added piece with the stopper knot is 6mm ( I think) Seems to work well for a small boat.
I copied the original sheet, except that had a horrible aluminium ferule instead of the whipping.
I dont know why I did not think of a cow hitch . It seems the obvious thing to do now

The added piece with the stopper needs to be very much thicker, so that it cannot pull back through the eye. Then you do not need the plastic ball . A thin line might pull back through the eye & put all the load on the 6mm line & stopper.

 

[Kelpie]

I would tie seperate bowline and run two seperate sheets. I know you are planning to cross the pond soon. If you suffer any chafe from poling out the genoa you can easily shorten one sheet at the genoa to remove the chafe spot onroute. This would not be possible with a cow hitch. We had to carry out this repair on the last crossing and it is easily completed on the hoof

Good point.
I've already had to end-for-end one of the old genoa sheets due to a sharp bit on the spin pole- now filed smooth.
Other than that the old sheets are in excellent condition. The new sheet is to go on to a second genoa which we may fly as a twin headsail rig. Experimented with it on our last passage and it was very encouraging, but we were using old bits of rope as sheets and they aren't really long enough, so new sheets it is.

One big advantage of keeping the new sheet in a single length is that it could be used as a spare halyard if the need arose (in which case we would either go back to single genoa or improvise replacement sheets).

 

[Refueler]

Never understood this liking of the Cow Hitch ...... its a hitch that basically is used to hang a piece of cord on a rail ... never designed to take a load ...

 

[LittleSister]

Cow hitch worked fine for me, too, except it tended to scrunch up the edge of the sail to the clew eye (probably not a problem with larger boats and their heavier sails).

I've also had, without any problems, an arrangement like VicS's except with a separate soft shackle instead of an attached line with a stopper knot.

All on fairly small yachts, mind, but I imagine either'd be fine on any yacht of size that I'd ever own, even if I won the pools. The only reason I've had different, once I'd realised the advantage of the above methods, is that each boat I've bought came with separate sheets, and I needed to wear those out before splashing out on a single line.

When I sailed a dinghy, and later a small centre-board yacht, single-handed I used to favour a single line but the other way around - both ends tied on the foresail - so that I had a continuous line at the cockpit end and if I dropped the sheet I could always easily catch it again, even if the boat was heeled significantly. Because the boats had no baby stay and only modest % foresails there was no problem with knots on the foresail clew catching on things.